Chapter 32

Marcus had just wrapped up another report on our video call, and something he said triggered a memory. A place. A direction. A specific detail that felt painfully familiar.

Nothing was certain yet. Years had gone by, and memories could be notoriously unreliable, but if my instincts vere right, everything would change.

“ I have to get home, ” my voice cut through the room, ending the meeting short.

Before either my father or Liam could press for questions, my boots were already moving. Striding out of the dministrative building, I was at the residence in less than ten minutes.

The car door had barely swung open when she caught my eye.

Stella was waiting on the wide stone steps, leaning against the double doors.

“ I’m starting to think you’re avoiding me, ” she said, stepping forward to intercept me before I could even reach or the handle. “ And right now, you look like you’re ready to run right past me. ”

“ It’s important, Stella. ”

“ More important than me? ” She reached out, her fingers brushing my arm.

I stepped back. It was automatic, just instinct. From the sharp look in her eyes, I knew she noticed.

I didn’t have time for this. “ I just need to grab something from my room. ”

Her eyes narrowed. “ Then I’m going to come with you. ”

Stella- ”

“ You’ll get distracted if I don’t keep an eye on you. ”

I rubbed my forehead. Moon Goddess, give me strength. “ Fine. ”

She smiled, her annoyance gone as she followed me inside. I took the stairs two at a time, and somehow Stella ept up in her heels. I almost respected that. Almost.

But halfway down the second – floor hallway, I stopped in my tracks. A scent washed over me, warm, sweet, and

omforting.

I inhaled again, the familiar fragrance grounding me completely.

“ That is awful, ” Stella grimaced, wrinkling her nose. “ It smells like something died in the walls. ”

I stared at her. Rotten? No, not even close. It smelled like juniper. Like home. I didn’t understand why until I saw the guest room door.

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5:25 pm

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Apparently, I’d muttered her name out loud because Stella’s gaze snapped toward the door.

But I didn’t have time for her drama. Without a single word of explanation, I brushed past her and walked straight into my own room, located right next to Emily’s, with the scent following me the whole way. I yanked open the top drawer of my desk and started tossing papers aside: documents, old maps, useless reports.

“ What are you even looking for? ” Stella asked. She strolled over, sitting on the edge of my desk and crossing her egs. The movement was deliberate, her short skirt riding up her thigh.

Once, that view might have distracted me. Now, I felt nothing at all. Just pure irritation.

I shoved her legs out of my way, causing her to lose her balance for a second. “ Not now, Stella. ”

Her eyes flashed with anger.

Then, at the bottom of the drawer, I found it. The map. Two years ago was the day my sister disappeared. The nap showed the last known rogue trail. I unfolded it quickly, and the marked location stared back at me. It was

xactly the area Marcus had just described in his report.

A heavy feeling settled in my gut. I barely noticed Stella’s clenched jaw or the anger coming off her. I was already leading back to the door.

“ Coming? ” I asked over my shoulder.

She brushed past me into the hallway without a word.

As we passed the guest room, the juniper scent hit me again, even stronger this time. I paused for a moment, Irawn to it before I even realized.

Stella scoffed. “ You need to get the servants to scrub this hallway. ”

The irritation came back right away. Once we got downstairs, I told her I’d drive back to the administrative uilding alone.

She stepped closer and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek.

“ Of course, darling. ” Her smile looked perfect, but it felt fake. For a moment, I saw something bitter underneath efore she turned and walked away.

Minutes later, I burst back into my father’s office. Liam looked up from his seat. “ Well? ”

I spread the map across the table. “ Look here. ”

Everyone, including Marcus, leaned forward through the video screen. My finger landed on the faded red marker.

Marcus’s eyes widened. “ No way. ”

I nodded. “ This is where Iris disappeared. ”

Her name felt like a heavy weight in the room. Nobody said her name anymore, not because we forgot, but

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because the loss hurt too much.

“ Are you sure, Nathan? ” Marcus asked.

“ My memory might be foggy, ” I said, tapping the paper, “ but the map isn’t. ”

Marcus nodded slowly. “ We found their route. ”

For the first time in years, we finally had a real lead.

The meeting stretched on for another hour, focusing on search grids and scout schedules. Right before we vrapped up, Marcus hesitated. “ Alpha King … I need one more favor. ”

My father narrowed his eyes. “ Go on. ”

“ You aren’t going to like it, ” Marcus sighed, looking defensive. “ The witch needs protection. Her coven is hunting

er because she helped us. ”

“ Absolutely not, ” Liam cut in. “ Not our problem. ”

“ Without her, we wouldn’t have this information, Liam, ” Marcus countered, pointing at the screen.

