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Weirdly, there’s no text from Tim asking me why I haven’t shown up for my shift today. If he was really involved with the treacherous Whiteroses that have allied with Samson Blackburn, does he already know that Rowan rescued me? Does he know I’m still alive?

Even Caitlyn hasn’t texted me, but then I remember the young waitress has today off anyway.

If anyone is worried that I’m not at The Diner, taking up my usual spot behind the bar, nobody has come banging down my door to investigate.

Honestly, that’s more suspicious than anything. It’s almost like they expected me not to show up, even though I’ve been working almost every weekday for years now.

An idea occurs to me. I need answers of my own. So, instead of waiting around for Rowan to return, I slip on my shoes and head into town.

It’s barely midmorning when I storm into The Diner, an inferno raging inside me that can only be quelled by a necessary confrontation.

The dining room is mostly empty, as it usually is this time of day, but Old Betty spots me and hops out of her barstool right away.

She scurries toward me, eyes wide with concern, and Old Joe isn’t far behind her.

“Alina! Goodness! I’m so glad to see you. Me and Joe were just saying we should head up the road and check on you. What happened here yesterday didn’t sit right with us.”

I blink at her, slowing my footsteps. There are a hundred questions I could ask. Did she suspect that Tim was a traitor? If so, why didn’t she intervene sooner? But also, would she truly come and check on me? Does she truly care that much?

I’ve gone through my life here in West Pond so numbly at times that it never occurred to me that the locals would act like I’m one of their own, would care for me like I’m in their pack. But maybe I was always wrong about that. Maybe I’d been too terrified to see how others cared for me because I knew what it felt like to have that kind of thing ripped away. Not just with Rowan ten years ago, but because of how I lost my parents.

But I don’t have time for any of those thoughts. I know Old Betty and Old Joe are good people.

“Is Tim here?” I ask, knowing that it’s a little rude to cut right through her declaration like that, but having no patience for niceties at the moment.

Old Betty’s brow knits with worry. “Yes, I do believe he is, but—”

I don’t wait for the end of her sentence. I keep marching right through the restaurant, ignoring the sideways glance, and push through the swinging kitchen door. The kitchen staff startles for a moment at my presence, and I’m pretty sure Caitlyn squeaks a greeting at me, but I’m a wronged woman on a mission, and I won’t stop until I do what I came here to accomplish.

When I reach the tiny administrative office at the end of the hall, I’m pleased to find the door cracked open. I slam my fist against it, and the wolf within gives me a boost of strength so mighty that it flies open and crashes against the opposite wall.

Tim, in his ratty clothes, leaps up from the desk where he’d been frowning at the outdated monitor.

“Alina!”

I’m satisfied to discover that he looks absolutely horrified to see him.

My manager backs up a step on instinct, perhaps sensing that the Luna inside me has been fully awakened now, but the space is so small that he only serves to corner himself against the wall. He has no escape.

“Surprised to see me still in one piece?” I sneer.

Tim swallows hard and does his best to straighten his spine and look confident. He’s just a Beta, though, and it’s really not that impressive.

“I don’t know what y-you’re talking about,” he says, stumbling on the lie. “But it’s good of you to finally show up for your shift.”

I bark out a sarcastic laugh and take a threatening step toward him. Tim flinches, and it makes me grin.

“Listen to me, you unwashed miscreant,” I snarl. “I quit. As long as you manage this place, I refuse to work for a traitorous piece of filth who would so blatantly disrespect his Alpha. Not to mention that you endangered my life, when I have done absolutely nothing to deserve that kind of treatment from you!”

“Did nothing to deserve it?” Tim snickers, but there’s still a healthy amount of fear in his eyes. “It’s not personal, cupcake. You’re Rowan Greenbriar’s Mate, and that’s the only motivation we needed to get you involved. The Whiteroses have been a weak and simpering pack for too long! We need stronger leadership!”

“And your methodology for getting a strong leader is to sacrifice an innocent woman to the monsters who murdered my parents?”

At that, Tim balks. He must not have known the full details. It doesn’t matter, anyway. It’s not like I came here to let him defend himself.

I came here to deliver a message.

I step forward, sinking deep into my wolf nature to look as menacing as possible. It has the desired effect, because Tim looks like he’s about to wet himself.