Chapter 8

Killian

It was late by the time I returned that night, weary from a long day, and I expected Elena to be waiting for me at the mansion. Whenever I worked late, she was there, waiting for me by the door with my slippers and a glass of whiskey. She always wanted to hear about my day, rub my shoulders and listen to my troubles.

But that night, she wasn’t waiting for me. She didn’t even seem to be home.

Was she out? Or perhaps sleeping early again? Maybe her illness had returned after all.

Or was she still in her foul mood?

I didn’t have a chance to check her bedroom, however, before one of my subordinates, a Gamma named Henry, approached with something in his hand.

“Sir,” Henry said, bowing his head respectfully, “there’s something you must know.”

I resisted the urge to sigh. I’d already spent the entire day working, and the last thing I wanted was more trouble to deal with. But of course, my mind went right to Elena, and I couldn’t help but wonder what other naughty things she had done while I was out. “What is it?”

Henry’s face was grim. “Natalie’s grave was dug up. And this was found beside it.” He held up what was in his hand, revealing a small golden locket with the initials “E.H.” engraved on the front. Elena Hart.

My breath lodged in my throat. Someone had dug up the grave, and beside it…

I would recognize that locket anywhere. Elena wore it often; it was a gift from her father before he died.

Jaw ticking, I snatched the locket away and felt a flare of white-hot anger rip through me. If Elena had dug up Natalie’s grave, then this was serious. Far more serious than bumping her head during a fainting spell.

Whatever had come over her in the past two days suddenly felt far clearer: she was acting out against Natalie. Why, exactly, I wasn’t entirely sure. Spite, maybe? She’d always hated that Natalie was my fiancee and not her, and I knew she loved me since the moment she set eyes on me.

But why do something like this now? Natalie was dead, and she had died protecting this pack—how could Elena still see her in such a negative light? Elena had nothing to gain from doing something so horrible, and it certainly wouldn’t make me love her like she so badly wanted.

Then again, I recalled the words she had said in her sleep last night: “Killian… I hate you so much.”

Did she do this simply because she had somehow grown to hate me in the span of a day? Was she just trying to hurt me by sullying my past love’s grave?

I was just turning to leave again in the hopes of finding and confronting her when the door swung open behind me. Elena marched in with Lucas on her heels.

“There you are,” I said, storming over to her and shoving the locket in her face. “Why did you dig Natalie’s grave up? To spite her? Or just to spite me?”

Elena calmly stared at me, then the necklace, then me again. “I have no clue what you’re talking about, Killian.”

“Is that so?” I dropped my hand back to my side. “Given your behavior these past two days, I’d beg to differ. Did you dig up her grave to get back at me for something?”

“No,” she replied. “I don’t know why my necklace was there, but I can assure you that I didn’t have anything to do with the incident—”

“Bullshit. You’re making excuses.”

“I’m not—”

“An apology is in order at the very least,” I snapped, my lip curling to reveal half-extended fangs. “A public one. Until then, you’re not to leave this house.”

To my surprise, Elena scoffed. Scoffed. Then, she pointed at Lucas. “I was at my parents’ home all day. You can ask Lucas. I couldn’t have possibly slipped away to dig up a grave that’s located all the way on the other side of the village.”

I whipped my head toward my Beta, who at least had the decency to look somewhat sheepish for being caught alone with Elena—again. But he nodded firmly. “It’s true, Alpha. Luna Elena asked me to drive her to her family’s home today.”

“Then show me the dashcam footage,” I barked. I wasn’t buying their little story for even a second. Frankly, I still wondered if they were having an affair.

Without hesitation, Lucas strode out. A moment later, he returned with the black box from the car. Indeed, upon plugging it into the computer in my office and checking the footage, it was true: they had driven to Elena’s adoptive parents’ house earlier that day, where they had remained all day. Afterwards, they had driven straight back to the mansion. They had gone nowhere else.

I fell silent as I stared at the footage. Beside me, Elena folded her arms. I could feel her indignance without even having to look at her.

“Still think I need to be locked up like a prisoner until I give a public apology?” she muttered.

I scrubbed my hand over my face and sighed, leaning back in my chair. “Why didn’t you say so earlier?”

Elena laughed haughtily. “I did say so, Killian. You just weren’t listening to me. As usual.”

Despite my frustration with her behavior lately, I couldn’t help but realize she was right. Elena might have been royally pissing me off these past two days, but I felt somewhat ashamed for immediately assuming my wife and mate had done something so heinous as to dig up Natalie’s grave. I hadn’t even given her a chance to explain herself.

Just then, Henry spoke up. His voice was harsh and hateful as he said, “You’re really going to believe her, Alpha? You know she always hated Miss Natalie. She could have snuck out the back door of her parents’ house without the dashcam footage picking it up. Or she hired someone and left the necklace behind as payment. I believe she’s a conniving—”

“Enough,” I snarled, glaring daggers at Henry. His mouth immediately snapped shut, face going pale. Regardless of my gripes with Elena, I wouldn’t let a subordinate speak about my Luna like that.

I waved Henry away, and once he was gone, I stood and went to leave. Before I reached the door, I turned to Elena and gave her a single nod. “We’ll drop the matter from here.”

Elena looked momentarily surprised, then said, “Drop it?!”

I hesitated in the doorway. “Well, it clearly wasn’t you, so why do you care?”

She gestured to the necklace. “My necklace was at the scene. Don’t you think someone might have been trying to frame me?”

The determination in those red eyes, like two clumps of burnt umber, gave me pause. It was a look I’d never seen in them before, and something about it… impressed me.

Maybe my mate wasn’t as weak as I once thought.

Suddenly, Lucas’s eyes glowed, indicating an incoming mind link. Elena and I both turned to him, waiting. When it was finished, I was surprised to see him look at Elena and not me.

“Luna, the person you were looking for has been found.”