Chapter 233
Chapter 83: Theo
I returned to the packhouse. I had tried to tell A I was leaving but Mina said she wasn’t ready to talk
to me yet. I let my rage and determination take over to cover the pain of her rejection. A woulde
back to me. Once I found out who was responsible for this, we could start to heal. She’de back to
me.
She had to.
Jimmy was waiting for me in the lobby when I arrived back.
“The Alphas are in the conference hall, Alpha,” he said solemnly. “They’re… they’re waiting to be
informed of the situation.”
“I’m sure they have heard that A is in the hospital,” I said with more snark than I intended.
“Yes, they know something happened,” Jimmy confirmed as he followed me down the hall.
I went straight to the hall. I knew I looked terrible but I didn’t really care at the moment. As soon as I
walked in the door, the room fell silent and all eyes were on me. I went straight to the podium.
“As I’m sure you have all heard,” I began without ceremony, “Luna A was admitted to the hospital
last night. Sometimest night, she was poisoned… with arge dose of wolfsbane.” The room erupted
in whispers but I threw my hand up to silence them. “Gratefully, she has survived the ordeal. Thanks to
her family’s immunity to wolfsbane. However…” My voice broke slightly and I had topose myself
before continuing. “However, the assassin was sessful in taking our pup from us.”
My grip on the podium was so tight that the creak of the wood was the only sound heard in the silent
room.
“As you all can understand, I will be requesting you all to answer some questions to clear your names
of any suspicion,” I said, expecting to hear opposition but receiving none. “Also, while I appreciate your
assistance in determining how to handle the Waar Pa k, if evidence proves that either Malcolm Neal or
Charles Anderson were involved in this egregious attack on my family, they will be executed.”
I turned and walked out without another word. McCabe was already waiting outside with several
officers ready to start taking statements. I nodded to him, then continued on to the security office,
Jimmy in tow. There were two of the regr security guards at the monitors.
“I need all the footage from the cafeteria wing from yesterday afternoon to midnight,” I ordered. “Jimmy,
get Annabelle here, too.”
“I believe she’s gone to the hospital, Alpha,” Jimmy said.
“Then call her back.” I said stiffly.
“Yes, sir.” Jimmy replied.
I watched intently as one of the guards pulled up the files and added them to a thumb drive for me.
Once it was done, I took it from him and headed straight to my office. I pulled the information up and
connected it to the big screen TV. I didn’t want to miss anything.
I wasn’t long into reviewing the footage when Jimmy came in with Annabelle. She looked as upset as
everyone else I’de across.
“Alpha,” Annabelle rushed, “I’m so sorry. I don’t know how this could have happened. I swear. I have no
idea who could have done this.”
“That’s why I want you to help us,” I said tly. “You know every inch
of that kitchen and dining room. I need your eyes on this. Please.”
“Of course,” Annabelle said shakily but with determination. “Anything I can do.”
Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.
***
I was starting to get frustrated after several hours without finding anything suspicious. It didn’t help that
it hurt to watch A with the other Lunas. She was so perfect. But I couldn’t get distracted by her. With
A immune to wolfsbane, I couldn’t be sure when she had been dosed. So I worried I hadn’t gone
back far enough in the day.
But then something caught my attention.
Or rather, someone.
I rewound the video and paused it.
“Annabelle, is that John?”
She looked up from theptop she had been using. “Yeah, he helps with special events sometimes.”
I looked at Jimmy.
“We haven’t been able to find him since the night of the meeting,” he said seriously.
“What’s wrong?” Annabelle asked. “What meeting?”
“John’s Waar P ak,” I said, pressing y.
I watched John move through the crowd. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but he did bring A a
drink. He was hovering close to her when he suddenly bumped into her, causing her to spill. I rewound
the footage and watched it again.
“I saw it, too,” Jimmy said, getting the same feeling I did.
I went back farther, watching him up to the point he gave A the drink.
“I didn’t see him put anything in the ss,” I said.
“He’s smoother than we thought.”
I continued to track him through the dining room until he was out of view of that camera. I searched the
files for another location, pulling up footage from the kitchen. I watched John drop off the tray with the
empty ss on the counter and rushed out. He was visibly upset. I pulled up a different angle and
followed his path. He stepped outside of the kitchen and was stopped by someone we couldn’t see. It
looked like they were having some kind of argument.
“Hang on.” Annabelle said. “I remember this. I get on to him for cking in a minute. Then he just walks
out and leaves.”
“Did you see who he was speaking to?”
“No.” Annabelle said, her shoulders falling.
“It’s okay,” I said. “We’ll keep looking. I have a feeling he was sent in there to poison A, but he had a
change of heart. Whoever was expecting him to do it likely went in to finish the job.”
Suddenly, the footage stopped and the screen went nk.
“What the hell,” Jimmy said.
I quickly searched for the next file, but it ski pped ahead an hour. I looked through every file but the
time was missing. I called the security office and told them I needed that sent up immediately.
“What do you mean it’s gone?” I burst out.
I mmed the phone down before the guard finished speaking. With a yell, I threw half the contents of
my desk across the room.
“Someone wiped the cameras,” I said, seething. “We have to find John. Now.”