Chapter Forty-Four

June

My head swam. My body ached. The only thing that alerted me to the fact that I was conscious again was the presence of a throbbing headache.

I was on a bed, I think. Or I was on something soft like a bed. My head was certainly on a pillow.

I opened my eyes slowly to a light room. The bedding was soft and floral, painting supplies sat on a table by the window, and the wall was covered in artwork. A scent that I knew I had encountered before but couldn't recall where edged the room with mystery.

Where was I?

And how did I get here? I remembered sneaking into the pack house basement but then it gets fuzzy.

I tried to sit up slowly, but my head swirled and I laid it back down.

"Ugh." I closed my eyes for a moment, and then the door to the room creaked open.

My eyes popped open, and I saw Alice carrying a tray.

"Oh, dear," she set the tray on a table and rushed to the bed. "June, don't get up too soon. Poor girl, you must be so upset."

"Upset?" I asked, trying to sit up slowly. "What happened? Where am I?"

Alice clicked her tongue and shook her head sadly. "You don't remember, do you? It will come back. Poor child. Here, let me get Alpha, he's the best one for this situation. I brought you a bit of soup and toast. Try to get one of them down if you can."

Alice rushed out of the room with purpose, leaving no room for more questions.

I moved the blankets off of me and swung my legs off the side of the bed, looking down in horror to see that I was not wearing any clothes I recognized. Flannel pajama pants and a plain T-shirt. Did someone change me?

Hey . . . I turned to my wolf.

Silence.

That sent a cold chill through my heart.

Hey!

A sense of dread filled me as I reached out and felt nothing. No response.

My nose was fully irritated with that familiar smell now. It was clouding the room, clouding my head. It was like the candle in Linda's house but much more potent.

I frowned, trying to decide where it was coming from, and as I looked around the room again I jumped as I saw Alpha Evander leaning in the doorway. He smelled like he'd been out in the woods. It was jarring to know he could sneak up on me like that.

"I'm sorry, did I startle you?" he said gently.

My muscles tensed, on the defensive.

"What am I doing here? What's going on?" I said.

Evander walked forward. I scooted back onto the bed, trying to keep the space between us as big as possible. I was so disoriented, though. Why was my wolf so quiet? Why was I here?

"Juniper." Evander sat on the edge of the bed. "Don't you remember?"

That smell. That maddening, foggy smell that irritated my head. It was stronger as he walked toward me. I looked over his shoulder and spotted the lit candle on a bookshelf by the door. He must have lit it when he came in. I instantly didn't like it.

"Remember what?" I asked slowly.

"You collapsed after the news," he said. "I brought you up here to rest. Alice helped you get comfortable. It even looks like she left you something to eat, what a sweetheart."

My eyes darted to the tray of food and back to Evander again. "What news?"

"June, I'm afraid there was a bad rogue attack at the borders," Evander said.

My heart stopped. "Oh no . . ."

"There was a wolf who disobeyed the lockdown orders. His safety was . . . compromised."

"No."

Dom? I reached out . Dom!

"I'm afraid there were too many of them," Evander said sadly. "Dom was overwhelmed."

"No!" I screamed. "He would never! He's the strongest wolf I know!"

"June." Evander reached out to pat my knee. I jerked back.

"I need to see him!" I snarled. "Let me see him!"

I tossed the covers aside and tried to get off the bed and move toward the door, but Evander was quicker. He pushed me back down, and I was too weak and clouded to fight him.

"June, it's too late. He's gone," Evander said. "You're in no condition to leave right now, you need your rest."

"I don't believe Dom was killed!" I insisted. "Let me see him!"

"June, sit down." Evander commanded me in that way the alpha wolves seemed to be able to do. My body flinched, and in this state, I couldn't fight it. I sank back into the bed, my eyes watering.

Dom? Dom!

Nothing.

"That's better," Evander said. "June, you're clearly distraught. Why don't you stay here for a while? I can't imagine what it would be like to live in that house after . . . well. Why don't you stay here for a while? I'll let the pack know what has happened."

I was numb. My body didn't feel like mine anymore. But Dom couldn't be dead. There was no way it was true.

"Now, why don't you lie back and relax?" Evander said. "You've had a stressful day as it is. In fact, maybe you should take a nap, and maybe if you feel better when you wake up, you can join me for dinner? I can have Alice make your favorite meal if you let me know what it is."

I was taken back by that. On the surface, Evander was acting nice. Then again, didn't he always behave that way? I knew I didn't like him for how he handled his takeover of the pack, but was that my only reason? Was I hating him for something that happened ten years ago? That didn't sound like me, but I just couldn't make my mind remember.

"I can have Alice lay you out a nice dress as well. I'm sure a fresh change of clothes will do you good," Evander offered.

A realization hit me through the fog. My eyes darted around the room again, and I began to piece together what this room reminded me of. Floral sundresses hung in the open closet. The paintings on the wall were all of things that could only be seen from looking out the windows of the pack house. Even the soft scents that lingered here reminded me of her.

