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  “I’m so sorry. I would never intentionally do anything to hurt you in any way. This got…out of my control and then I hoped I could wrap up the entire mess without worrying you with the details.”

  “Worrying me?” She twisted her head to see his face. “I’m fucking scared out of my mind. This doesn’t constitute worry, Evan.”

  He set a hand on her thigh, but she pulled away, not ready for his touch. Damn him.

  Silence pierced the room, deafening her. As if on cue, Evan’s phone beeped where he’d left it next to the bed. He snatched it up while she stiffened. Even that little sound made her hold her breath.

  He read a text and then lifted sorrowful eyes toward her. “I have to go back to Seattle this evening. The toxicology results are back.”

  “Now? You’re going to leave again? Just like that?” She shook her head. “I can’t do this, Evan. My plate is full with my own sanity. I can’t add worrying about you to the list of daily activities. Do you not understand what that would do to me?”

  “I do.” His chest heaved as she watched. He ran his hands through his hair until it stood on end. “Ashley, it’s not that simple. It’s a job now. I’m under obligation to complete the task.”

  Ashley scrambled from the other side of the bed and rounded on him, leaving him sitting there as she stormed into the bathroom and slammed the door behind her.

  She flipped on the water to the huge luxurious tub she’d already sat in many times. Maybe a soak would clear her mind and relax her enough to keep from screaming. What the hell was the matter with him?

  She stepped into the tepid water before it was warm enough. She sat on the bottom as it filled, the cool water matching her emotional state. As the water rose and heated, her anger began to abate.

  She leaned back against the wall of the tub. It’s his job. Get a grip.

  She stiffened to consider him out there searching for the asshole who essentially held her hostage for four years, if not physically, at least psychologically.

  Deep breaths. In. Out. In… Out…

  She closed her eyes as she calmed. There was another way she could look at this situation. Instead of acting out of fear and anger, she could be elated that her mate cared so much about her that he would do anything to ensure her safety, including risk his own life… She groaned and sunk deeper into the water.

  Was she being unreasonable? Perhaps.

  She dumped floral-scented bubbles into the tub in the stream of water and then flipped the knobs off. The fragrance had been a gift from her brother’s mate, Samantha. She claimed it would soothe. And she’d been right. Ashley did in fact calm down, her heart rate slowing as she rationalized her situation.

  She hated what Evan was doing, but her reasons were based on fear. She did have to consider everything he’d said. If there were other women out there being manipulated and cajoled with the same drug, it had to be stopped.

  She twisted her neck when Evan opened the door. “Can I come in?”

  “Yes.” She glanced down. Only her head was visible now, the bubbles covering the rest of her from the neck down.

  He sat on the edge of the tub and trailed his fingers through the bubbles. “I’m truly sorry, baby.”

  “I know.” She sounded calmer, even to her own ears. “I am too.”

  He lifted his gaze to hers.

  She grabbed his hand from under the water. “Come in with me?”

  A smile spread across his face. “May I?”

  “I insist. I need you wrapped around me.” She scooted forward as he dropped his pajama pants once again.

  He slid in behind her, and she settled against his chest. “Sorry I freaked out. I’m scared.” She took a deep breath. “But you’re right. You have to stop this before it happens to anyone else.”

  He ran his palms down her arms and twined his fingers with hers, wrapping both sets of their arms around her middle. He kissed her temple. “I promise I’m taking every precaution I can. I hate the thought of you worrying about me.”

  “I know.”

  “I’ll only be in Seattle this time. I lost the trail on Parkfield again. My work is to concentrate on the drugs for now. We need to know who is supplying them and put an end to it.”

  “That could take a long time.”

  “It could. I won’t deny that. But we’ll cross one bridge at a time.”

  She relaxed into his huge frame, exhaling. “I hate it, but I’m selfish when it comes to you. I want you with me.”

  “And I don’t like being apart from you either, baby.” He kissed her temple. “It breaks my heart, especially since you can’t stay alone in our house while I’m gone.”

