Theo

The motel room is too small for this many predators.

I lean back against the wall near the window, arms crossed, watching the two men standing by the door like they belong here.

They don’t.

Every instinct in my body says they don’t.

My wolf agrees.

They smell wrong, he growls inside my head, pacing beneath my skin.

I can smell it too. Under the cheap motel soap and stale hallway air.

Faint

And something heavier.

Grimm.

Why would they send a Grim to investigate a human?

My wolf snarls at the unwanted males.

Across the room, Ronan looks like he’s about three seconds away from tearing someone’s throat out.

His emotions are so palpable that even Aria keeps looking his way.

His shoulders are stiff, jaw locked tight, Alpha power simmering in the air like heat before a storm. Liam stands beside his sister, calm on the surface but just as angry underneath. Barric leans against the dresser with his arms folded, silent and dangerous. Kade is near the door, blocking it like a living wall.

If they thought they were leaving without Ronan’s permission, they thought wrong.

Aria sits on the edge of the bed, right in the center of all this supernatural tension, completely human.

Completely unaware.

My wolf’s hackles rise.

Fragile, he mutters.

We won’t let anything happen to her, I reply.

Because if she knew what we were, the world she understands would shatter.

The two consultants glance between the Alpha and us like men standing in a room full of loaded guns.

Then Aria breaks the silence.

“Well, isn’t this cozy?”

Her voice is dry, dripping with sarcasm. Her frown when seeing us arrive with Liam didn’t go unnoticed.

I almost smile.

She looks between the two strangers, arms crossed.

“You wanted to speak to me,” she says, tilting her head slightly. “Now that my brother is here, I guess you have the floor.”

The Grimm steps forward.

He’s tall, broad, with eyes too dark to be comforting. Grimm always carries that heavy energy, like the air around them remembers every death they’ve ever witnessed.

They are the warrior class of the shifter world. It’s known that all Alphas are Grimm, but not all Grimm are Alphas.

My wolf snarls.

I look at the Faint. My own designation. We are built for stealth and used to unearth hidden information.

Grave-walker, my wolf warns.

“Mrs. Vale,” the Grimm says smoothly. “Sorry if we startled you earlier; that wasn’t our intention. I’m Henry, and this is Jasper.”

“Well, maybe next time you plan on speaking to a woman traveling alone, you try a phone call instead of a 90’s murder playbook call.”

Kade holds in a laugh.

Liam shifts closer to his sister.

Subtle.

Protective.

The Grimm notices.

Everyone does.

“As we were saying,” the Grimm continues calmly, “we just wanted to present you with some paperwork.”

“Right,” Aria replies. “Only I’m not sure when you explained why this couldn’t wait?”

She gestures toward the stack of papers the man is pulling from a leather folder.

Henry’s scent peppers with frustration, and I almost feel bad for the male.

They clearly didn’t know what they were getting into when they came to question Aria.

“We like to have these matters settled quickly,” Jasper says. “To avoid… mishaps.”

Ronan’s eyes flash.

Alpha fury rolls off him in waves.

Sending consultants directly to a pack member’s family without notifying the Alpha first?

That’s not just disrespect.

That’s a challenge.

My wolf bristles.

They test our territory.

Yeah, I think. And they picked the wrong damn pack.

Jasper stays quiet, standing slightly behind Henry.

He’s pale, sharp-featured, with eyes that shimmer faintly silver.

My wolf bares his teeth.

Trickster.

Aria takes the papers.

Her brow furrows as she flips through them.

“What exactly is this?” she asks.

“Standard settlements,” Henry says. “Your brother arranged certain contingencies with his employer to take care of the family. Your mother’s share now legally becomes yours.”

Her confusion deepens.

“My…” she looks at Liam. “What is this?”

The room goes very still.

We don’t know what the Assembly is playing at, but there was never any settlement of any kind.

Liam doesn’t react, but I feel the tension radiating off him. “Life insurance. I took out proxy sets for you and mom.”

“Why would you?” Aria says.

“I wanted to keep you safe. You and mom both.”

She looks down at the papers again, using her pointer finger to pick at her thumb’s cuticle.

“Corporate logistics can be… complicated,” Henry replies smoothly. “ All we need is a simple exit interview so we can get the process started.”

Ronan’s voice cuts in like a blade.

“Funny,” he says lazily. “You didn’t think to notify our department before approaching Liam’s sister.”

Aria looks around the room. “You all work for this…company?”

“Yes,” I say, keeping the lie simple.

The Grimm turns to him.

“An oversight,” he says.

Ronan smiles.

No warmth.

“No,” he says softly. “It wasn’t.”

My wolf grins darkly. Alpha enjoys hunting.

Aria looks between them.

“Okay,” she says slowly. “I feel like I just walked into the middle of something.”

“You didn’t,” Liam says quickly. “Sorry, I didn’t mention this.”

She gives him a look that clearly says I don’t believe you.

The Grimm clears his throat.

“Mrs. Vale, if we could just confirm a few details.”

And then it begins.

The questions.

They sound normal.

Surface level.

But every wolf in the room hears the real meaning underneath. The assessment of how much she may or may not know about the death, about the pack.

“Did your mother ever mention feeling threatened?”

“My mother and I weren’t on speaking terms, so no.”

“Did she leave any personal documents at home?”

“Not that I know of. But the police still have the house taped off, so I can’t be sure.”

“Did anyone unusual ever contact her?”

Aria shrugs, but her eyes narrow.

“If junkies count as usual, then sure.”

My wolf perks up. Pretty female.

Behave.

Sad human.