"This is Naomi's room," I said.

Evander nodded slowly. "It was Naomi's room. Yes."

"Why put me here? Why not a guest room?" I asked, suspicious of his motives.

"Naomi's old room already had clean bedding, clothes, and toiletries in the bathroom. The other rooms are used so rarely, we don't keep them ready for use. I would hate to put you in a dusty room, after all."

Enough heavy suspicion and even the strange candle smoke couldn't cloud my head entirely. Naomi hadn't seemed happy here. Was she a prisoner? Was I a prisoner? And where was Dom really? Because I couldn't accept a reality where he wouldn't survive. Not now, not so close to the full moon and his challenge to Evander.

Flashes crossed my mind. A bumper sticker. A figure lying on the ground behind silver bars. Evander. The basement.

The basement!

I still didn't have all the answers. My memories were still hazy. But I did know one thing, and that was that I couldn't trust Evander.

"Rest, June," Evander said, sliding a bit closer to me on the bed. "And remember that I'm here for you. The pack is here for you. We watch over each other. I know you haven't been with us long, but you belong in Moonpeak, and Moonpeak needs a caring wolf like you.

"It's a shame we lost Naomi at such a strenuous time for the pack," Evander continued. "She was such a nurturer, something I see in you as well, June. Naomi's presence helped the fact that we don't have a luna here. Ah, well. I'm sorry, I'm rambling now."

"Naomi is a luna now," I said. "Or she will be someday. Nathan is clearly an alpha."

"True." Evander sighed. "She's where she belongs now. I hope this pack can go on without the role she filled. At least, until we can find another to soothe the pack in troubled times."

I nearly jerked back from him in that moment. My head swam. If he couldn't find a luna, he couldn't just shove any wolf in that role. Could he?

I shivered. Even if he thought that could be the case, why not look for your own luna in the first place? And, for that matter, all the other important roles in the pack? He had no beta; he'd dismantled the role of the Master of Arms. The trackers weren't even utilized well if they had to tiptoe around what they found with Evander when he wanted to keep things secret.

Liar .

My wolf was starting to wake up. Relief flooded me.

Dom isn't dead .

Both of us were satisfied in the other's confidence in Dom.

But how to navigate this situation?

And who was the person in the basement? Maybe they had answers. Did this mean I would have to play along?

Maybe for now that would be best.

"You know what, Alpha?" I said. "I am tired. This is a lot to take in."

Evander smiled, placing his hand on my knee while I resisted the urge to yank back my leg and kick him in the face.

"Of course, June. Do you want me to bring you the soup Alice made?"

"Yes, please," I said sadly. "I should still eat something."

"Let me get that." Evander left my side long enough to bring the tray from where Alice had left it and bring it back to the bed.

"Thank you," I said. "It smells wonderful."

"I'm glad you still have an appetite," Evander said. "Tell me, what sounds good to eat for dinner? I'll have Alice make it."

"Oh," I said. "Nothing complicated. I don't want to trouble her."

"Nonsense," Evander said, pleased that I was going along with his suggestions if even only a little bit.

"Well, then . . ." Something that would keep her here for a while. Something that could let me maybe talk to her while she had downtime.

"What about a meatloaf?" I asked. "Granny always made that when I didn't win my track events."

"She'd be delighted to." Evander smiled, standing up. "Alice makes a great meatloaf. I'll let her know right now, you get some sleep. And that door over there is a bathroom if you need it."

"Thanks," I said, pretending to yawn and pulling the blankets over me.

"Rest well, Juniper. I'll come to check on you later."

"Okay," I said.

Evander gave me one last pleased look as he left the room, shutting the door softly. A metal sound clicked in the door before I heard his footsteps walking away and down the stairs.

The moment I thought he was far enough away, I tossed off the blankets and tiptoed to the door. Sure enough, it was locked. Not that it would stop a wolf from bursting through it, but he would definitely know if I broke the lock.

With a sigh, I walked back over to grab a piece of toast and start eating while I investigated what I could see and reach from the windows. Not much. Some plants, and really nothing directly below that I'd want to risk landing on if I climbed out the window.

Mate , my wolf whimpered.

I know , I said softly. We'll find him . And if he can't challenge Evander on the full moon . . .

I shook my head. No, Dom will be here. He will. I have to bide my time until he can get back. Whatever Evander did to him, Dom is stronger.

I eyed the candle, which was nearly out now. The smell was maddening. It muddled my thoughts, I just knew it. But how? Was it magic? Where did Evander get magic?

With a sigh, I sat back down on the bed. Time to come up with some new plans, and play the part of the sad wolf with a missing mate. Maybe I could keep Evander's guard down long enough to get some answers.

Who was in the basement?

Where was this magic stuff coming from?

And where in the world was Dom?