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Chapter thirty-nine

VIOLET

Speaking with Puma gave me some clarity and warmth I didn’t know I needed. Being around him always does. It’s like I seek out the comfort he provides in a way that I don’t with the other Alphas. Gray is always around when I need that extra smile, Lance a breath of fresh air, and Hawk a quiet fortress. But with Puma… I can just be . I can say whatever is on my mind and he either understands or helps me think through it.

They all see me in different ways—even Sofie, but it’s a nice feeling that I always have somewhere to land. The moment I emerge from the office, Sofie pops off the couch, runs for my hand and drags me into her nest. The door is promptly shut and locked after us as I’m pulled into a land of pillows and blankets. Two seconds later my Omega is wrapped around me, her head tucked beneath my chin. Her favorite pillow is by her head, the one we nearly died retrieving when she had another spike.

“Hey, baby, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong. But you needed to talk.”

I snort, wondering yet again how I never figured out we were mates. We feel each other out like most people do with bonds. “Yeah, I guess. We’ve been here for a little while and I’m just wondering if you want more.”

I wait for the words to hit, for her to truly understand what I mean and the squeal that comes from her as head shoots up, knocking my jaw tells me she gets it. “Sorry, Vi. But really? Oh my god. They want us forever? That’s what Puma said, right? Lance and Hawk said it too and Gray says if you try to leave he’s going to find you and fuck you right there. Don’t laugh at me, that’s what he said! But they’re ours, right?”

“Breathe, baby,” I laugh. Sofie’s flushed, excitement flooding her features, those hazel eyes rapidly searching my face. “Yeah, they’re ours.” I tug her back toward me, my hands settling on her waist as I press a small kiss to the bridge of her nose.

“Wait.”

I still, unsure of what she needs. Her scent hasn’t shifted and she doesn’t seem in pain so I just hold there, waiting for her to explain.

She sits up fully, glaring down at me as her hair falls over her shoulder. “What do you want, Vi?”

A laugh slips out before I can stop it, caught off guard by the sudden shift. “What?”

Sofie narrows her eyes. “Don’t ‘what’ me. I know you. I know you’re always thinking about me first. So, I’m asking. What. Do. You. Want?”

I reach up, my fingers sliding into her hair before caressing her cheek. She nuzzles into my palm, patiently waiting for my answer. “Yeah, baby. I want this. I want us to have this together.” She huffs out a little noise before curling back into my chest but now I have a question, one I’ve been avoiding for a while. Omegas are supposed to be the center of their universe and I’m still having a mild problem that Sofie isn’t. Not because I think she’s having an issue with it but because I’ve been taught that she’s supposed to. “Are you really okay with this dynamic?”

Sofie snorts, giggling into my chest. “Vi, you deserve to be the center of someone’s universe. And if that means four universes, then so be it.” She pulls back again, letting me see those hazel eyes again. “Vi, you will always be my Beta but you’re allowed to be their Beta too.”

“God, I love you,” I murmur against her lips before kissing her, taking what’s mine. She tastes like warmth, like home, like something I don’t have to fight for anymore. Her fingers curl against my shirt, and I soak in everything—the scent of her, the softness of her skin, the feel of her smile against my mouth.

The moment is dashed by my phone vibrating in my pocket. An irritated growl rips from my throat as I tear away from Sofie and pull it out, ready to chuck it against the wall. Except for the fact that it’s an unknown number.

Sofie groans, flopping onto her back, glaring up at the ceiling. “Tell them to go away. I want my Beta to fuck me.”

“So that’s really why you dragged me in here, wasn’t it?” The phone is still ringing in my hand and I hesitate before answering it and bringing it to my ear. “Hello?”

The voice on the other end is clipped, all business. “Ms. Torres? This is Officer Hale with the Ansdale PD. We’d like to ask you a few questions regarding the Ashford case and the allegations surrounding the gallery. Would you be willing to come down to the station?”

My heart drops into my stomach as I sit up straight, all of my nerves immediately shot to hell. Puma told me everything there was to know but that doesn’t make it any easier to hear that it’s real. “The Ashford case?”

Sofie tenses beside me. The officer continues, like this is just another call, just another routine inquiry. After all, no one knows Sofie and I are currently with the Ashford pack or this would be a very different call, I’m assuming. “Yes, ma’am. We can either come to your residence or you can come down to the station. Your choice.”

