26

I 've got it. I've got it all, Slate confirms.

Explain, I demand.

I've got extensive communication trails between India and both of your fathers. I've also finally linked your father to that subdivision that was being built that we found Leera in, and the likely paper trail from him paying those rogues to kidnap her, he elaborates.

My blood is boiling, and I know she can feel the tension coursing through my body. Judging by the look of everyone, I think most of the plane can feel it.

The only thing I can't find or confirm is why, Slate finishes.

I sit and think for a minute before I believe with certainty that, If my father kidnapped and drugged Leera because she was “in his way,” it's safe to assume… I trail off; it's safe to assume my father is likely the one responsible for Imogen and my child's murder.

Each of my men just nod their heads.

We need to find out why, and why his scent was nowhere to be found either time. Leera said she heard a snobby rich guy bossing the lackey around; we know that had to be him checking on things himself, but he left no trace of a scent, Benny interjects.

It has to be part of why India and I were arranged to wed and become king and queen, I think out loud between my men and myself.

Slate nods again and dives back into his laptop.

I know that Slate will do everything in his power to find any and all the information we need. I thought it would feel different to get confirmation of what a monster my father is. I thought I'd be more hurt. Maybe more angry? I am all of those things, but the level of intensity in those feelings isn't as debilitating as I anticipated they would be.

I can only assume it's the result of the perfect little silver-haired miracle sitting on my lap.

She's typing away on her laptop, working on her schoolwork. I think she's enjoying the online classes more than she expected but doesn’t want to admit it out loud.

Every now and then she grabs her notebook to work out a math problem then hops right back to her laptop; I wish I could be in her mind, watching how it works.

My mate is smart. She's flying through mathematics that I could never understand. I'm not a numbers kind of guy. I’m a history and military strategy kind of guy.

How would I feel right now if I learned all this without Leera in my life? Or even right before I found her?

I would be at risk of turning feral, I have no doubt. It's rare, but it's possible. If someone becomes so lost in anger, their wolf can take over control of their bodies, and sometimes they never give it back. Luckily, it's about as rare as second-chance mates.

We'll get Leera all caught up on everything we've learned as soon as I get to show her a few surprises we put together for her. Just the thought of the happiness on her face forces a wide smile on my own.

The smile only lasts a moment, though; it fades once I remember that my mate was kidnapped. She was kidnapped and drugged and might have been murdered had we not arrived in time. And it was all orchestrated by my father. My own flesh and fucking blood.

What could be so fucking important that he would take my mate from me? Again?

Nothing. That's all there is to it. There is nothing in this world or any other world worth the life of my mate.

Now we have to find out why. We have to figure out how to stop him. We have to figure out how he's masking his scent.

All the thoughts crashing around my brain bring my wolf just under my skin. He wants to growl, but I can feel that he knows it will put Leera even further on edge.