Page 35

Callum

Once again, I’m here instead of at home with my family, curled up in Seraphina’s nest. I had no idea all of this bullshit would get this big. It made sense to file a protection order or something but knowing what I know now, added with Chief Monroe’s investigation just makes all this too…

“It’s too perfect. I hate perfect,” Monroe grumbles. His eyes walk across the wall of clues he’s pieced together in his office, allowing us a private viewing that we shouldn’t have access to.

Harrison leans against the far wall, his arms folded tight against his chest. “He’s the one guy no one would suspect, but he’s been at all of these places, all at the right time. And like Callum said, he’s into plant stuff. It would explain how fresh the turpentine is. The problem is, it’s too perfect. There’s gotta be something else.”

He’s right because we don’t have a motive. Being infatuated with Seraphina isn’t a motive for all of this. Maybe for that night during her heat and then when he showed up at our house but everything else? Jonah isn’t evil . “He’s not a murderer,” I push out. “Stealing her away would be easier than all of this but other than calls and showing up to our house, he hasn’t tried shit.”

Monroe’s eyes narrow, his gaze still focused on the board. “Unfortunately, it’s not always easy to follow crazy people’s thoughts.”

I groan, dragging a hand down my face. “What now? I can’t work with him knowing all of this. He came into my fucking house and disregarded my Omega’s no.” I don’t want to leave the firehouse; it’s been a comfort to me all these years but to protect my Omega? I’d step back in a heartbeat.

Harrison’s face hardens as he comes to sit beside me. “Yeah, well, he’s on his last string anyway. I heard he’s been harassing a few people at one of the high-end clubs or something, Auram, Aerum?”

My brow furrows at the name of a super high end club most people don’t have the money to attend. “Aurum Pulse? That’s like two towns over.”

He shrugs. “Yeah, well, I’ve gotten some reports and the only reason I know about it is because he uses being a firefighter as a line.”

I cringe, disgust twisting my gut, the thought of Jonah leveraging our honor to prey on others making my skin crawl. “Okay, I’m going home to check on Seraphina.”

Harrison’s voice softens, his hand on my shoulder as he walks me out of the station. “Take a few days. I don’t like how this is shaping up.”

God, that sounds perfect but my luck never runs that easy, an emergency text hitting both of our phones. I’m technically off duty but when I catch the fact the fire’s three blocks over, I know that I can’t ignore it. I wouldn’t be able to settle knowing I could have helped. Harrison throws me an apologetic look as we both slip into our cars and head down the road, my head buzzing with everything that’s going on.

By the time I skid into a parking lot, the firetruck is already there, my sorry ass grabbing one of the extra suits and slipping it on. I’ve never dressed this fast but the panic of the screams from this building are gutting me, someone yelling about a child on the fourth floor. Fuck. Can we not have one good day?

Evan claps me on the back as he gestures to the ladder. “All yours, Callum. I got it from down here.”

I don’t argue, just rush up the side of the truck to grab onto the ladder. My only priority is to save that screaming kid, to reunite them with their family and then get the fuck home to mine. Or that was the priority until I find the floor almost falling out, the kid holding onto the decorative edges of the walls, tears streaming down his cheeks.

That could have been Seraphina and I’m glad it wasn’t but it just makes me work that much quicker, trying to assure the kid that he’ll be safe.

“What’s your name?” I shout as I climb through the window. “Jason? Hey, we’re going to get you out, okay? I just need you to hold onto me. Real tight, okay?” He doesn’t move at first but I hold out my hand, the kid slowly taking mine and then leaping forward to hold onto my neck. Fire rages around us, the smoke making it almost impossible to see as the kid buries his head in my chest to escape it all.

Wood crackles and snaps, sparks flying toward us as I carefully climb back out of the window, the kid tucked in my arms. My foot is barely on the windowsill when the waterfall of wood collapses beneath us, the strong scent of paint thinner and pine meeting my nose. Turpentine.

There’s no fucking way.

None.

And yet, I can’t keep making excuses. I have to know.

With the kid safe, I rush back to the station, following the firetruck, intent on cornering Jonah for answers. I shouldn’t . I told Lyle and Ambrose to lay off for the very same reason—that we don’t need this kind of distraction when we’re trying to build a family but if Jonah is behind all of this, then he wasn’t going to stop at being kicked out of our house.

He must truly believe we’re keeping Seraphina locked up and away from him.

Which means that tonight, had I been any later trying to save that kid, we would have both plummeted several stories below. Survival would have been slim and there is no doubt in my mind that he would then target Lyle or Ambrose next.

I need to know.

Rage billows from me as I stalk toward the locker room after Jonah disappeared inside and slam him against the opposite wall, growling in his face. “Tell me you didn’t do it.”

His eyes flash with defiance, but he stays silent and that’s enough to snap the leash on my rage. My fist connects with his face, a crack echoing amongst the tiles, blood trickling from his lip. He doesn’t hesitate to swing back, his punch grazing my jaw, but I’m faster and stronger, my next hit landing square on his cheek.

Everything else blurs away, just the two of us, the bastard wiping his face and then spitting at my feet. “Seraphina is mine, she was always mine!”

“Seriously? You do all this shit for her? You’d tear down her support system, terrify her, and back her into a fucking corner because she’s yours?” I throw another punch at his face, satisfied when there’s a crunch. “She hid because she was terrified of other Alphas coming after her, which makes me wonder who else joined in that bullshit.” Another punch and then paired with a knee to his gut.

He doubles over but I’m not done. He’s going to feel my wrath and then he’s going to feel all of the pain he caused her. He hasn’t even admitted to anything but I don’t care. Jonah will bleed beneath my fists. I’m not sure how long I rain down on him, Jonah no longer able to fight back when the locker room doors slam open and Harrison drags me back.

“Fuck, Callum, go home!”

I’m too lost, my Alpha instincts fully taking over my rational thought. “He hurt my Seraphina!”

Harrison yanks my arm back and pins me against the wall, shaking me out of my fury. “I know and he’ll pay for it, but not like this. If he dies, that will be on your hands and I know you want to get home to your family. I will handle this.”

A growl tears from my throat as my gaze lands on Jonah slumped over and barely conscious, his blood pooling on the floor. “Count your days, Jonah. I will have your fucking head and serve it to my Omega.” Harrison shoves me toward the door, shaking his head.

“Shower in the other locker room and then go the fuck home.”