I don’t even know what the fuck they think I know, but my gut is screaming at me that this is bad. That this isn’t just some casual questioning, not just some formality. They’re looking for something. They’re looking for someone. I also don’t want them showing up here because that would derail everything we’ve started, not to mention that the officers will think we’re involved.

And I wouldn’t care but I still have Sofie to think about. I take a slow breath, forcing my voice steady. “I’ll come to the station.” I quickly hang up, stuffing my phone into my pocket and head for the kitchen to find my keys. Sofie is right behind me, her bare feet slapping against the wood, each and every one of our Alphas looking up at our entrance. Well, fuck, this is going to be an awkward conversation.

Puma is leaning against the counter, arms crossed over his chest. Hawk and Lance are at the table, but they aren’t relaxed, muscles tight beneath their shirts, like they’re a single wrong move away from launching into action. Gray is pacing, back and forth, tension rolling off him in waves. Whatever they were talking about a second ago wasn’t good but I’m about to make it worse.

Hawk breaks the silence. “First off, neither one of you are going anywhere. Trouble, I know that look on your face. Whatever it is, we can figure it out. Second, tell me what the fuck just happened because we were pretty damn sure Sofie dragged you in there for a little fun and neither one of you smell like that.” There’s an edge to his words as he approaches us, all darkness and roughness that makes my belly flip. “Talk to me.”

“We were going to have some fun but then an Officer Hale called and asked me to come to the station. He said he could come here but I think that would make everything worse.”

Puma’s jaw ticks, the muscle feathering beneath his skin. “And why exactly do they want you at the station?”

“They didn’t say,” I answer, voice even, steady. “Just mentioned the Ashford case and the gallery allegations.”

That’s all it takes. Lance mutters a sharp fuck, running both hands through his hair like he wants to rip it out. Hawk draws me and Sofie into his chest, his purr rumbling through us like he’s trying to protect us from the entire world. Gray is muttering something to Puma but from where I am, Puma is just watching. I’m waiting for him to push back, to say that we’re not going, to tell me that this fight isn’t mine.

I told him before that that’s not how this works.

“You’re not going alone. Listen to me, dove.” Puma steps up to me, slowly extracting me from Hawk. “You are too precious to be rushing off into this by yourself. This goes both ways, alright? One of us will drive behind you, make sure you’re okay and I’ll send Banks to the station.”

“So, don’t say anything till he gets there?”

Puma shakes his head, “Correct. He’ll help guide you through their questions but answer truthfully. We have nothing to hide.” He seems to catch the shock on my face. “Dove, you’re part of the family now which means those protections extend to you. You’ve got a lot in your corner, more than you probably know.” He gives me a quick kiss before turning to the others. “I’ll keep you updated. Don’t do anything fucking stupid while we’re gone.”

Sofie is still buried against Hawk’s chest, her surprised expression slowly turning to desire. Something that the twins pick up on at the same time. Hawk grins, hoisting Sofie up into his arms. “Can’t make any promises.”

The drive over is longer than I thought it would be and not the location I expected. It’s the small house just across the street from Ash & Ivory , the interim station they sometimes populate when there’s too much chaos at the main station in the heart of the city. I feel like it’s on purpose this time. Still, I shrug it off and march up the steps, not daring to look back at Puma. He’s definitely not happy about these turn of events, his need to protect me very obvious. It’s both comforting and disconcerting all at once. An older gentleman is standing at the entrance, the Alpha throwing out his hand to me. “Banks.”

“Violet,” I offer.

“Nice to meet the one who’s got Puma rethinking things. Now, let’s get in there and figure out this bullshit, alright?” He gives me a warm smile and I decide that I already like this down-to-earth Alpha.

He guides me inside, an officer pointing toward a desk at the back. The little house is cold and uninviting—sterile walls in dull grays and washed-out blues, eerie lighting, an atmosphere designed to make people feel guilty before a single question is asked. It’s the kind of place where even the innocent second-guess themselves.

I weave my way through the desks and take a seat in front of the officer that has to be Hale. He’s a few sizes too large for his uniform but he’s also terrifying so I make a point to keep a soft smile on my face. Banks sits beside me, the perfect picture of elegance as he crosses one leg over the other. “Boys,” he muses.

