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“So,” he goes on to say with a smile. “You really like her?” I notice there isn’t any anger or disgust in his tone.

I think about that question before responding. After getting to know her these few weeks, I can honestly say, I enjoy Michaela. She’s a lot like me. We don’t require a lot. As long as the people around us are happy and healthy, we are both happy. I can see why the goddess thought we would be a good match. Our sarcastic humor is the same. We both have the same hobbies, fighting and training others.

When I answer him, I do it with confidence. “Yeah, I like her. She’s strong, independent, goes over and above for those she loves, and is fucking gorgeous.”

He laughs at that last one.

“Hey, in my defense, I pointed that out to you first.”

My wolf growls in my head when he mentions her beauty.

“Relax, he’s right. He pointed it out first.”

“Don’t care. Don’t like it.”

I ignore my possessive wolf.

“There is so much I still don’t know about her,” I admit. This time my interest in her isn’t to find out what she’s hiding, but to crack the code on the woman herself. There’s so much sadness and pain buried in Michaela that every now and again, I can feel it through the link. I want to know why she carries that armoraround her heart and who hurt her so badly she doesn’t let new people in.

He places a hand on my shoulder. “I’m happy for you, Enzo. You deserve this.”

We both head into Chayton’s office. The Alpha is here along with Alarick. The moment we walk in, Chayton starts to slow clap. He stands from his chair with a smirk on his face.

“Some of us send our mates into heat for days, maybe even a week. But not my Beta. He has to outdo us all.”

The guys all laugh at the Alpha’s jokes. I wave them off, taking a seat in the chair in front of his desk.

“What can I say? I’m an overachiever,” I shrug.

They all laugh.

“No,” Alarick says. “You’re mated to a vampire. They have high sex drives. It’s likely your wolf was feeding off her energy, which is why it went so long.”

Wait, I didn’t know about their high sex drives. Every day this mating thing sounds better and better.

“What’s been going on since I was out of commission?” I ask, moving the topic to something other than my mate’s sex drive.

Chayton takes a seat. Zyion leans against the wall near the door while Alarick occupies the only other chair in the room.

“Another slaughtered deer showed up on pack lands a few days ago.”

“Let me guess, no one saw it being dropped off?” I ask.

“Nope,” Alarick answers. “Scouts had just patrolled that area and moved on to another. When I went out there to view the scene, I could tell that something attacked the deer elsewhere and dragged it onto our lands.”

“Basically, we are still being set up and whoever it is knows our patrolling rotation.”

“Yep,” Chayton says, answering my statement.

“I’ve tracked down nearly every Alpha we’ve gotten members from,” Zyion says.

“And I’ve spoken to them,” Chayton adds. “None of them have any issues with me. Most of them were disgusted by the idea of ferals and vampires partnering.”

I rub a hand over my face. “Which means, this is someone else. We’re back at square one with no suspects. And it isn’t the vamp after Michaela and Marley. From my understanding, he’s a royal. He would never partner with human-turned.”

Chayton scratches his chin. “I didn’t think it had anything to do with them. I truly believe it’s an enemy from my past. But who?”

Before we could brainstorm anymore ideas, a soft knock at his door has our attention.