The room remained tense until my father finally spoke. “ There is an old cottage near the outer border. She could

tay there, far away from the pack territory. ”

“ Agreed, ” Marcus said.

The call ended, and my father stood up to stretch. “ I’m exhausted. ”

“ I’m starving, ” Liam added.

That made three of us. As we walked back toward the résidence, I stepped in front of them, blocking the path. “ I

lave news. Emily is staying at the house from now on. ”

Liam grinned, giving me a quick thumbs – up.

My father, however, frowned. “ You think that’s wise? ”

I thought about the clinic, about seeing her pale and unconscious, about how close I’d come to losing her.

“ No, ” I admitted.

Both looked surprised. I shrugged, the truth slipping out before I could stop it.

“ I don’t know if it’s wise, but it feels right. ”

My father studied me for a long moment, then gave a single nod. “ Very well. ”

When we entered the dining room, the table was already set with roast beef, chicken, and fresh bread.

We were just about to sit down when the scent of strawberries drifted into the room. I looked up, and every thought vanished from my head.

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My mother walked in, leading Emily into the dining room.

Emily stood in the doorway.

Moon Goddess, she looked beautiful. She wasn’t wearing anything fancy or makeup, but she still looked real. Soft, natural, and alive. I compared her to Stella, and Stella didn’t stand a chance.

Emily met my eyes and froze. The sudden worry in her face made anger rise in me, not at her, but at myself. What

tind of bastard had I been to make her look at me with so much caution?

“ I told you that you’re an idiot, ” Asher muttered in my mind.

For once, I completely agreed with my wolf.

Emily quietly took her seat across from me. Meredyth wished everyone a good meal, and plates began moving

round the table.

Then I noticed Emily’s plate. She had taken three leaves of salad and a tiny spoonful of vegetables. That was it. I

tared at the pathetic portion, then reached for the serving platter.

A massive piece of chicken landed on her plate.

Emily blinked in surprise.

Next, I added salad to her plate. One scoop. Two. Three. Still not enough. I added fresh bread, then the nushroom tartlets, which were my favorite, so she needed them too. By the time I finished, her plate was piled langerously high with food.

A quiet cough sounded to my right. I looked up. Liam was biting his lip, trying not to laugh. My father had paused is fork mid – air, and even Meredyth looked highly amused.

“ What? ” I asked, looking around.

Nobody answered. Emily stared at the mountain of food in front of her, then slowly looked up at me. “ Am I being

unished? ”

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Liam actually choked on his water. I froze.

Seriously, she was teasing me.

“ You barely took anything, ” I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

Emily glanced down. “ I think you’ve fixed that problem. ”

A light chuckle went around the table, and the tension finally eased.

We ate in relative comfort for a while until Emily spoke up softly. “ I miss my old home sometimes. But today I lit one of the candles I bought in the city. The scent reminded me of home. ”

Right away, my mood changed. Home? That miserable place? That pack? After how they treated her?

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So that’s where the smell came from? ” Tasked, my voice cutting through the warmth of the room.

Meredyth gave me a warning look, but I ignored it.

“ The candle from your old home. ” Something bitter snapped inside me, and pushed my chair back and stood up.

‘ We don’t bring that place into this house. ”

The entire table went still. I turned, already halfway to the door, when Liam’s voice roared through our mind – link.

“ You absolute idiot. ”

I stopped.

“ That’s the scent of her mother. Not her pack. ”

A cold wave of regret washed over me. “ What? When did she say that? ”

“ While you were busy piling a whole chicken onto her plate. ”

I felt incredibly stupid. Slowly, I turned back around. Emily was sitting rigid in her chair, looking hurt and onfused, though she was trying hard to hide it. I hated that look on her face, and I hated that I was the one who

ut it there.

“ … Leave the candles, ” I said quietly, the words feeling clumsy.

Everyone stared at me. I met Emily’s eyes, half expecting her to throw a bread roll at my head. I probably

eserved it.

“ They don’t bother me, ” I added, then turned and walked out before I could make things worse.

As soon as the dining room door closed behind me, I leaned my head against the wall. What was wrong with me?

A mind – link opened from the front gate guards. “ Alpha. The witch has arrived. ”

I closed my eyes. It was already late evening, perfect timing. Fewer people around to ask questions. “ Let her in. ”

A brief pause. “ Should we escort her straight to the border cottage? ”

I pushed away from the wall, checking my watch. “ I’m coming down. I’ll handle it myself. ”

For some reason, I felt like this witch was about to change the direction of our whole search.

Next Chapter Chapter 33

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Olivia Harris is an emerging author celebrated for her captivating romantic and steamy novels. With a talent for crafting deep emotional connections and fiery chemistry between her characters, Olivia’s stories offer readers an escape into worlds filled with passion, intrigue, and heart-stopping drama.