***Conlan's POV***
"What about seeing if she is really marked by the Rogue King?" Theo asked from the back seat of the Jeep. His eyes trained on the passing trees. He's been in a sulky mood since we left the clinic.
James was pensive in the passenger seat as I whipped around corners and blazed through the towns on the way back to our safe house. He seemed to grow even more so when Theo had asked the number one question that has been on all of our minds and especially Karr's. When it came to Zara he couldn't control himself very well. He couldn't understand that since she wasn't part of our pack or our mate, as she has pointed out repeatedly, that we didn't have the right to command her. Karr especially loathed the idea that she could bear the mate mark of the Rogue King. That fact alone has been eating away at our sanity. Between what happened to my cousin, Persephone, and the way that Zara affects us is enough to drive us into the deep end.
Some time passed before I spoke. I had to think about what to do next rationally.
"We'll come back to Gainsborough after we visit the address Alpha Bryce gave us." I said thoughtfully. Rationally, I thought it was a good idea, and it gave Zara and Karr time to cool down.
"The location is about four hours away so by the time we get there it will be around seven at night." James piped up for the first time since we saw Zara race away.
"I really don't care. All I want is for this mission to be over." I said as I pulled the Jeep up the dirt driveway to our safe house. "We leave in an hour. And we're not coming back."
"But what about when we come back to Gainsborough? To see Zara again?" Theo asked as we started walking up the front steps to the cabin.
"Theo." I said stopping on the top of the porch. "Pack your stuff up and take the Jeep to the Veiled Moon Pack house." A wave of deadly calm reverberated through my tone. "James and I will take the truck to the address outside of Pineloft, and meet you at the pack house tonight. Then we'll come back tomorrow in the early afternoon. Find Zara. Get our answers. And then leave."
Sometimes I forget how young Theo is. In training he was a top scorer, but I can't teach him tact. I felt a little guilty when he looked down submissively. To lighten the mood a touch I gave him a nice pat on the back before entering the dark interior.
***
It was just before seven when we stopped out front of a two story house at the end of a long winding lane. The small lane naturally flowed alongside a vast lake. It was a quiet evening and we could hear the lapping of the water down by the edge and the smell of mud filled our senses. Such a peaceful and quiet place, I wondered if being here was going to ruin that for whomever opened that door. A gradual slope rose up from the roadside and we followed a stone trail that led to the front entrance way. Lights were on in the house and when we got closer we could smell roasted chicken.
"Do you smell any wolves?" I asked James in our mindlink.
"None." He simply responded.
I knocked. James and I waited awkwardly as we heard, "Who could that be dear?" It was a woman's voice.
"Can I help you two fellows?" A man asked. He looked like he was in his fifties and he had a warm smile underneath his white mustache.
"Does a woman named Ingrid live here?" I asked in the nicest tone I could muster.
"No. Sorry. There's no one here by that name." He said thoughtfully. Then a woman came into view.
"Hello." She said with a smile. This woman did not look like the picture at all that Alpha Bryce had shown me in his office.
"Hun? Do you know if an Ingrid lived here before us?" The man asked.
"Ingrid? Umm, there was a woman that lived here with a daughter before. I think I remember a neighbor from down by the dock said that she was the owner of the nursery in town." She looked up trying to remember something. "Or something like that. Does that help?"
"Yes. And we're sorry to have disturbed your supper." James said with a bright smile. "You two have a lovely night."
"You too son." He said before he closed the door.
James pulled out his phone and he was already searching for the nursery's location in town. "It's just through to the other side of town. On their website, it says that it's now closed."
"Try calling the listed number."
After a few rings, the line went to voicemail. "Hello. This is the private number for Hazel Whitehall, if you can please leave your name, contact information, and reason for calling after this beep. I will get back with you shortly."
"Hazel Whitehall." James started a search for her on his phone.
I, on the other hand, grew tired of this wild goose chase and called Theo.
"Theo, ask one of the pack members if they know where a Hazel Whitehall lives out by Pineloft."
"Yes, Beta. I'll ask around and then text you the information." He responds. "Did you say Pineloft? I think Alpha Patrick is out that way. I overheard some of the pack members talking about it."
"Thanks. I'll text him." I said and ended the call.
James and I are in Pineloft. We have a few loose ends to take care of here and could use the help.
We were heading towards the nursery in town when Alpha Patrick texted back. There was only one stop light in the little red brick town. I turned right onto a side street when the light turned green and pulled over to text back.
I'm taking care of pack business right now
talking to the witch's family that you called me for
"He's at the white witch's." I said turning to James.
He brushed his hand through his shaggy blonde hair and sighed. "They could have more information on the rogue, and could tell us about white witches. Because we have zero information about them and we can't exactly report back about a new kind of witch and not have any intel on them." James rested his hand behind his head and groaned. "This mission has been nothing but tedious." He complained.
I sighed too and texted the Alpha back agreeing with James that we needed more information on white witches.
I want to talk to them
That's not a great idea right now. They are grieving.
I want to talk about what the witch said to me before she died.
A minute or so passed before he answered.
Do not cause them trouble.
763 Yardly Lane
"What are you going to do about Zara?" James asked suddenly on our way to see the white witch's family.
"Find out if she's marked by the Rogue King." I shrugged.
"What if she is?"
Karr stirred. He's only been really active when it concerned Zara. Ever since that night at Tilly's he's been extremely quiet, and then becomes almost feral when she's around. This time I felt him lift his head and snarl from his prone position.
"Then we'll take her with us." I state with a low warning rumbling in my throat.
There was only silence and the wind roaring through the truck from the rolled down windows. The smell of the Veiled Moon Pack wafted through the air. They smelled like wild berries and pine trees mixed with sweet grass. Their scent got stronger the closer we got to the address.
"Why are there so many pack members here?" James mindlinked.
Karr started to move again. He got up and started giving short barks. 'What's wrong Karr?' I asked him. No answer. He's been this way for too long and it's starting to worry me.
We pulled up to a house with a tall pointed top and steep sloping slides. Several wolves got up and eyed us suspiciously. Then we heard her from inside, "It's him isn't it!" Karr barked louder and urged me to get to her. 'What is Zara doing here?' He wanted to snap at all the males on the way in. Down at the end of the hall there was a bright glow from a fire and we had to pass a staircase. In the corner of my eye I caught a glimpse of a girl that looked like a smaller version of Zara. She had a dark braid and an adorable gap in her front teeth. The young Zara was holding out a white daisy for someone next to her. I took a look at the women in the photo. One I recognized as the white witch all decked out in her flowing hippie garments, an unknown woman in overalls and flower patterned gardening gloves, and then someone who looked eerily familiar. This woman had blonde hair tied back into a ponytail and she looked a lot like Zara. She had the same high cheekbones, refined nose, and the same shape to their hooded eyes.
"If you're here to take my aunt too then you'll have to get through me, Witch Hunter." I heard Zara challenge, but I was too bewildered with the connections snapping into place.
"Is that Ingrid-" I turned to look at the real grown up version of Zara and remembered that her last name is "Thorne."
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Hello Lovely Readers!
I wanted to write this chapter so that you could see what Conlan is dealing with. hehe
Thank you for all the love and support so far. It truly means a lot and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. :D
-Lynne