Unmarked Mates

Chapter 47: You show me the man, and I'll show you the rule

"You should be undetectable on the lower level of the packhouse; the upper is the problem because Alpha hasn't allowed anybody there since Luna's death."

"So I presume no one was also cleaning there, and believe me, years of no dusting and no room ventilating makes its stench very good with blocking all other smells," I say.

Chuck waits for me to get ready; I check one last time if I have everything: the gas, the gun with sedatives, knives and robes, and more. I wish I could take more with me, but my choices were limited by time and my ability to carry.

I'm led towards the packhouse as Chuck again makes sure we are not seen; he guides me to the back door, where I wait, but thankfully not long. It's getting dark already when the door gets open, and Beta lets me in. We don't exchange a single word; he avoids looking at me and leaves me alone, going back to, I presume dining room when his Alpha and himself should be with people from my pack talking about the treaty.

I hear quick and nervous steps and spot some people in the kitchen and a girl with long hair walking down the hall with the big vase of, I presume, soup. I wait patiently until the corridor is empty and move a couple of rooms to be near the big dining room. I can distinguish the voices of Alexa and Chen, and I must admit she is an excellent negotiator.

I take my chance, and slowly, with as little noise as possible, I go upstairs. There are no locked doors here, and I presume that Ravenswood is sure no one dares to break his command. And yet I was right. The fug of the always-closed room did its job. The fact that all the sun blinds are also closed only strengthens the suffocation vibe. It stinks with dirt, dust, and something else. I would say it stinks with death. I slowly check the rooms, I have to find a good spot for my ambush, and I'm not sure how much time I have for that, even though Alexa promised to give me at least an hour.

Well, I don't need an hour because I actually make a gruesome discovery in one of the rooms. It's a bedroom that stinks with roses, so sweet it almost makes me puke. It clearly the women's room, with bright colors and glamour, flowers and so on, although now under a heavy layer of dust, but on the king-size bed, there is something, and to my horror, I recognize a bog body. Dressed in a gown with all sets of jewelry, it still has some leftovers of skin and hair. I'm sure I look at my Jewels' dead mother.

The son of the bitch didn't give her even the proper burial and has been sharing the house with her body for three years. Well, that explains why he threw out everybody from the packhouse.

I glance at the bedside table and see a picture of a beautiful woman. Ivory resembles her very much. Well, I mentally apologize to my Jewels because I'm now going to use their mother's corpse to set a booty trap for their father.

Danny POV

Mae asked me to check the supplies of the alcohol that has just been delivered to her bar. She has many things to do today, so I offered to help her. Pearl is sitting next to me, trying to help, and Trist and Ivory went with Mae to the basement and are helping with organizing everything in the supply room.

We all need to focus on doing something to stop worrying about our loved ones and if everything will be alright and...

"Hey Danny, you've disappeared, which worried me."

I look in the direction of the bar's door, which I left open, and see Nick Hornby; I must say I've almost forgotten about him completely; with everything that has happened recently, I guess I haven't had time to think about anything else.

He smiles and enters the bar, but somehow I feel unhappy with his presence here. Maybe it is the way he looks at me without his usual cheerfulness. Maybe it's a way he expressed his greetings, which sounded like a threat to me.