  The way he said “our” house warmed her. Nothing was simply his anymore. They were completely intertwined. One. “I’m getting better every day. You’re largely responsible for that.”

  “I’m so glad.” He squeezed her tighter. “I’ll make every trip as brief as possible. I promise. Bear with me while I sort through this mess.”

  She nodded. Tears slipped from her eyes. They weren’t purely from sadness. They were a mixture of emotions that flooded her body and spilled out of her eyes. She was so blessed to have Evan in her life, to know a true mating was something she never expected. It saddened her when he was away. But she had to admit fear was never far from her mind. He made her feel safe. And that safety was not something she took for granted.

  Chapter Twenty

  At nine o’clock sharp the following morning, Evan entered the Seattle offices of The Head Council. The head elder, Jerard, whom he’d met with now on several occasions, ushered him into a conference room. The man shut the door with soft snick and then pulled out a large file folder. They were not short on paperwork at this office…

  Jerard took a seat across from Evan and spread out a few pages so they faced Evan. “This is the toxicology report. We are very concerned, to say the least. Our experts tell us this is indeed a blend of Rohypnol and Scopolamine and it’s not something available in any human market that we can tell. It was undoubtedly created by shifters for use on shifters.”

  Evan glanced down at the pages in front of him.

  Jerard continued. “What concerns us most is the sheer quantity of what you brought in. If a rogue wolf shifter like Damon Parkfield can get his hands on that much of the drug, how many others have it? How widespread is this problem? Mr. Parkfield doesn’t appear to be a man of means so how is he funding the habit?”

  “God.” Evan had feared all this, but hearing it firsthand was still stunning. “Most of these numbers mean nothing to me, I must admit, sir.” He pointed to a long list of ingredients and what he assumed were percentages of each that comprised the drug.

  “I didn’t suspect they would.” Jerard smiled. “They don’t mean anything to me either. But the medical team wrote these reports yesterday and raised serious red flags. They’re injecting lab rats today to see what affect the drugs have on the animals. It’s hard to say what the combination of these ingredients might do to a human. Ms. Rice is the only know recipient and by the time we got her blood sample there were only traces of this left in her system.

  “Since the only evidence we can use to deduce the effects are testimonies from Ashley, we have very little to work with. What we need is to locate others who might be affected and run blood tests. Of course this is a huge undertaking since we wouldn’t want anyone to know about our work.”

  “Yes, it would be best to keep this under wraps for now,” Evan agreed.

  Jerard glanced down at the papers. He spread his palms on the table. “It seems the purpose of the drugs is to control women. Maybe they used Ashley as an experiment? Maybe she wasn’t the first victim. But why?”

  Evan had no answer and Jerard’s question was undoubtedly rhetorical.

  “Tracking down this asshole Parkfield and actually capturing him would help significantly—if we can get him to rat out the chain of command. However, assuming we don’t find him fast enough, we think it might be better
to start locating other victims. Would you agree?”

  Evan nodded. “It seems like a good plan.”

  “I’m going to hire another investigator to resume the tracking of Parkfield. The guy’s seen your face. We need a new mole out there that he won’t suspect.” Jerard lifted another file. Evan presumed it contained information on the new investigator.

  “As much as I hate to agree, you’re probably right.” Evan narrowed his gaze and shook his head. “I don’t think it’s me who’s tipping off Parkfield, however. There is no way that man is intelligent enough nor astute enough to be watching for me with special binoculars or something twenty-four-seven. He’d be exhausted. I’ve been thinking,” especially since chasing Damon down at his apartment, “and I think someone else is tipping him off.”

  Jerard took a deep breath and nodded. “I agree. That’s why I’m meeting with you alone this morning. I believe firmly there’s an insider, in this building in fact, who informs Parkfield when to run.” He glanced down and then back up, straightening his spine. “As much as I hate to admit it, I think we should stop meeting here, and I’m not going to involve the other head elders in our progress for a while. I can’t be sure who to trust.

