Chapter 27

Chapter

Twenty-Seven

"Iswear what I was talking about was right here."

"You've done so much already," Demetri said. "Don't worry."

"I'm not worrying," I insisted, sorting through the papers they'd laid out for the umpteenth time.

It had to be here.

Even if it wasn't when I checked the last time.Or the time before that when everyone else went to workandI couldn't stand to pace around the house any longer. And so, I started to go snooping. Or not so much snooping as much as researching.

I gotmore and moreinvolved with whatever they were working on in the backgroundwhichwas clearly to undermine Demetri's father—owner of all things Prestford enterprises.

Prestford was another name that came up often within the pages I sourced for Cal and the rest of them— on omega funds, which within the university wouldn't have raised eyebrows, but elsewheretheyfound…

It made even my stomach churn uneasily if all this— well if this was leading to where I thought it was.

And now that I started to help, there was no doubt in my mind—even the part where the truth of it all scared me. I needed to know where it all led.

Luckily, the other pages I had about the transactions and sketchy-looking donations were all over the place if you were willing to read into documents enough, but the name. I was looking for the papers and the photographs detailing that one specific name that sent shivers up my spine every time I read it, even if I wished it wouldn't any longer.

I groaned.

"Do you think it is still in the library?" Liam asked after another moment, sitting at the other end of the table. Both of us paused. "This was all we had and were given. Sosomeof it is what Cal brought us you passed along. Did you give him what you are thinking of before…everything?"

Everything.

"I…" I wasn't sure.

"Which means it would still be down in the archives," said Demetri, determination in his voice for the first time since I insisted that I sit down and help them with the disorganized mess they had going of files that I was still unsure what they planned to do with. "I'll go and stop by today."

"Don't you think that will looka bitodd, Demetri?" Liam asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I own the place."

"Exactly."

Stopping their bickering, I shook my head. "You're not going to be able to find it."

They both turned to look at me.

"Neither of you are," I clarified. "The archives are a messbuttheyare organizedto me. At least, at thispointthey are. I know where I would've put the pages ora leastwhere I think they'd be."

Both ofthe alphas paused their start of an argumentlookingbetween each other as if locked in somekind ofsilent communication.

Demetri let out a deep breath. "It wouldn't be wise for you to leave the house, Ella."

"I know that, but?—"

"Come onDem. In and out. Who would be the wiser?" I turned to look at Liam's reasoning.For some reason,I didn't expect him to agree with me so quickly.

"We can't take her."

"I'll be with her," Liam assured. "I'll watch her, Demetri. You know we need whatever she foundandwho cares if someone sees her? She looks like she could be a student. Plus, she worked there.Ifthe place is as quiet as it always is, no one will even notice."

After a moment, Demetri hissed and leaned back. "Fine. But your phone is on you. And I want updates."

Liam gave him a mock salute. "Yes, Sir."

Walking back onto campus gave me the weirdest sense of deja vu. I had never felt itbeforeeven though I walked the same path nearlyevery dayfor the past seven years. The university was my haven. My home for the longest time.

Now…

"In and out," said Liam. "I'll be right with you. Are you worried?"

I shook my head. "No. Why? Do you think anyone will notice?"

He shook his head. "We'll be fine. Demetri is just a worrier when it comes to packing."

"But I'm not pack."

Liam snorted.

Pushing open the door for me, I stepped back into the libraryfeelingthe cool air pulsing through the vents. It was just how I left it the last time I was inside and quickly swept back to Mr. Wolfern's office I glanced towards.

The light was on inside, though I didn't see any movement. A lot of the library seemed quiet.

That was right. It wasn't just me that the library had to leave.

Even the front desk was missing its usual library assistantwhowatched students come and go. Nowtheonly people who sat there were students themselves on work-study, getting homework done behind a giant pile of books that looked like they needed tobe checkedback in.

"You okay?" Liam asked.

I dipped my head as I turned towards the stairs that led down to the bottom basement floor.

I quicklymade my way downthe stairs, knowing just how many I needed to go before I reached the bottom. There was silence and maybe a hint of a pagebeing flippedfrom somewhere else down here, but luckily, it didn't look like anyone had come to commander the workspace I had made for myself yet.

"You worked right here?" Liam asked, looking around the slightly dark and damp space.

I smiled. Oh, my pen I thought I lost!

I tucked the pen into my pocket as Liam stared at me like I was losing my marbles by how much I was smiling. No, I didn't love my job or anything, but it felt niceifonly for amomentto breathe in the slight mildew smell and feel like I was right back at home again.

Even if it wasn't where I belonged.

I still wasn't sure where that was.

"Right here. Now Ijusthave to find where I filed everything," I said, sorting through the documents still on my table andthroughthe file boxes I had placed around me for the easy rehoming post-alumni project.

Only, nowluckily, I never had the time to rehouse them back into the archive's shelves.

I sorted through one box before moving on to the next, trying not to disrupt anything inside.

I noticed Liam glance down at his watch.

"Somewhere to be?"

"Someone else you'd like to take lip with?" Liam asked, a daring glow in his eyes.

Heat immediately pulsed down in my stomach.

His smirk fell. "Hold it together until we get out of here if you can."

"I can't always help it."That Iwas finding out more than ever since I started living with them. My mini-practice heats seemed to come on when I least expected them, but luckilytheyhadn't been as intense as the first I had before.

I overheard Demetri talking about how it was a good thing. My body was regulated by being around them. Bybeing taken care of.

Huffing, I shuffled onto the next box cursing just how many successful assholes Prestford University housed at some point or another before my eyes caught on the edge of a paper my fingers skimmed over before pulling it out?—

I paused on a name. Staring at it, I read it and then reread it.

Davinson.

