Page 23 of Alpha Wolf (Return To Fate Mountain #6)

Chapter

Twenty-Two

The Fate Mountain Police Station came into view through Dom’s windshield, and Valeria’s stomach clenched. She’d been missing for three days, and now she was about to walk through those doors with the man her family believed was a murderer.

“You ready for this?” Dom asked, his deep voice gentle as he parked near the front entrance.

Valeria took a steadying breath. “As ready as I’ll ever be to tell my father that his missing daughter is mated to his primary suspect.”

Dom’s hand found hers, warm and reassuring. They walked through the station doors side by side, and the reaction was immediate.

“Chief! Valeria’s back!” Officer Holt called out, his voice carrying across the bullpen. “And she’s with Dominic Steel!”

Conversations stopped mid-sentence. Phones were set down. Every pair of eyes in the room turned toward them. Heavy footsteps thundered down the hall, and her father appeared in the doorway. For a moment, he simply stared, his face cycling through relief, joy, and confusion.

“VALERIA!” Heath’s voice cracked as he rushed toward her. “Thank God! Where have you been? I was so worried about you.” His arms wrapped around her in a crushing embrace that drove the air from her lungs. “Why are you with Steel?”

Before she could answer, Gabriel’s voice rang out from behind her father. “Valeria!” Her brother appeared, his face pale with shock and relief. “Do you have any idea what we’ve been through?”

Valeria stepped back from her father’s embrace, feeling Dom’s steady presence beside her. There was no point in easing into this. No way to soften the blow of what she was about to tell them.

“Dad,” she said, lifting her chin. “Dominic Steel is my fated mate. We’ve been working together on the Becca Matthews investigation.”

The silence that followed was deafening. She could hear the hum of fluorescent lights, the distant radio chatter from dispatch, even her own heartbeat pounding in her ears. Heath’s face went through another series of expressions. Shock. Disbelief. Something that might have been hurt.

“Your mate?” he said in a low voice. “Why didn’t you tell us?”

Gabriel stepped forward. “Valeria, Steel is our primary person of interest.”

“That’s exactly why I didn’t tell you,” she replied, meeting Gabriel’s skeptical gaze head-on. “But I know for a fact that he is not guilty.”

Gabriel’s jaw tightened. Heath looked between Valeria and Dom like he was trying to solve a puzzle with missing pieces.

“My office,” Heath said, already turning toward the hallway. “All of you. Now.”

They filed into Heath’s corner office, the windows overlooking the town square. Gabriel claimed one of the chairs facing Heath’s desk while Dom remained standing near the door, arms crossed. Valeria took the chair beside her brother. Heath shut the door firmly before rounding his desk.

“Explain what’s been going on,” Heath said, sinking into his chair. “Start from the beginning.”

Valeria had rehearsed this story during the drive, weaving truth and fabrication together in a way that would protect them both. “As you know, I went back to Becca’s house for a follow-up investigation. While I was there, I received an anonymous tip about a storage unit.”

Heath’s brow furrowed.

“The tip said Rebecca had been investigating something big. Something dangerous.” Valeria’s voice grew serious. “While I was on the phone at the Mathews’ property, professional killers tried to eliminate me.”

“Professional killers?” Heath’s voice sharpened with alarm. “Is that why your cruiser was full of bullet holes?”

Dom stepped forward slightly. “I happened to be there when they attacked, Chief. Saved her life. These were military-trained assassins. Coordinated, well-equipped, and determined to eliminate witnesses.”

Heath and Gabriel exchanged glances, and Valeria could see them processing the scope of what they were hearing. This wasn’t just about Rebecca’s murder anymore. This was about a conspiracy that reached much deeper.

“The anonymous tip mentioned a storage unit,” Valeria said. “Secure Storage Solutions, unit number 332. You need to get a warrant to search it.”

“We’ll need probable cause for a warrant,” Heath said, his mind already working through the legal requirements. “The anonymous tip alone won’t be enough.”

“Did you check Rebecca’s bank statements?” Valeria asked.

“We didn’t find any records of storage units in her financials,” Gabriel said.

“Sometimes automatic payments show up under different names.”

Heath’s eyes sharpened. “Gabriel, pull up Rebecca’s financial records. Go back two years.”

“On it.” Gabriel opened his laptop, fingers flying over the keyboard.

They waited in tense silence while Gabriel searched. After a few minutes, he straightened. “Got something. Monthly payments of two hundred dollars to ‘SSS Property Management.’ Goes back eighteen months.”

“Run that name,” Heath ordered.

“Already am.” Gabriel’s expression turned triumphant. “SSS Property Management is the billing name for Secure Storage Solutions.”

Heath was already reaching for his phone. “That’s our probable cause. I’ll call Judge Morrison now.”

While Heath made the call, Valeria felt the exhaustion of the past days catching up with her. Twenty minutes later, Heath hung up with a satisfied nod. “Morrison will sign the warrant within the hour. We’ll execute it immediately.”

Valeria let out a sigh of relief.

“Go home,” Heath said, his voice gentler now. “Get some rest. We’ll call you when we find something.”

Valeria nodded, relief flooding through her. They’d done it. Provided enough information to point the investigation in the right direction without revealing how much they already knew.

As they walked toward the exit, Heath called out behind them. “Steel.” Dom turned back. “Thank you,” Heath said simply. “For protecting my daughter.”

Dom nodded once. “Always, sir.”

The drive to Valeria’s apartment was quiet, both of them processing what had just happened. Three days ago, Dom had been the prime suspect in a murder investigation. Now, her father was thanking him for saving her life.

Valeria’s apartment felt comforting after spending several nights away.

Her books, her photos, her life from before everything changed.

She gathered clothes and toiletries while Dom waited in her living room, giving her space to pack.

Her landline rang while she was folding a sweater into her overnight bag.

“Dad?” she answered.

“We found it,” Heath’s voice was grim but satisfied. “Unit 332. Rebecca had been investigating for months, Valeria. Audio recordings, documentation, everything.”

Valeria sank onto her bed, relief making her knees weak. “What did she find?”

“Frank Dalton.” The name came out like a curse. “Emergency management coordinator. The recordings show him deliberately delaying emergency responses during the Crown Mountain attacks.”

The betrayal in her father’s voice was evident. Frank Dalton had worked for the county for twenty years. Heath had trusted him.

“Dom’s completely cleared,” Heath continued. “The evidence shows Steel Protection had nothing to do with Rebecca’s murder.”

His voice shifted, taking on the tone of command she knew well. “We’re planning a raid on Dalton’s home first thing in the morning. I want you and Dom here at 0600. His military experience could be valuable, and you know this case better than anyone.”

Valeria felt Dom’s presence behind her as she spoke. “We’ll be there.”

“Get some rest tonight. Tomorrow, we take down a traitor.”