  “I’m only going to share information with Steven Wightman for now. I want someone else to be aware of the situation and our plans, but I’m keeping it to a minimum. I’ve known Steven all his life. If I’ve misjudged his loyalty then there’s no hope for me.” He gave a wry smile, but it wasn’t sincere. He wasn’t altogether kidding.

  “Damn.” This was fucking huge.

  “Yes, I’m betting someone with access to our paperwork, computers, and intel is staying one step ahead of you. Perhaps the phones are tapped. Hell, the room could be bugged for all I know.”

  Evan shivered and couldn’t keep from glancing around.

  “All the more reason not to meet here again. We need to stop the paper trail and keep all correspondence on secure lines. I don’t think we can afford to take any chances. As much as I hate to think a member of my own staff is involved in something this dirty, the evidence suggests I must face the facts.”

  “It would seem that way, sir.” Evan gripped the table, running his fingers under the edge as though he might bump into a bug.

  “So switching gears, I’d like you to start investigating all the leads we have concerning other possible victims.”

  Evan lifted an eyebrow. That would mean he went in a whole other direction, no longer responsible for Damon or the drugs. Ashley would be pleased with that little tidbit of information. “All right, sir.”

  “There are at least a dozen, and possibly more, women whose families aren’t completely convinced of the legitimacy of their matings. And that’s just the ones who’ve contacted us. There could be more.”

  “Jeez.” It was hardly conceivable to think someone in the shifter community was supplying experimental drugs to that many men.

  “And, Evan, another thing. Don’t limit your research to women. I’ve seen a few cases where men might be involved.”

  Evan jerked his head up. “Men?”

  Jerard nodded. “It’s possible that Ashley’s case was an anomaly. Maybe her body reacted stronger than others to the drug. Or perhaps she was given a different combination. It’s hard to say. But there could be women, and men, out there whose symptoms aren’t so readily obvious. Perhaps they don’t know they’re receiving anything mind altering.

  “Ashley’s report states that although she was dazed and found herself too agreeable for large chunks of time, the only way she knew for sure she was drugged was because of the method—injections. Maybe others are receiving dosages in another form, possibly unbeknownst to them.”

  “Is that likely?”

  “Well, the examiner I spoke to last night said there was no particular reason he could see that the ingredients in his study couldn’t just as easily be produced in a pill form or a powder that could be stirred into a drink. Odorless and difficult to detect, like Rohypnol.”

  “Then why go to all the complication of administering Ashley the shots?”

  Jerard leaned on his elbows. “Because if Damon was already doing so, there was no need to begin to hide anything from Ashley. She was already docile and compliable to him, so he had no reason to switch. The syringe version is cheaper and easier to obtain.”

  “What a cluster fuck. Pardon my language, sir.” Evan flinched as he spoke.

  “I couldn’t have stated it better myself.” Jerard sat back, grinning. “Now, let’s address another issue.”

  “What’s that, sir?”

  “Since taking on this project you’ve mated with Ashley.”

  “That’s true. Is that a problem?” Evan steadied himself by gripping his knees under the table as he gazed at Jerard. Matings were obvious to others. There was no keeping things like that a secret. Ralph Jerard and his entire office would have scented the distinction the first time Evan had entered the office after mating.

  Jerard smiled. “Not for me. But I bet your mate isn’t too pleased with you being gone all the time.”

  “No.” Evan’s ears burned, but he needed to tell the head elder about yesterday morning. He felt an obligation to disclose what happened when his papers spilled from his briefcase. “And in fact, sir, she’s rather pissed. Unfortunately, she knows what I’m working on. It wasn’t intentional. But yesterday morning we had a little incident with my research falling out of my briefcase, and she figured out I was tracking Parkfield when she stooped to pick it up. I’m terribly sorry for the indiscretion.”

  Would the elder be pissed about this development?