The officer beside Hale grunts. “Violet, I’m not sure why you’d bring a lawyer with you. However, I want to know how you could afford him. His rate is nearly $2,500 an hour.” I try not to choke on that because what the fuck? I’m going to have Puma’s ass for sending this guy here. There’s no fucking way I’m going to be able to pay that. “Seems like he’s trained you well. Look, let’s get down to the questions so we can get you out of here. I heard your Omega was near heat.”

I’m not answering that. I don’t even need the lawyer to tell me that. Hale grimaces as if he’s pissed I’m not just over eager to answer his questions. But what did he expect?

“Excuse Hale, he was born in a dog house. I’m Officer Kane. Thank you for coming down to speak with us. There’s just a few questions and then hopefully you can help us understand about the art prints you helped sell. Sound good? Okay, so, you worked at Ash & Ivory for how long?”

“A few months. I only moved over to this side of Ansdale then.” My voice doesn’t waver. I’m hoping he doesn’t ask about the last gallery I worked at and why I no longer work there. He doesn’t need to know that Camila’s ex Alpha tried to scare her into being his pack Beta. And I’m definitely not going to recount the swoon worthy moment that Camila’s current Alpha stalked in all Alpha-like and pinned that bastard against the wall. Nope. I’m not saying shit.

Hale clears his throat, directing my attention back to him. “And in that time, you never once suspected you were selling fraudulent pieces?” There’s something pointed in the way he says it, like he’s waiting for me to flinch, waiting for me to second-guess myself.

I don’t blink. “No.”

“Even with the volume of pieces coming in and out, the high-profile clients, no authentication checks that struck you as odd?” He tilts his head, like he’s trying to catch a flicker of doubt in my expression.

Rolling my shoulders back, I shift slightly in my seat. “We had a process. And I wasn’t in charge of authentication—that was Xavier or his son. He hired me because I was pretty and I didn’t ask a lot of questions but that’s mostly because I don’t know much about art.” I have to take a minute to swallow back my flippant attitude, lest Hale and Kane think I’m annoyed.

“And where’s Xavier now?” Kane asks.

“No clue. He fired me the day after the showing.”

“But you were his assistant,” Hale presses, tapping his pen against his notepad. “You worked closely with him.”

I fight the urge to roll my eyes. “No, I was his employee. Very different. I wasn’t even allowed in his office. I memorized those little cards beneath the paintings and researched them in the database so I knew enough to talk about them when someone came in. I helped put up the frames sometimes but I was getting paid minimum wage.” That reminds me. He didn’t send me my last paycheck. Fuck.

Kane glares at me, his eyes darting to Banks and then back to me. “So you’re saying you were blindly selling paintings to people without knowing where they came from?”

My jaw tightens, a flicker of irritation slipping through. “I’m saying I trusted the process.”

Hale lets out a low whistle which just further irritates me. “Did you ever see any large payments come in under Xavier’s name? Any transactions that seemed off?”

I’m not sure what they don’t understand about my position there. The most I did with money was enter in a bid or a drop off time. We did a lot of scheduling but Xavier handled the actual transactions, money wires, all of it. Other than the prices on the paintings themselves, I didn’t do anything else with numbers. “I only handled the actual paintings. Xavier did the actual transactions.”

Another look passes between them. Irritation. Frustration. They don’t like that they aren’t getting what they want. Banks sits forward, a slow grin sliding across his face. “I’ve heard quite a lot and I think it’s time for me to talk to my client.”

Hale straightens slightly, feigning ease. “This is just a conversation.”

A slow, amused smile curves at the Alpha’s lips. “That’s cute.” I almost choke as Banks adjusts his cufflinks like he has all the time in the world. “Unless you’d like to explain why this feels like an interrogation rather than just a few questions. Because I’d be happy to shed some light on what’s going on here.”

The officers exchange a look, their frustration shifting into something closer to reluctant compliance. A few beats pass before Hale mutters something under his breath, then both push back from their chairs and walk away, leaving us in peace.

Banks turns to me, gently patting my shoulder. “You’re just as strong and stubborn as Puma boasted over the phone. I thought I’d have my work cut out for me, telling you where to speak and when to hold your tongue but there isn’t anything I would have changed. They’ll want you to step into Ash & Ivory to give them any other information that you can. It was shut down a few days ago so it’ll just be the officers and the two of us. However, you’re not under arrest and there’s no need for you to agree to any of this.”

