Chapter 19

Chapter

Nineteen

Evelyn

I stared at the front door, shifting my weight on my feet. A community picnic. Why the hell was I considering going to a community picnic? My friend was missing, and I only had three days to find her, and yet there I was wearing my favorite jeans and a tank top, holding a bowl of freshly cut watermelon.

My phone buzzed, jarring me from my thoughts. I set the bowl down on the side table and pulled it from my back pocket.

Bruce:

Hope you're enjoying your little retreat while I'm drowning in paperwork here. Remember the Fairclough case? Yeah, that's on you.

Bastard. I typed back swiftly, my fingers a staccato rhythm on the screen.

Enjoy the mountain of files, Bruce. Consider it payback for all those coffees you 'forgot' to pay for

I swiped back to my messages, realizing that was the first text I'd received since taking off at the beginning of the week. That was pathetic. Also not exactly a surprise.

"Hey, you good?" Marissa asked behind me.

I turned, slipping my phone back in my pocket. "Yeah." I picked up the bowl of watermelon, my thoughts spinning as Marissa walked to the door and slipped on her flip-flops. I didn't have another lead. I wanted something to do—some other clue that would lead me back to Callista's trail, but I had nothing. Going out into the community would give me a better chance of finding something than sitting here in Will and Marissa's house.

"Ready?"

I nodded, then followed Marissa out the door.

We made our way toward the communal space where the lunch was held, guided by the sound of laughter and the welcoming aroma of home-cooked food. Not the scent I should be following, but who was I kidding. Smoked meat? Yes, please.

The clearing was abuzz with activity. Pack members and humans mingled. Children darted between tables, their giggles punctuating the hum of conversation as they played tag around, under, and between their parents.

I paused at the fringe of the gathering, taking in the festoon of colors from tablecloths fluttering in the gentle breeze, the array of dishes. Smoked salmon, wild berry preserves, and freshly baked breads seemed to call out this is what you've been missing!

It was true. In Seattle I went from work to home, wash, rinse, repeat. If there were events like this, I definitely didn't know about them.

"Hey, Evelyn! Over here!" The call came from a cluster of Black Lake Pack members lounging on checkered blankets. Why were they being so nice to me? Some of them had to still remember who I was. If not them, then their parents. Wouldn't they want to get as far from me as possible?

"Didn't think you'd miss out on Marianne's blackberry pie, eh?" teased a burly man with a grin that crinkled the corners of his eyes. His laughter was infectious.

"Wouldn't dream of it." I mustered as much cheerfulness as I could manage. The group parted to make room for me, and I settled onto the soft grass and set down my bowl of watermelon. A group of three toddlers instantly stuffed their hands in for a piece.

"Bacon-wrapped date?" A woman whose silver hair spoke of wisdom and years spent nurturing the bond between shifter and human passed me a plate.

A man wearing a Nanaimo EMT hat passed me a plate piled high with home-cooked rolls.

"You're EMT?" I asked, knowing there was a chance he got the hat at a Value Village or something.

He nodded. "Thirty years."

"You work around here?"

"For Kooteney Health. Three days a week. You?"

I shook my head. "I was with a group in Seattle." I blinked. Was. Why had I said was? "Sorry, I am with a group in Seattle. Heading back in a few days."

Laughter erupted from a nearby table where children were engaged in a spirited debate over who would win in a race—a wolf or a deer. I grinned, thinking one of us should shift and show them.

I caught sight of Rowan across the square. He was flipping burgers, but his eyes flicked to mine the second I looked in his direction. "I think I'll go make up a plate." I excused myself and started toward him.

"Having fun?" He asked as I approached.

I nodded, shoving my hands in the back pockets of my jeans. "I don't know how you look so relaxed."

He shrugged. "I can be worried about my pack and enjoy an afternoon in the sun. Both can be true." Rowan nodded to the table next to him, and I grabbed a plate. I didn't have much of an appetite, but I took some pasta salad and veggies and dip. Rowan insisted on making me a burger.

I sat at the table next to where he was working and chatted with him while he finished cooking up the last sleeve of patties. As he was untying his apron, one of the Black Lake elders approached. He didn't have to announce his station. If I couldn't already sense his energy and standing, the way Rowan straightened would've given it away.

