11. LEVIATHAN

Chapter 11

LEVIATHAN

Three cups of coffee in and I can hardly keep my eyes open. I won't stop searching for this girl, though. I can't. I can't fail another creature. Maybe it's in some part because I can't find out what I am, a fact that's starting to burn at the edge of my mind. My vision blurs as I sift through one of the case files I lifted off of Vince's desk, nothing new jumping out at me.

All I know is that a witch is stealing Omega wolves and trying to extract their essence. Until I realize that there's no way a witch or even a coven is stealing anyone. The tainted magic following this case isn't appealing but most dark magic isn't. No Omega wolf would willingly follow a witch harboring magic like that. There are a few good spells that could lure individuals, regardless of how strong their designation is but there's still caveats to that.

There would also be a lot more evidence and magical signatures left in the wake of each disappearance.

My brows furrow as something clicks and I sift through the mess on the coffee table for the list of details I gathered from the previous Omegas. They were all last seen in highly crowded places, minding their own business, save for the last one. A witch would never play with their magic in such a dense area and wouldn't be so stupid as to be caught on camera lingering outside of an Omega's house. Each and every last woman was revealed to have bruises and defensive wounds. They fought hard to escape and ultimately lost, except for Gloria.

I haven't been able to steal any of the medical examiner's reports or convince Vince that I need them. I'm not even supposed to be on this case. However, it seems like there's something I'm missing. Something that isn't adding up.

I sit up straight and look around, confusion settling in. Something is off but I can't put my finger on it. My body is reacting to an unknown presence or maybe I'm finally succumbing to the Basilisk venom running through my veins. Who knows at this point? Ignoring whatever the problem is, I reach for my phone and dial the one person who may be able to give me more answers.

"Mr. Lev? Are you okay? Do you need me to-"

"Absolutely not. Stay at home with your Alpha. Where is he by the way?" As much as I want to grill Gloria about the kidnapping, I don't want to dredge up bad memories. I can't imagine what kind of nightmares she suffers through.

"Right here. Hold on please."

There's some shuffling on the other side of the earpiece before I hear the man who paid me nearly $100,000 to find his Omega. I made him that if I brought her back, he'd bond her immediately. None of this courting bullshit. He agreed and a day later, Gloria was claimed. Thank the goddess.

"Mr. Dubois, I can't say I'm happy to hear from you."

"It is not my fault she keeps showing up at my office. We both want her away from this. That's not why I called. Did she ever talk about the kidnapping? To you? She didn't say much to me but I know it's in the files at the station. Something just isn't adding up." His growls filter through the earpiece but I couldn't care less. "There's another one. She's still alive as far as we know but the previous lead I had doesn't work. Just tell me, Wade."

I hold my breath, waiting for Wade to tell me off, and angrily hang up. He isn't the most endearing person. The only leeway I was given was because I was searching for Gloria. Now that she's safe and sound at home, I'm just an annoying bug in his way.

Several more seconds of silence falls between us and then a door closes. "Mr. Dubois, she mentioned that it was a man who took her, although took isn't the right word. She mentioned she was guided."

"Wait, what? Who was it? Did she know who he was?"

"No. That's the strangest part. She can't remember."

I say a quick thank you and hang up, not wanting to alarm Wade. The only explanation for Gloria not remembering her kidnapper's face is a glamor. However, that would mean Gloria and others like her were stolen away by a witch or with the help of one. There are very few people who know how to cast that spell as it's more complicated than any of the books make it seem.

I still don't know if I should be looking for a witch or an accomplice.

"More coffee and then I'll figure that shit out," I tell myself as I push to my feet and swipe my mug, only to realize the pot is empty. A quick search through the cabinets reveals a few chocolate bars and an old box of cereal. Adulting is absolutely my specialty. I settle for a chocolate bar as I search through the drawers, groaning when a gnawed KitKat draws my attention.

Mice? Really?

I really do need to get my life together. Working alone has always been my preference but being alone is an entirely different matter. Having someone in my space has always made me uncomfortable. One-night stands and a few brief flings have always been enough. Now? Seeing the state of what I call a home makes me wonder if I want something else.

Chucking the KitKat, I continue with my bar of chocolate, wandering back into the main part of my office. Absentmindedly, I start straightening some of the papers and then grabbing stray clothes I've left on the floor. It takes me a minute to realize that it's not my shirt I'm lifting to my nose and huffing. My eyes roll back into my head as Rowan's magic surrounds me again, his scent filling my nose until I've smashed my entire face into the fabric.

"This mate's thing is bullshit," I grumble.

"It's because we're not mates."

I freeze at the familiar voice and whip around to see my front door open and two Basilisks standing just inside. My office is always open but very few people actually visit me here. There's nearly every other type of correspondence except in person. I chuck the shirt across the room and fold my arms across my chest. "Thought I told you two not to follow me." My office seems a little less empty with them in it but I'm not telling them that.

Concerned expressions focus on me, neither one of them embodying the fierce Basilisk traits that I'm familiar with. I've done enough research to know that the softness to their designation is reserved for mates.

"Wait. You said we're not mates?"

Rowan's jaw tightens as Amand steps closer. "We needed to see that you were still alive."

"I'm still chugging along. What are you doing here if we're not mates?" My eyes flit between the two of them as I grow increasingly worried at their presence. They actually seem to care about my existence which is a strange change of pace for me. I take a rather large bite of my chocolate, chewing slowly as I wait for an answer. They watch the lower half of my face, heat bleeding through me until it makes a beeline for my dick.

Rowan clears his throat before closing the door and leaning back against it. "Have you heard of fatal attraction?"