Chapter 633
Gabriel took the piece of evidence from Karmen, staring at his own name written in the margins.
“Maybe some debtor shares the same name as me,” Gabriel pointed out, though his voice lacked conviction.
“There is no such debtor who shares the same name as you,” Casaio’s voice cut through the air from behind. He held the post-mortem report firmly in his hand as he walked toward his brother, his expression grim.
“Karmen told me that you and Theo had an argument yesterday,” Gabriel stated, shifting his gaze to Ian and Estelle, who followed closely behind his elder brother.
“Are you relating his death to our argument?” Casaio asked, his eyes narrowing slightly.
“No. I am thinking that someone was afraid their secrets might be revealed in today’s scheduled council session,” Gabriel narrated, his mind piecing together the timeline. “Theo died under mysterious circumstances. It’s clear someone was there to destroy the evidence, but they couldn’t finish the task as cleanly as they intended p>
He looked back at the note in his hand. If Theo was killed to keep him silent, the mention of Gabriel’s name wasn’t a coincidence.
“What do you think, Ian p>
“Me? Your Highness?” Ian pointed a finger at himself, looking slightly startled by the direct question.
“You are the only Ian present here,” Gabriel stated. “What do you think of this p>
“It is difficult for me to comment with certainty,” Ian began, adjusting his posture as he gathered his thoughts. “But I believe someone murdered Theo because he was a vault of secrets that were never meant to see the light of day. The mention of your name in the notepad doesn’t fit right with me, either. What if it was written later, added as a deliberate distraction? Most of the notepad is destroyed, except for this specific piece. It feels too convenient, as if the killer wanted us to find exactly that and nothing else,” Ian explained, laying out the observations he had made so far.
Casaio nodded slowly, looking at the charred edges of the paper. “He’s right. A killer capable of such brutality doesn’t usually leave a paper trail by accident. It was intentional p>
Gabriel suddenly felt his chest tightening. His mind quickly drifted to Amelie and Noah. ’Something is wrong with Amelie p>
“I won’t be looking into this matter. I believe my elder brother can solve this mystery himself,” Gabriel stated, handing the piece of evidence to him. “Karmen, I will see you later p>
And with that, he vanished from their sight.
Amelie, in her wolf form, stooped in the middle of the forest. The words of Alex’s parents kept replaying in her mind like a movie.
’Selene, I don’t want to believe them,’ Amelie projected. ’I feel they are equally punishable for what their son was going to do to me p>
’You are thinking nothing wrong,’ Selene’s voice replied in the back of her head. ’Guilt is a powerful mask, but it does not erase the past p>
’I was worried that they might—’ Amelie’s internal conversation was cut short as the air shifted. A familiar musky scent hit her insides. She turned her head and saw Gabriel standing a few yards away, one hand tucked casually into his trouser pocket, his gaze softened as he looked at her.
“Selene,” Gabriel called out.
Inside him, Valko leaped in joy, the great wolf pacing with restless energy at the sight of his mate. Gabriel stepped forward and reached out, his palm connecting with the soft, thick fur of her neck. Selene leaned into the contact, a soft whine escaping her throat as she nuzzled against his hand.
Amelie’s restless heart and mind instantly calmed down with Gabriel’s touch.
’Weren’t you busy with work outside the palace? How did you find me so quickly p>
“I could sense the weight on your heart even from miles away,” Gabriel replied. “The matter was trivial compared to you. I left the moment I felt your distress p>
He took several steps back into a clearing where the winter sun filtered through the canopy in golden shafts. With a powerful shift, he transformed into his wolf. Valko stood tall before Selene.
Valko moved closer, ducking his massive head beneath hers in a gesture of absolute submission and affection. They stood there for a moment, teasing one another with playful nips and soft nudges. Suddenly, Selene let out a sharp, joyful huff and bolted through the trees. Valko followed immediately, though he intentionally held back his full speed, content to let his mate lead the way.
Dominick stood before the floor-to-ceiling window of the living room, watching the heavy snow blanket the grounds. The silence of the hall felt oppressive. Evan was still trapped outside by the weather, leaving Dominick alone with his thoughts and his proximity to Jeniva. It was a relief she hadn’t emerged from her room yet, but the quiet was starting to feel like the calm before a storm.
“Isn’t she hungry?” he wondered aloud, his protective instincts warring with his caution.
Compelled by a restless energy, he made his way to her room. He raised his hand to the dark wood of the door, but his knuckles hovered just inches from the surface. He froze, his breath hitching as he realized that even through the heavy door, her scent was beginning to permeate the air. He knew that if he knocked, if she opened that door, he would be completely submerged in the intoxicating pull of her pheromones.
’How long are you going to deny the pull?’ his wolf growled in the back of his head.
’Are you even ready for another heartbreak?’ Dominick countered with bitterness. ’Juniper has already shown me what trust and love for a mate can do. I won’t be a fool twice. I am planning to reject Jeniva p>
His wolf fell into a heavy, somber silence, the image of their past betrayal lingering between them. For a moment, even the primal pull of the bond seemed to settle into a dull ache of shared grief.
“Jeniva, are you inside?” Dominick finally asked in the quiet hallway. “It is quite late, and you still haven’t gotten out of bed. I am walking in p>
He turned the doorknob slowly, the click of the latch sounding loud in the still room. As the door swung open, he saw her. Jeniva was a motionless shape beneath the heavy quilt, the fabric pulled up so high it obscured everything but a few stray locks of hair.
A sudden, sharp instinct, different from the mate bond, flared in his chest. He rushed to the bedside and poked her shoulder, but there was no response.
“Hey p>
Fear surged through him as he realized how limp she felt. He sat on the edge of the mattress, his earlier resolve to keep his distance vanishing instantly. He took her hand, which was alarmingly cold, and began patting her cheek with his other hand.
“Jeniva, wake up! What happened to you?” Dominick’s voice rose in a panicked tone. He brought his hand to her forehead, finding it was burning like fire. “How did she get a fever p>
He pulled out the phone from his pocket and dialed Evan’s number.