He looked between the two of us, his eyes narrowing.

Rowan grabbed him a plate. "Have you had a burger yet, Elder Kurt?"

I dipped a carrot in ranch and watched as Rowan helped him with his plate. The elders weren't incapable of taking care of themselves, but most of them had lived for hundreds of years. It was an act of gratitude and respect to serve them.

"What was that all about?" I asked as Elder Kurt made his way back to his group.

Rowan shrugged, and I raised an eyebrow. He sat across from me, and I couldn't help but notice how his t-shirt stretched over his shoulders as he leaned over the table. "They have opinions."

I frowned. "About what?"

"About me."

"As alpha?"

He picked up a tab from a can of pop sitting on the table and flicked it between his fingers. All I could think about was how those fingers had been all over me the night before. "More about the next blood moon."

Realization hit. "Ah. They want you to mate."

"Apparently, I'm ancient."

I reached out and ran my finger over the streak of grey in his stubble. "Proof."

He grinned and reached up for my hand. "I'm glad you came today."

Laughter bubbled up from a group engaged in a spirited game of horseshoes.

"Rowan! Show us how it's done!" a burly man called, waving a horseshoe in the air with a wink.

"Want to play?" Rowan's eyes sparkled.

I threw my plate in the garbage and followed him over to the pits. Despite the undercurrent of mystery tugging at my thoughts, I let the competitive spirit of the moment sweep me along. We made a couple of practice throws, but when Rowan got one centered on the post, I knew it was game time.

The cold iron felt grounding in my hands, a tangible reminder that not everything had to be about the weight of duty. I focused, aimed, and with a swift flick of my wrist, sent the horseshoe sailing toward the stake.

It landed with a satisfying clink, encircling the metal post perfectly. Cheers erupted around me, and my lips curved into a triumphant smile.

"You didn't tell us she was a ringer." The man who'd invited us over nudged my shoulder, then flinched and moved back a few steps. His eyes flicked between me and Rowan.

Oh geez. I turned to Rowan and pursed my lips.

"What?" He didn't look the least bit apologetic as he wound up for another throw. "He shouldn't have touched you."

We played a few more rounds, and for those few hours, the search for Callista and the missing dagger was a distant thought. The sun was sinking behind the towering redwoods, painting the sky in hues of lavender as I helped with cleanup.

"Does the pack sponsor things like this?" I asked Will as he held a trash bag for me to scoop up plates left on one of the picnic tables.

He nodded. "Rowan thinks it's important to foster good relationships with the community."

I agreed. That was something I always wished we did in Kitimat. Up there it was us verses them. Full stop.

Rowan was waiting for me on the sidewalk. He put out his arm, and I looped mine in his as we walked the few blocks home. "Want to see my house?" he asked.

"Is that your best line?"

He laughed. "I don't know, you tell me."

"Terrible."

"How about, ‘Hey Evelyn, want to come over to strategize?'"

I grinned. "Much better." He led me past Will and Marissa's, and truth be told, I was impressed. Based on how awake my wolf was anytime Rowan was near, I knew his wolf must be clamoring for us to solidify our mating bond. He was an alpha, and yet I didn't see him commanding anyone in his pack to bend to his will. It was like…they wanted to follow him. A foreign concept for me.

Rowan dropped my arm and walked up the steps, then took out his key and unlocked the door. He flicked on the lights, and I followed him in. It was a modern rambler, and I immediately loved his taste. Simple leather furniture, a brick fireplace on the far wall. "You have curtains? I thought bachelors weren't supposed to know about window treatments."

"That's what Lana's for." Rowan set the keys on the island in the kitchen and opened the fridge. "Seltzer?"

I nodded and took a seat on the bar stool. He opened the can for me and set it on the counter.

"Can I see the dagger again?" I asked. I doubted I would notice anything new, but it was currently our only lead.

Rowan nodded and disappeared into the hall. A moment later, his footsteps came quick. The moment I saw his face, a chill settled in my bones.

Rowan raked his hand through his hair, stalking into the kitchen. "Evelyn, I'm so sorry. I put it in a hidden drawer in the back of my closet. I don't know…"

Blood rushed in my ears, drowning him out. The dagger, the one thing anchoring me to my mission, the one lead I had in finding Callista, was gone.