Page 234 of Claimed By the Rival Alpha

“Yeah, I went to see my mom. We just…talked.”

“Oh.” A chilly breeze intensified the silence that settled over us. There were only a few feet between us, but the distance seemed so wide. I ran my fingers through my hair.

“So, are you ready to go?” I asked.

“To talk to Samuel and his family? Yeah. I’m ready.”

We set off with that chilly breeze drifting between us.

“We need to be delicate,” Bryn said as we walked. “From what Tavi told me, he’s pretty fragile.”

I nodded. “Do you want to take the lead on the questions?”

She hesitated, then said, “That might be for the best.”

“Sure. I agree.” I paused. “Did you know Samuel?”

“Not really. I’m a couple of years older than him. His parents, Adam and Cathy, seemed like nice enough folks. Normal, you know?”

“Yeah.”

“After Samuel experienced whatever he experienced, they were much more withdrawn. I don’t think I’ve seen more than a glimpse of them in years.”

“I see.” I couldn’t blame Samuel’s parents for being reclusive. It was good that Bryn was taking the lead on this. On my own, I’d probably come off as intimidating. Her gentle nature was more suited for these kinds of conversations. Still, I wanted to be there with her, both to find answers and make sure nothing dangerous happened.

The council had told me the Granby cabin was on the southern side of the compound, with a door painted to look like the sky. Whoever had painted it had talent—the clouds were shaded very realistically.

I knocked a few times. In moments, Adam and Cathy Granby, both petite and gray-haired, answered the door. Their eyes widened when they saw me, and the male wolf shifted slightly in front of his wife. His reaction didn’t offend me; it showed he was the kind of man who put his family first. I’d be a fool not to respect that.

“Uh, yes?” he asked. “Can I help you? Oh—” He saw Bryn step out from around me, and his eyebrows raised. “Alpha Hunter?”

“We’re sorry to come here unannounced,” she said with a kind smile. “We were hoping to speak with your son.”

The Granbys shifted from side to side. Cathy placed her hand on Adam’s shoulder and squeezed.

“My son…isn’t well,” he said. “What could you possibly want to speak to him about?”

“We want to ask him about what he saw that day,” she replied gently. We had no reason to lie to them. “Night and I are looking into the disappearances.”

“Oh, but Samuel is…he’s such a delicate boy,” Cathy blurted, her fingers digging deeper into her husband’s shirt. “He could get hurt.” She paused, her eyes narrowing at me. “Youcould hurt him.”

Her words didn’t offend me—I’d expected this pushback. I glanced at Bryn, and she nodded for me to speak.

“I promise I won’t touch your son or make him talk if he doesn’t want to. All we want is to try to get to the bottom of what happened all those years ago. As far as we know, he’s the only witness.”

“Forgive me for asking, but why do you care about missing King pups?” Adam asked. “They’re not part of your pack.”

“I care because the disappearances are strange.” I saw no reason to lie, but I wouldn’t give them every detail, either. They didn’t need to know the disappearances might be related to Troy. “So many pups went missing in those four years, and it devastated your pack. Maybe in some ways, this pack is still dealing with the fallout of those disappearances.”

Bryn nodded. “We just want to find some answers. Even if we can’t get much, we’ll be happy if you let us into your home.”

The parents turned to look at each other, speaking with only their eyes. After a minute, they stepped aside. Wringing her hands, Cathy went into another room as Adam led us upstairs.

“Did Samuel paint the front door?” I asked.

“Yes, he did.” Adam kept the answer short.

Shit. I must have overstepped.