Page 11 of Alpha Wolf (Return To Fate Mountain #6)

Chapter

Ten

Valeria’s desk at the police station had become a war zone of paperwork. Three days since Dom’s interrogation, and witness statements kept piling up like accusations. She rubbed her tired eyes and reached for another cup of coffee.

The overnight shift had brought two more complaints about Steel Protection members questioning people around town.

A neighbor of Becca’s who felt intimidated by them asking about suspicious activity.

A coworker from County Emergency Management was nervous about their systematic questioning regarding Becca’s recent behavior.

Each report added another layer to the growing case file.

Her phone buzzed with a text from her mother. “Haven’t seen you in days, mija. Everything okay?”

Everything was falling apart, but Valeria couldn’t explain that to Rosa. Couldn’t tell her that the mate bond was tearing her apart while she built a case against her fated one. She typed back a quick “Just busy with work” and set the phone aside.

“You look like hell,” Gabriel said, appearing beside her desk with his own stack of files. “When’s the last time you went home?”

“Home is overrated.” Valeria gestured at the evidence covering her workspace. “Too much to do here.”

Gabriel pulled up a chair, his expression serious. “Phone records came back on Rebecca Matthews.”

Valeria looked up from her paperwork, her stomach clenching. “And?”

“No outgoing call to Steel Protection. Not on Tuesday night, not ever.” Gabriel opened his folder and spread the phone company printouts across her desk. “Dom’s entire story about her calling them for help is complete bullshit.”

The black and white numbers told a story that made her chest tight.

Three days of calls, texts, and voicemails from Rebecca Matthews’ final week.

Tuesday evening, when Dom claimed Becca had called Steel Protection in fear, her phone records showed calls to her sister in Portland, a pizza delivery order, and a brief conversation with a coworker. Nothing else.

“Why lie about something so easily verified?” Valeria asked, though she dreaded the answer.

“Because he’s arrogant. Maybe he thinks since we’re small-town cops we won’t dig deep enough to check phone records,” he scoffed.

Each detail felt like another nail in Dom’s coffin.

Valeria’s bear whined beneath her skin, confused and agitated by the conflict between instinct and evidence.

The systematic questioning, the professional coordination, the fabricated alibi.

It painted a picture of an organized group with experience covering their tracks.

“I need to interview Becca’s coworkers myself,” Valeria said. “I think it would help me understand what Steel Protection is really after.”

An hour later, Valeria stood in the lobby of the County Emergency Management building, its sterile government atmosphere making her feel more isolated than ever.

The receptionist directed her to the communications department, where she found a nervous woman in her thirties with dark hair pulled back in a practical ponytail. Her eyes were red-rimmed with grief.

“Officer Reynolds? I’m Diana Brooks. I worked with Becca for six years. This whole thing is just... I keep expecting her to walk through that door.”

“I’m sorry for your loss,” Valeria said, settling into the chair beside Diana’s desk. “I understand you were approached by people from Steel Protection. What exactly happened during that conversation?”

“He was very interested in Becca’s research. But I didn’t share it with him,” Diana said, her expression becoming cautious.

“What kind of research?” Valeria asked, pulling out her notepad.

Diana glanced around the office, then leaned closer. “Research into the Crown Mountain attacks.”

Valeria’s pen froze on her notepad. “Crown Mountain? But that conspiracy was resolved. Jason Prescott was arrested.”

Diana dabbed her eyes. “Becca thought the conspiracy wasn’t really over. She kept saying the attacks were too professional just to disappear. She thought the real operatives who carried out the attacks might still be out there.”

A chill ran down Valeria’s spine. “Operatives?”

“Professional mercenaries who did the actual dirty work while Prescott handled the corporate side.” Diana stood up. “She thought they’d escaped justice completely when only the business conspiracy was prosecuted.”

Valeria followed Diana to Becca’s workspace. Diana unlocked the bottom drawer and pulled out a thick folder filled with photocopied documents, newspaper clippings, and handwritten notes.

“She’d been building a profile of the unknown Crown Mountain contractors,” Diana explained, spreading the contents across Becca’s desk. “Look at this analysis.”

Valeria studied the documents, her heart sinking with each page.

Professional coordination charts showing military-precision timing across all Crown Mountain attacks.

Analysis of how attack timing exploited known weaknesses in county emergency protocols.

Valeria read through Becca’s analysis, her stomach churning.

“She thought the mercenaries were lying low, waiting for attention to fade,” Diana said quietly.

“Professional mercenaries would wait exactly this long before returning,” she murmured, more to herself than to Diana.

The timeline was perfect. Crown Mountain’s corporate conspiracy “officially” solved with Prescott’s arrest. Enough time for the community to relax its guard and stop watching for threats. Then Steel Protection arrived with military expertise that matched the original attack coordination.

“She was building a profile of the contractors,” Valeria said, studying Becca’s detailed notes.

Valeria felt sick as the implications became clear. The visceral fear of the locals at the diner hadn’t been paranoia. It had been instinctive recognition of a threat they’d faced before.

“I’m going to have to take this into evidence.”

Valeria gathered the files. They painted a devastating picture.

Steel Protection matched every element of Becca’s contractor profile.

Their arrival timing was strategically perfect.

Their capabilities aligned exactly with the original Crown Mountain operational style.

Their questioning pattern showed they knew more about Becca’s activities than any legitimate security company should.

And Dom had lied about Becca calling them, creating a false alibi for his presence at her murder scene.

Five minutes later, Valeria sat in her patrol car outside the County Emergency Management building, staring at the stack of evidence on her passenger seat.

The implications spiraled through Valeria’s mind.

Steel Protection members were Crown Mountain mercenaries under legitimate business cover.

Becca had identified them through her research.

They’d eliminated her before she could expose their true identities, then conducted systematic questioning to determine if anyone else knew what she’d discovered.

She pulled out her phone and called Gabriel. “It’s Valeria. I need to brief you and Dad on what I found. This is bigger than we thought.”

“How much bigger?”

“Steel Protection were involved in Becca’s murder,” she said. “They’re Crown Mountain mercenaries. They’ve come back.”

The silence on the other end stretched for several heartbeats.

“Jesus,” Gabriel finally said. “Can you prove it?”

“Becca already did the work. She connected all the pieces before they killed her.” Valeria’s voice grew stronger with conviction. “I’m heading back to the station now. We need to move fast before they realize we know who they really are.”

As she hung up and started her patrol car, Valeria felt grim satisfaction settling in her chest. She’d solved the case. She’d identified the killers. She was about to bring justice to the community that had suffered so much.

The mate bond ached like a physical wound, but she pushed the pain down. Dom had chosen his path when he’d decided to become a killer. She’d chosen hers when she’d sworn to protect and serve this community.