Abandoned While Pregnant, Claimed by the Alpha novel Chapter 90

Chapter 90

The next forty–eight hours were nothing but me working tirelessly to track down the culprit.

I stared hard at the network board on the wall, red marker lines crisscrossing into a chaotic mess. I combed through his transactions from the past month, every single call record, and even checked on the homeless people he’d passed by on his morning coffee runs. 1

Finally, on the third day, in the foggy early morning, my communicator buzzed with thrilling news.

“Luna, the target’s been spotted. ‘Iris Tavern,‘ mid–mountain.” The tracker’s voice was low, tinged with a dangerous sort of excitement.

I snatched my car keys and headed straight out.

The air mid–mountain was damp and chilly, carrying the sharp scent of rotting pine needles. “Iris Tavern” was the only tavern up there. Parking my car behind some bushes to keep it hidden, I moved quietly toward the back window of the tavern with two elite guards in tow.

The thin wooden walls did nothing to muffle the voices inside–they cut through the air, slamming straight into my eardrums. The stale smell of cheap malt beer, low–grade tobacco, and unwashed bodies hung heavy in the air, a nauseating mix that hit m nostrils like a brick wall. My already fragile stomach churned violently, and I bit down hard on my lip, forcing the nausea back down.

“God, you nearly scared me to death!” It was the bakery owner’s voice, trembling and thick with panic. “All you said was to teach that new stand–in Luna a lesson, make her look bad! You never mentioned putting that kind of stuff in the cake! Those were kids! If they die–Bloodmoon Pack’s Alpha will have me skinned alive and hanging on the wall!”

“Shut your filthy mouth, idiot,” another voice growled rough, scratchy, dripping with malice. “That was a custom mix of strong laxatives and hallucinogens. It won’t kill anyone. It’ll just make it look like they were poisoned. What the hell are you so freaked out about?”

“How can I not freak out?!” The bakery owner’s voice shot up, trembling with rising fear, followed by the sharp clink of a glass hitting the table. “The whole damn territory’s lost its mind over this! Everyone’s on high alert, investigating! I can’t even sleep anymore–I keep one eye open every night!”

“Take the money and keep your mouth shut.” The rough voice let out a chilling laugh as a thick stack of cash slapped onto the table. “Just remember one thing–this Ashley, that wolf girl, she’s crossed someone way out of her league. Somebody wants her ruined and kicked out of this territory. You? You’re just a pawn getting paid to do the job. Keep quiet, and you’ll stay alive.”

Who’s the big shot? Who’s behind all this?

I’ve got to get these two and interrogate them properly.

“Move in!” I growled into the comm.

A loud crash echoed as the wooden door of the tavern was kicked wide open with brutal force, sending splinters flying in every

direction.

“Bloodmoon Patrol! Everybody down!”

Chaos erupted inside the tavern. It was a full–blown brawl in an instant. The suspect’s reflexes were lightning–fast- unnervingly so. He didn’t even bother shifting. Instead, he grabbed the heavy oak table in front of him and hurled it at the guards at the door. The deafening sound of splintering wood echoed as he smashed through a window on the other side. Like a cunning beast, he vanished straight into the dense forest.

“Chase him! Don’t let him get away!” I yelled at the top of my lungs.

In a heartbeat, the guards shifted into massive gray wolves, their roars echoing through the night as they bolted after the fleeing figure.

Chapter 90

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I stood frozen for a moment, my legs trembling from the surge of adrenaline pumping through me. Without my wolf spirit, I couldn’t navigate the treacherous terrain of the forest, let alone join in that vicious, primal hunt.

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