  Apparently not. The man grinned wide. “I bet she was fuming.” He sat back and crossed his arms.

  “That’s putting it mildly,” Evan muttered.

  “Well, I can’t blame her. She’s been through hell and back. The last thing she needs is her mate traipsing all over the world searching for bad guys in dangerous situations.”

  “That’s pretty much what she said.”

  “Well, here’s what I think.” Jerard leaned forward again. “The legwork on many of these cases is extensive. You’ve proven time and again that you’re a genius when it comes to locating missing people, even if you do have butterfingers when it comes to bringing them in.” He chuckled. “I propose a new plan. How about if you do the legwork from home and we send others out to do the fieldwork?”

  Evan swallowed his excitement. He could think of nothing better. Ashley would be so relieved. “Excellent plan. Ashley will thank you immensely. And I do have men who work for me that could be at our disposal if you need guys to do the field work.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind. But, it may be that we’re venturing into more dangerous territory now. I believe it’s time to hire armed professionals. Hunting Damon Parkfield was relatively innocuous since anyone in their right mind would expect you to be after him. Opening a larger can of worms as we start researching other women and their possible involvement raises the bar to a whole new level.

  “As soon as the ringleaders of this operation catch wind of our intentions, things could get ugly.” Jerard paused. “Please be as prudent as possible now. We don’t want anyone to figure out what we’re doing until absolutely necessary. Take a few months to do the legwork. Track down as many people as you can on paper first. Then we’ll reconvene and stake a hit on several all at once. The second anyone realizes our intentions, there’s a chance it will get more difficult to prove anything.

  “These drugs don’t stay in the body very long. Within a few days they’re untraceable. We were lucky anything was detected in Ashley. The best plan is to try and corner several possible victims at once, catching them all unaware and running blood samples quickly.”

  “You have a point, sir.”

  “Okay, then we’re in agreement.” Jerard stood and reached out a hand to shake Evan’s. “I’ll send the files I have on several people by FedEx. You get back home to your mate.” He smiled warmly. “Congrat
ulations. I wish you the best.”

  “Thank you, sir.” Evan’s chair scraped across the floor as he pushed it aside. A giant weight lifted from his chest.

  “We’ll be in touch. Use my private line if you need to contact me and keep me updated every few days.”

  “Will do.”

  •●•

  “I’m home.” Evan dropped his overnight bag and his briefcase by the front door and took large steps through the living room.

  “In here,” Ashley called from down the hall.

  What was she doing that she didn’t race out to greet him? That was so unlike her.

  He heard female voices as he headed down the hall and stopped at her studio. He leaned against the door jamb and took in the scene. Ashley stood at the easel. She peered around at him and waved, but her paint brush was poised in the air. Various colors dotted her face and paint shirt.

  He loved when she worked. It was the most carefree he ever saw her. If she kept up the pace she’d had lately she would be able to open her own gallery before long. He might be biased, but he thought her work was amazing.

  “Give me a second,” she said, her gaze returning to the canvas he couldn’t see.

  “My cue to leave.” Samantha stood from the stool she’d been sitting on behind Ashley. “I have a case I need to finish up.”

  Evan walked her to the door. “Thank you so much for coming over.”

  Samantha touched his cheek. “Any time, you know that. Ashley and I are getting to be close friends. Anything I can do to help I’m there.”

  It was Saturday. Luckily Samantha had been able to come over and spend the day with Ashley until Evan could get back. He owed her family a huge debt of gratitude for everything they did for him.

  His own parents were much older and lived so far away he only saw them when he made a point of it. Since they’d moved to Florida four years ago to retire, he’d seen them only about once a year. He needed to visit them soon. They were chomping at the bit over the fact that he’d mated and not brought Ashley to see them. It wasn’t as though Ashley easily fought crowds and could jump on a plane and go vacationing. And Evan hadn’t gone into all the details about Ashley’s life with his parents yet. His mother would freak and worry herself sick.