My heart pounded in my chest.

At Prestford? That didn't make sense. Prestford was states away–

"Are you okay?" I snapped my attention away.

Liam was looking at me with something akin to concern. At some point, he must've started to try and look through another box on his ownthoughhis brow ceased with confusion over the organizational pattern.

"Found it."

I stared down at the paper. I didn't want to believe it yet, even if I knew somehow in my heartof heartsthat it was true. It couldn't have been the same. Yet it was.

It's not like Davinson wasn't a common name—but this signature was. These dates…Thiswasjustwhat the Prestford pack had been looking for to completely expose whatever was going on with the elite alpha families within the state—further than thateven.

I quickly passed the sheets of paper over to Liamwhostacked them in a manila envelope.

I was just getting anxious being here. Too comfortable.

My brain was reminding me not to be. "Can we get out of here now?"

"Is this everything?" He asked.

"Unless youwant to also know of the people who arehelping the homeless."I waved a hand towards some of my other recon for the project I helped with.

It felt like another lifetime ago.

Liam stepped forward, looking around before his arms reached out. I was surprisedwhenI didn't flinch when he wrapped me in his arms. I froze, unsure what todoas he pressed a quick kiss to the top of my head.

"You did so good," he whispered.

My entire face flushed. If I couldn't already feel it, I put a hand to my cheek as we pulled apart and headed back towards the stares together.

He was clearly pleased withhimself justhow easily he could get to me. Walking up to the stop floor, he still kept me close until wemade it backthe way we came and felt the sun and fresh hair on our faces.

I breathed a sigh of relief. Or at least, I started to.

Wait.

I blinked a few times.Tryingto make sense of what I was seeing.

"Ella."

I took a few steps forward.

"Ella. Car is this way, smart girl," directed Liam.

The adorable pet name didn't phase me. "Uh-huh. Just hold on a second."

"Ella."

Before I could stop myself, I took offin the direction ofthe guy with the bag. I didn't know what I was doing, especially not as Liam called out to me, immediately running to catch up.

My heart pounded into my eyesareI tried to focus.Thiswasn't happening, and morethan that, I should be running the other way.But I had to be sure. I had to.

Because this didn't make sense.Me or…

He was thin and tall with broad shoulders and a twist of dark blond hair at the back of his, the dark eyes that I was sure at any moment would turn back around again and pin me to the spot.

I told you I'd find you.

My heart was about to explode in my chest.Theyknew. They had to know somehoweventhough it didn't make sense. They were here.

They were?—

Rita.

My friend paused along one of the corners in front of an academic building. Shetook a steptoward the guywhoimmediately pulled her against him for a kiss.

I froze.

When she pulled away, she caught my eye over his shoulder.

"Oh my god, Ella! Hey, how are you?" Her eyes widened as she called out, pulling the boy closer to herself.

My eyes connected back with hisbagwhere his jacket lay over the side.Thiswas him, not blurry like he was in the picturebut…It had to be him.

Was that the name of the boy Rita was he'd over heels for?

I couldn't remember. Peter… Peyton… Paul.

It was Paul.

Davidson.

No. That wasn't it. That couldn't be it. I was just getting worked up. I was seeing things that weren't there.

For one thing, Paul Davinson, Benjamin's brother would be an alpha.

And this boy was a beta.

My nose, I was learning, didn't lie and he had even less scent than Rita ever did.

I swallowed, trying to find room in my lungs for air. Behind me, Liam had already caught up to me. A hand paused before brushing against my lower back.

He looked between me and the guy and then back to Rita. Somehow, he managed to plaster a smile across his face. "Oh, hello there."

Finally, Paul reacted. He brushed a hand through this bright blond hair before reaching it out to shake Liam's hand. "Aren't you a professor, Sir?"

Liam cleared his throat and put out his hand. "Dr. Prestford. Yes. I work over in the linguistics department."

"I thought so," Paul said with grin.

"That's why I was on campusactually. I was showing Ella my officeandwe decided to take a little walk before heading home." He gave the excuseeasilyto us all. I didn't contradict him. "Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet youtoo."

"Paul." Rita nudged him. "This is my friend I was telling you about. She's the one who encouraged me to get over myself and go on a date with you."

His bright green eyes connected back with mine. Green. Green like the Davinson's eyes.

But more than just they had those eyes.

"I guess I should thank you," he said with a hint of a joke laced through his words. "I've been wanting to meet you actually since Rita brought you up at her conference the other week. She went on and on about how you had been keeping her alive for the past few years as she worked through her schooling here. An impressive feat. Trust me, I've had plenty of roommates."

There was a gentle spattering of laughter.

I didn't join in.

"I also hear that you found a job hiding down in the depths of the library. Is that right?" He asked, still focused directly on me.

I still couldn't speak. I nodded.

"Sorry. She just told me she had a headache," Liam excused for me.

Rita's brow pinched with concern.

I waved her off immediately. I couldn't have her thinking anything was wrong. "It's all good. Sorry. I just saw you and needed to say hey."

She grinned again. "Do so more often. Call me later, okay? I'll have some more details to tell you about."

Her gaze flicked between…Paul, and then back to me again.

I forced a pained chuckle looking from her back to her new… boyfriend? By the looks of things her policy on keeping things professional between them was thrown out the window. Though, I didn't think it wouldn't have been for long by the way she talked about him the last time I saw her. "You got it. Nice to meet you."

Paul reached for Rita's hand, holding it, though he smiled directly at me when he brought her hand up to his mouth to press a kiss to the back. "I'm sure I'll see you around. I'd love to get to know Rita's friends better soon. New and all."

"Ready to go, Ella?" Liam asked me, brushing his own hand over the inside of my elbow.

Yes. Please.