34. Ryan

The sharp ping of a text message from my brother Derek reverberated in my pocket, piercing the stillness in my car. I couldn't listen to my usual music; it drowned out my thoughts, and right now, I needed to hear myself think. I fished out my phone. Carson was at Jem‘s place. It was time to turn over some stones.

I drove quickly, parking at my place and jogging over to Jem's. I found Derek and Carson at the dining room table.

"We alone?" I asked my brother as I walked in.

"Yes, everyone's out. I made sure before I brought him here."

I nodded, then took a good look at Carson. His face was pale and drawn. He was clutching his hands together and staring at the table, but otherwise, he looked like the calm figure I'd always known him to be.

"Carson," I began, "thank you for coming. You know why you're here?"

He gave a quick nod of his head.

"Okay. I need to ask you some questions. I know you've gone over this with Derek already, but I need to hear it from you."

Carson stared at my nose, not meeting my eyes and not saying anything.

"You know where the bodies were found?"

He nodded this time.

"Were you there anytime in the last week?"

His answer came back like a recoiling spring, swift and tense. "No. I've been at my cabin. Since last Wednesday."

I studied him, trying to navigate the uncertain waters between truth and deception. "Why would anyone claim they saw you fleeing the scene, then?"

His eyes sparked with anger. "I've no idea, Ryan. I don't know why someone would want to pin this on me."

No, I didn't, either. I had to work out if he was being framed or if he really was our killer. "What do you do up at that cabin of yours, Carson?"

The hint of a weary smile shadowed his face. "I enjoy the quiet, Ryan. Being away from humans, not needing to pretend all the time. I can be myself up there. Shift to a wolf, hunt when I want…"

"Hunt?" I asked, keeping my voice even.

He shot me a look that said he knew what I was really asking.

"Squirrels, rabbit, sometimes deer. Never humans. You know me, Ryan. You know that's not who I am."

The trouble was, I did know. Whoever killed those boys, it wasn't Carson. But we had no proof.

"Who knew you were up at your cabin this week?"

Carson took a moment to answer. "Everyone knows I go there, but I guess only Jem and Mattie knew I was there this week.

"Mattie Bowster? She owns the convenience store on Russell?"

Carson nodded. "I always stop at her shop for supplies before I head up."

I sighed. "I gotta say, Carson, you don't have a lot of information for me to go on."

His smile was bitter. "Don't I know it. What happens now?"

I looked up at Derek, sitting across from me, close enough to Carson, in case he made a run for it or tried to attack me. "Keep Carson here, under lock and key, until we find out more. I don't like this. I think it's best if we keep an eye on Carson for his safety."

Carson watched me, a quiet resignation etched on his face. His gaze held an understanding of the gravity of the situation, the wolf in him recognizing the Pack's need for the truth.

"You have my word, Carson. We won't stop digging. We'll find the truth. This isn't over."

The Alpha's house always had a cage room. No matter what the issue—a rogue werewolf, a man-eater, a grieving werewolf, a teen who didn't know how to control themselves, or an older wolf letting off steam that got out of hand—the Alpha was the best person to contain them. Ours had been updated since Oliver's time and now housed an impressive array of steel cages, padded walls and floors. Everything was built to withstand the strength and power of the most stubborn werewolves while also being comfortable and calming for the confused and distressed.

I waited while Derek locked Carson inside.

Derek looked grim as he came back into the dining room, and we headed outside. My boots crunched the gravel underfoot as we left Jem's house.

Derek broke the silence first, his voice a low rumble. "So?"

"Did you check with Mattie?"

Derek nodded. "No one else was in her store when Carson was there and she didn"t mention it to anyone."

I shot him a sidelong glance. "You think he did it?"

"Carson's been with us for years. We've seen what he is and isn't capable of. I've worked next to him for the last year. He's not our guy."

"Agreed."

"So, what now?"

"Any news on the victims?"

"Paul Abbotsford and Kaz Wheston. Both nineteen. Graduated together from the human-Shifter high school in Bridgetown. Known to run dodgy deals with both humans and Shifters. Drugs mostly."

"They could have pissed off one of their suppliers. Had an argument with a client. Lots of motives. Any connection to Carson?"

"None that I've found."

"Keep digging. In the meantime, we need to talk to the witness."

He quirked a brow at me. "We might be able to get in and talk to people in Bridgetown, but there is no way Michael's going to let us talk to the witness. Especially not if this whole thing is a setup."

I shrugged. "We'll need to go around him."

Derek stared at me, not saying a word.

"It'll mean war if Michael finds out," he eventually said.

"The other option is to hand over Carson. It'd be a death sentence. What do you want to do?"

He was silent for a while, staring at the Alpha house with a thoughtful expression. Then, without turning his gaze, he said, "He's Pack. We protect our own. If there's a chance to clear Carson's name, we have to take it. And if it means marching into that prick's den, then so be it."

The conviction in his voice made me smile, but even more than that, it was the undercurrent of compassion for Carson that struck me. Derek, for all his military hardness, carried a deep empathy for his Packmates.

"I knew there was a reason I kept you around," I teased as we got in my car and I pulled out into the street. His lips twitched upwards in a grin.

"And here I was thinking it was my cooking," Derek shot back.

"You can't cook for shit, man."

"Yeah? You still eat it."

I did. I'd eat anything my brothers made.

"Talking of cooking, did your cooking skills work their magic on Mai?"

I paused, wondering how much I wanted to tell him.

Before I could answer, Derek continued, "Bear in mind, I have been home today. The whole place reeks of you two, so I know they worked something. Of course, it was laced with Mai's distinct scent of anger, so I know you also fucked it up somehow."

"Your confidence in me is heart-warming, you know that?"

He gave me a sideways glance. "Bro, I know you. I know how much Mai means to you. I also know you haven't been in a relationship in years, and you are stubborn as fuck, so I don't have any doubts that you messed it up in some way. Tell me, Ryan. Maybe I can help get your head out of your ass long enough that you can fix this."

I hated that he was right. I hated that he knew me so well. And I really fucking hated that he could predict I would mess things up. I sighed and told him about this morning.

He laughed for a full five minutes. I timed the fucking bastard.

"You done?" I finally asked.

"I can't believe you told her that I hacked her phone! What did you expect would happen? You thought she was going to thank you and demurely move all her stuff into our house?"

I kept my face blank.

"Oh fuck, you really did, didn't you?" He laughed again.

"No, but I didn't think she'd storm out. It's not an issue now, anyway. She's agreed to move into the spare room, at least until this thing with Seth is settled."

He turned and looked at me. I could feel his eyes studying my face. "I want you to be happy, Ryan," he said, his tone serious. "You deserve to be happy. But you have a lot to learn about women. A lot to learn about Mai. You need to respect her boundaries. You need to talk to her about shit like this before asking me to wade through her entire life. Don't fuck this up, okay? We're all counting on you."

Counting on me? "What does that mean?"

He hesitated, and I could sense he was debating something with himself. Finally, he turned away as he said, "Nothing. Just that we all want you and Mai to be together. You guys have waited a long time for this."