Chapter 146: SPIES OF THE PACK
CALLUM’S POV
The mansion gates shrunk in the distance as Dane and I walked across the courtyard together.
Dane matched my pace without saying anything at first, clearly aware that I wasn’t in the mood for discussing anything unless it was useful for our information.
"The masked men." He suddenly pointed out
I glanced at him.
"We know they didn’t appear out of nowhere. Somebody hired them. Could trace that."
"Oh." I pinched my nose bridge.
"I’ll find out where they’re operating from."
I nodded, already expecting that answer.
"They’re organised," he continued. "The way they attacked me when I went after Orin was... Skilled. They knew the terrain, they had escape routes planned, and they scattered the moment they realised I was down."
We reached the front steps of the mansion before stopping.. "I want you to focus on them," I said. "Find their hideout if they have one. Speak to people quietly. Somebody in the pack has to know something. Groups like that don’t stay invisible forever."
Dane folded his arms thoughtfully. "I’ll start today."
"There is something else."
His brows lifted.
"Osric." I said the name with a sigh.
Dane stared at me. "What about him?"
"I want to rule him out completely."
"You still think he might be involved?" He asked.
"I don’t know what to think anymore." I sighed, exhaustion creeping into my words.
That was the truth.
Osric had every reason to resent me after being confined to his home, but resentment alone didn’t make a murderer. Still, I couldn’t afford assumptions anymore.
"If this somehow traces back to him," I continued, "I want to know before we waste another day chasing the wrong people."
Dane gave a single nod. "I’ll send someone immediately."
"Discreetly."
"Of course."
With that, he headed towards the gates while I turned in the opposite direction.
**********"
The estate kitchen was still bustling by the time I arrived.
The scent of fresh bread drifted through the open windows as servants hurried between preparation tables carrying baskets of vegetables, trays of meat and steaming pots.
Everyone was so engulfed with work that no one noticed me immediately.
Only when the head cook turned around and gasped did the room fall silent.. "Alpha."
Everyone bowed.
I offered a brief nod. "Carry on."
Within seconds the room returned to life, though it felt more stiff than before.
My attention settled on one person.
The maid I was here for.
She stood near the far counter washing vegetables with two other women. Her movements were slow and casual and every now and then, she exchanged a few quiet words with the others before returning to her work.
There was nothing unique about her.
I remained where I was, pretending to observe the kitchen itself while watching her from the corner of my eye.
She never looked nervous nor fidget. When another servant accidentally dropped a bowl beside her, she jumped like everyone else before bending to help clean the mess.
She was completely ordinary.
If the recovered footage hadn’t shown someone dressed exactly like her carrying that tray towards Keisha’s annex, I would have dismissed her immediately.
After almost half an hour, I finally turned away just as the head cook hurried over. "Is... everything satisfactory, Alpha?"
"It is." I waved him off before I walked towards the doorway before stopping beside one of the guards stationed outside.
Without looking directly at him, I spoke quietly. "I want that maid watched."
He followed my line of sight and straightened immediately. "For how long?"
"Every second."
He frowned slightly.
"She doesn’t leave your sight. If she speaks to anyone outside this kitchen, I want names. If she receives anything, I want to know what it is. If she leaves the estate..."
He waited.
"...follow her." I finished.
"Should we arrest her?"
"Not yet." I looked back once more through the doorway. "If she’s who I’m looking for, she’ll lead me somewhere. If she’s innocent, arresting her now only warns the real culprit."
"I understand."
"Two days max."
The guard nodded. "I’ll rotate men if necessary."
"Good." Then, I left the kitchen without another word.
By the time I returned to the mansion, Dane was already waiting near the entrance and judging by the expression on his face, he’d learned something.
"You found something."
He gave a humourless smile. "I wasn’t expecting it to be this easy."
We stepped inside before he continued. "The masked men."
"What about them?"
"They’re for hire."
I stopped walking. "What?"
"They aren’t a pack." He reached into his pocket and handed me a folded sheet of paper. "Apparently there’s an underground network."
I unfolded it.
"There are encrypted links circulating online. People who know where to look can request... services."
I read silently and scowled. How interesting. "So anyone with enough money can hire them."
"Looks that way." He told me.
I folded the paper again. "Don’t alert them."
"I’ll keep digging."
"What about Osric?"
"I already sent someone." He told me causally.
We continued towards my study and for several minutes, neither of us spoke.
The silence was broken only when Dane’s phone vibrated sharply inside his pocket. He pulled it out, glanced at the screen, then frowned. "My man just reported back."
I waited.
"Osric hasn’t left his house."
"For how long?"
"Days. Not even once." Dain looked confused and I felt the same.
My brows knitted together.
"They’ve had eyes on him since the lockdown began. Apart from food deliveries, nobody has seen him step outside."
I leaned against the edge of my desk. "So it wasn’t him."
"Doesn’t seem likely."
A headache began forming and I almost got dizzy.
If Osric wasn’t involved... Then I was dealing with at least one enemy I hadn’t even considered.
Before I could answer, hurried footsteps echoed through the hallway and a guard appeared outside the study door and bowed deeply. "Alpha."
"What is it?"
"The council of elders has requested your presence."
I frowned. "Now?"
"Immediately." The guard hesitated. "They’re all waiting in the meeting hall."
I exchanged a brief glance with Dane.
Another meeting? But for what this time?