I shrug. “I’ll do it. Anything I can do to get the suspicion off of my Alphas I’ll do.”

He offers me a soft smile. “Violet, that’s not exactly how this works. The legal and art world are very confusing places but I admire the thought behind it. Let’s get this over with, then.”

“Any pointers or whatever?”

“Don’t lie and don’t give them too much. Just answer the question they’ve asked and nothing more. If they want more information, they’ll have to ask for that.”

“I definitely thought you were going to say something about how my actions would reflect on the pack as a whole or something.” I chew on my bottom lip, waiting for him to start laying down the do’s and don’ts like I see on TV.

Banks just shakes his head. “Violet, you just told me that you’re here to help your pack. You drove here alone and walked in here without Puma at your side because you know exactly what that would construe. I don’t have to tell you what weight your words have. Right now, these officers want information because they have absolutely no idea where to look. It’s why some of those questions came off a little accusatory. You’re going to be fine in there, I’m sure of it. Anyone Puma talks highly of is special in my books.”

My cheeks heat a little as I blow out a deep breath and push to my feet, heading toward Hale and Kane to let them know I’m ready for more. They seem to be surprised I’m taking this so well, nodding to the gallery across the street. I feel like this whole process is a little uncouth but I don’t ask questions as we step into a place I couldn’t wait to get away from. There were some good memories here but mostly a lot of strenuous moments where I was just trying to survive.

There’s a strange aura in the air, the counter devoid of any happiness that Sofie brought. Hale and Kane are walking through the gallery like giants in a glass house, looking absolutely out of place. It’d be funny if not for the reason we’re here. I follow them, staring at the paintings and the space I called my second home but there’s something different. Most of these frames aren’t the ones I hung for the showing. They feel like that painting that smudged beneath my fingers. They all have this non-authentic feel and a quick glance at some of them show hurried strokes similar to the kids in the painting classes I oversaw.

Others, I can’t tell but I recognize from that back room.

Hale stops in front of one painting and points to a little mark in the right hand corner. It looks like many of the others I’ve dealt with and it means nothing to me. Even at the last gallery, I just always dismissed any oddities, calling it a flair of artistry or some bullshit.

“We had a few experts comb through these and there seems to be a calling card on most of them.” He shines a light over the small patch of green and I lean in, eyes widening as I catch the soft strokes of a name. “No idea who it is and no one seems to have seen it before. However, it seems like this isn’t the first time these have shown up.”

I swallow nervously, Kane making me realize they aren’t just poking around in the dark. They’ve actually done some research. “And it seems that at your last employment, we confiscated a few of these as well.” I want to ask them if they think I’m involved but I don’t get that far. “You’re not under arrest and you’re not a suspect but we’re hoping you know something since you’ve been around all of this for more than just three months.”

My stomach twists as I glance at Banks. He gives me a small nod, silently telling me to share the truth. “I honestly don’t know. I’m not an artist. I worked at the last gallery because of my friend and moved here because it pays the best. The only alternative was the grocery store and it’s like $5 less an hour.” Even if I had noticed the pattern months ago, it wouldn’t have made any sense to me.

Hale lets out a frustrated sigh, dragging his hand through his hair. “I was hoping you had more for me, Violet but it gives me something to work with. We’ll stay in touch if we have more questions.”

Banks cuts in. “If there are more questions, you can reach out to me.”

“How the fuck does she afford you?” Kane growls before leading us back over to the parking lot across the street. “Don’t answer that. I guess we’ll be in touch with your lawyer should we need anything. Thanks for speaking with us.”

There’s no handshakes or goodbyes as they disappear back into that little house, my face twisted up in confusion on how awkward that felt. I turn to Banks, trying to suppress my emotions and fail. “This is bad, right?”

“Something like that. Seems like whoever is dealing fakes is a lot more ingrained in the business than we thought. It’s going to take some time to wade through. For now, I’d go home and calm down your Alpha before he finds a way to cuss me out.” Banks playfully points to the other car in the parking lot, Puma’s fierce stare focused on my face. Even through the window, I can see him focused on me, a need to see that I’m okay.

I’ll make him stew a little more until we get home. I’ve always wondered what would happen when I break his resolve. Will he stay this soft or will there be another version of him?