Chapter 230

Agnes

And just like that, a mere three days later, we were back in Richard’s territory.

Only this time, we hadn’t come alone. We’d brought an entire retinue with us.

Thea pressed her nose to the window as our car pulled up the long driveway to Richard’s mansion. Lena sat beside her, pointing out various landmarks, while Elijah tapped his fingers on his leg—impatient to settle in and get started on our search for the stone.

James was in an SUV close behind with the security team. Bringing several security guards wasn’t exactly ideal—it was cumbersome to travel with so many people and made the impression that we didn’t trust Richard—but it was a necessary evil.

After my stepmother’s unexpected little visit the other day, we couldn’t take any risks. Unbeknownst to anyone except me, Elijah, and James, Thea wasn’t just here for fun. She was here because we didn’t feel comfortable leaving her at home, an entire plane ride away from us, if my stepmother was circling her like a hawk.

We’d framed this trip as a visit solely for the Isabella Foundation, which wasn’t entirely a lie. I did want to see how the survival bags would be received in this territory, given Elise’s ordeal in the wilderness.

But our true purpose was known only to Elijah, James, and me.

The car pulled to a stop in front of Richard’s grand estate. Richard himself was waiting for us on the steps.

“Welcome back,” he greeted us warmly as we stepped out of the car. “I’m glad you could all make it.”

“Thank you for having us,” Elijah replied, shaking Richard’s hand.

Richard nodded, then turned to me with a smile. “Luna Agnes, it’s lovely to see you again. Elise sends her regards.”

“Likewise,” I said. “I brought something for you.” I nodded to James, who was unloading a large box from the trunk. “A gift for your pack.”

Richard’s eyebrows rose curiously as James set the box at his feet. I knelt down and opened it, revealing thirty of my survival bags.

“These look like regular bags, but they’re actually—”

“Wilderness survival kits,” Richard finished with a smile. He picked one up and inspected it in the light. “I read all about these in the news. You’re really giving them to me?”

I nodded. “Consider them a gift. As a thank-you for your hospitality.”

Richard looked pleased. “Thank you, Agnes. After what happened with Elise, and even considering the recent disappearance of Henry and Krystal…” He trailed off. I shuddered slightly, recalling all too well the fact that the Luna and Alpha still hadn’t been found. Just yesterday, a CLEAR Alert had been sent out to all the packs. Henry and Krystal were officially marked “missing”.

“Well, let’s just say these will absolutely come in handy in our rugged terrain,” Richard finished. “Really, thank you. I’ll make sure they go to those who need them most.”

I swallowed hard and said more softly, “Could you give one to Elise, too? Just in case?”

Richard stiffened, but nodded. He then turned his attention to Thea, who was half-hiding behind Elijah’s leg. His face softened. “And who might this be?”

“This is our daughter, Thea,” Elijah said, gently nudging her forward. “Thea, this is Alpha Richard.”

Thea blushed. “Pleased to meet you, sir,” she said with a little curtsy. We had practiced the appropriate greeting in the car. The curtsy wasn’t really necessary, but I thought it would be cute.

Richard seemed to think so too, and chuckled warmly. “The pleasure is all mine, young lady.” He looked up at Lena then, who was hanging back near the car. “And you must be the nanny I’ve heard about.”

Lena stepped forward, offering her hand. “Lena. Thank you for your hospitality.”

“Of course,” Richard said. “I understand you’re from this area originally?”

Lena nodded. “Born and raised, although I left for college and never moved back. It’s nice to visit, though.”

“Well, you’re all welcome here,” Richard said, gesturing toward the house. “Let me show you to your rooms. I’ve put you all in the east wing this time—it has a lovely view of the mountains, and there’s a small garden that I thought Thea might enjoy.”

As we settled into our rooms, James slipped into mine and Elijah’s. Over the next hour, we quietly pored over maps and discussed the locations that James had narrowed our search down to.

One was an old settlement that had been abandoned for centuries. Another was a series of caves that were allegedly once used for rituals. And the final one was a strange stone formation that the locals avoided, claiming it was haunted.

We picked that one.

Around lunchtime, we informed the others that we were going for a hike to scout potential photography locations for an advertisement for the Isabella Foundation. Lena promised to keep Thea entertained while we were gone.

The hike was grueling, to say the least. The terrain was much rougher than it had looked on the map, with steep inclines and dense underbrush that snagged at our clothes and scratched our skin. James led the way, occasionally stopping to consult a compass or examine a particular tree or a rock formation.

By midday, we had finally reached the stone formation James had mentioned—a circular arrangement of large, moss-covered boulders. It was actually really pretty and peaceful, and the breeze cooled the sweat on the back of my neck. I wasn’t sure why people thought it was haunted, but if it was, then there had to be only nice spirits there.

We spread out, examining the stones and the ground around them. I ran my hands over the rough surface of one boulder, feeling for any unusual markings or hidden compartments. Elijah and James did the same with the others.

Hours passed, the sun moving across the sky as we searched every inch of the area. But by late afternoon, it was clear that our artifact wasn’t here.

“Nothing,” Elijah said, clearly frustrated. “Not even a hint that it might have been here once.”

I sighed as I stood from inspecting the base of a tree and brushed the dirt from my hands. “We still have two more areas to check. It was always going to be a long shot on the first try.”

James nodded. “We’ll try the caves tomorrow. They’re closer to the house, so it won’t be such a long hike.”

Tired and disappointed, we made our way back to Richard’s estate. The sun was setting by the time we arrived, casting long shadows across the manicured lawn. As we approached, I spotted Thea and Lena playing some sort of game in the yard—Thea was running in circles, her arms outstretched like wings, while Lena counted something off on her fingers.

The sight made me smile despite my exhaustion.

“Mommy!” Thea called when she spotted us, racing over to throw her arms around my waist. “Did you have a good hike? Lena and I played all day! We made flower crowns and had a tea party with Alpha Richard and everything!”

I laughed at the idea of Richard sitting in a chair with a tiny teacup in his hands. I wondered if he actually wanted to join in or if Thea held him at knifepoint, which was very likely. “Sounds like you had more fun than we did.”

“Alpha Richard said I can use the swimming pool tomorrow if it’s warm enough,” Thea continued excitedly. “Can I? Please?”

“We’ll see,” Elijah said. “But only if you eat all your vegetables at dinner.”

As we walked up to the house, a flash of movement in one of the upper windows caught my eye. I looked up, and my breath caught in my throat.

Elise was standing there, her pale face pressed against the glass, watching us. Or more specifically, watching me. Her lips were moving rapidly, as if she was talking. Our eyes met for the briefest moment, and I felt a chill run down my spine.

Then she abruptly pulled the curtain closed, vanishing from view as quickly as she had appeared.