Page 24 of Enter the Lair

Galen continued.“She said she would report to her office?Not her father?”

“Yes.I don’t think she trusts him.I don’t know why.”

Hunter huffed.“Because he’s a murdering bastard and even his daughter knows it.”

Devon didn’t want to defend Brian Marksmen.No animal lover could.“That Bastard produced my mate so no matter what happens, I owe him that.”

“Ah fuck,” Hunter said.

“Boys!”Galen said.“We need to know if Marksmen is involved with Kallan on this.He may be a poacher, but this is different.”

Devon nodded.“I’ll talk to Sarah and call you immediately.”

Galen shook his head.“You need to give her more time.If you barge back in, she loses her advantage.She’s a ranger.Give her a bit of credit, son.”

“I know what she is, but my cougar is riding me.I have to go.”

Galen stood.“Then go, but don’t interfere until you know she has the information she needs and take Hunter with you.”

Devon shook his head.“I’ll do what you ask, but I’m going alone.My cougar is growling with impatience.”While he felt Sarah’s uneasiness, she wasn’t afraid.As he moved towards the door his father spoke.

“Wait just a moment, Devon.”

His cougar snarled at the interruption.He owed his father a moment of his time.He had no definite reason for his cougar’s agitation.He nodded to his father, afraid if he spoke his voice would betray his mood.

Hunter sat back down and turned to Galen.“Did you contact Daniel’s lair?”

“Yes, he was taking a few years away to search for his mate.He was the oldest.They didn’t expect him back for a month or so.”

“No communication from him in years and they didn’t question?”Luca said.

“That’s the thing.They were getting periodic texts from him.Once a month or so.They believed they were in contact,” Galen replied.

Hunter grumbled.“Yeah, there lies the downside to texting.You can’t be surewhoyou’re texting.”

Luca noticed Devon’s impatience.“So, we all go out for years looking for our mates and except for Talen we don’t find them.”He raised his eyebrows at Devon.“Yet Devon’s drives right up to his door.Lucky.”

He looked away, feeling ashamed.Luca was right.He was the only Cascade not to go looking for his mate.He hadn’t believed he had one.He’d believed a crossbreed shouldn’t.

Galen interrupted.“Devon is there anyone else Sarah might talk to besides her father and her office.A close friend?”

“She has a roommate, Gerry, that she’s close to.A guy she grew up with, but her best friend disappeared four years ago.”

He hadn’t planned to bring Racheal up, but he wouldn’t withhold information from his family again.

Hunter leaned back.“Jeez, your mate has had a rough go, hasn’t she?”

“Yes,” Devon said.

Liam was usually so quiet that all heads turned when he spoke.“You don’t mean Gerry Kallan, do you?”

Devon’s cougar lunged.He felt like he’d been punched in the heart.“All she said was they grew up together.Gerry is Kevin Kallan’s son?”

Liam nodded.“I met him at a party in Salem a year ago.His date called him Gerry, but he was introduced to me as Gerald.”

“Fuck!”All heads turned back to Devon.“I should have made that connection.I didn’t even know Kevin had a son.”

Liam rubbed his neck.“I didn’t get the impression they were close.He made a few disparaging comments about his father, but he was pretty drunk.”