Page 34

Lyle

I try to rein in my anger as I sit at the kitchen counter, my hand around the back of Ambrose’s neck to keep him charging out the front door. I waited until they got home to say anything, knowing that Jonah’s life would be in danger. As much as I want to rip his head off his shoulders, I need to know who else was in the room that night—a secret Seraphina finally gave up.

It hadn’t just been Jonah and now I’m worried that the fucker has inserted himself much deeper into her life than we even know.

The fact that she broke down again , whispering that she could still smell had me fighting my instincts to protect her. Instead, I drew up a bath and held her to my chest long enough for her to fall asleep, gently scenting her cheeks and her neck. Only then, did I dry her off and deposit her back in her nest, just in time for the other two to walk in.

Callum’s glaring at me, no doubt weighing his options. “I’m glad you said it when we got here rather than over the phone. Jesus Christ. Did she tell you anything?”

“She mentioned guys, like multiple . I think Jonah feels like he’s owed her or some bullshit. It’s the only explanation for his renewed attention now that he’s back.” I already told them about his impromptu visit. I’m glad I didn’t trust the fucker to just step into my house or things could have been worse.

A deep growl tears from the Alpha in my grip, his jaw pulled tight even as he leans back into my palm. “You don’t think he set the fire to force her out of the house, do you?”

Callum drags a hand down his face, his eyes darker than I’ve ever seen them. “It’s not a far-fetched idea. Chief Monroe found turpentine at the scene and while it’s a common thing to use, it’s not really a common thing to find at multiple scenes. It’s been at the fire that took Felix and now in Seraphina’s apartment.”

I frown, remembering it was odd when I heard about it just over three years ago. It’s even more odd now because there’s a small detail I’m sure everyone’s missed. “Jonah’s degree is in biology. He’s the one that always had all those plants and shit around the firehouse, saying we needed more oxygen. Do you know how fresh it was?” Both Alphas look at me weird and I have to tap into the strange knowledge I’ve picked up over the years. “You can buy turpentine at a store but the fresher it is, the clearer it is. I think.”

“It was pretty clear from some of the residue found that wasn’t burnt.”

“Which means it came fresh from the source,” I say. “I’m not saying Jonah was behind this but I’m not leaving Seraphina alone anytime soon. He’s just a little too unhinged for me and if Felix found out what Jonah did and tried to protect her…” I don’t want to think about that possibility. Jonah isn’t that stupid, right? He isn’t that obsessive for a woman who never even looked at him twice, right?

I’m not going to find my answers here, though. Instead, I just wait for Callum to take the lead. He pushes away from the table, a growl rumbling at the edge of his words. “This is some messy shit. I’m going to talk to Harrison and Chief Monroe.” He then points at me, a wicked grin on his lips. “You, fuck some sense into Ambrose before he ends up front-page news. We all want to kill Jonah, but I need answers before he’s dead.”

“Aye, aye, captain,” I tease before dragging Ambrose down the hall. Despite how much I want to sink into his ass or maybe have him fuck me, I know something that’s one step better. The moment we step into the room, her scorched berry scent hitting our nose, Ambrose is already on his knees at the edge of the nest crawling toward her.

She reaches out for him, curling up against his chest much the same way she did to me earlier. “Make me forget. I don’t want to smell him anymore.”

I know for a fact that his scent isn’t here but the phantom memories that come with it have to be haunting her. I saddle up against her back, Ambrose leaning forward to steal her lips. I focus on her neck, watching our beautiful woman come alive between us. I remember Harrison telling us that she would need us just as much as we needed her.

But I think he was wrong.

I think we need her so much more.

A life without Seraphina isn’t one worth living.