Page 43 of Wild Games

“Camille?” Raven steps in front of me, regarding me with suspicion as I bristle with irritation. “What’s going on? I thought we could catch up on the case over dinner, but you’re ignoring me.”

For fuck’s sake. I don’t need this right now.

“I need to go, Raven. It’s important.” I go to step around him, but he moves at the same time and blocks my way, seemingly an accident, and he laughs like it was, but I know better.

His eyes land on my chest, where the chain he gave me is missing, forgotten on my locker. He doesn’t say anything, but I don’t miss the twitch in his jaw muscles.

“We’re having a debrief in an hour. Will you make that?” He subtly sniffs the air around me, his eyes narrowing when he picks up Jax’s scent. “I know this case is big, and you don’t want to share, but that’s why we’re here. To help.”

I glance around, and there are dozens of eyes on us.

“I’ll be back. I just need to check one thing first.” Pointedly, I look at the ground to one side, telling him rather bluntly, to get out of my way.

Reluctantly, he moves away, letting me continue outside. Praying he doesn’t follow me, I don’t look back, breathing a big sigh of relief when he returns to his seat near Blake. Nobody will come after me if I have an escort.

But a woman alone? On her way to blow open the biggest case of her career? Absolutely.

19

CAMILLE

Ileave through the main entrance, taking the well-lit path toward Dean’s forest cabin, where his personal office, the one he uses day to day, is located. The evening air cools my heated skin, and shadows lengthen between the trees as the sun sets. I walk at a measured pace, not too fast, and not too slow.

The footsteps start about halfway along the path. Soft at first, someone trying to match my pace without being obvious. My pulse quickens, but I don’t change my stride and don’t look back, controlling my breathing as best as I can to let them think I’m unaware.

The single-story log cabin looms ahead, most windows dark. Dean’s office is in the basement, and I know that while he’s close by, he’s not there. He’s positioned somewhere with a view of this route, waiting to see who takes the bait. Callum is also supposedly nearby, ready to intervene.

We decided to leave Zane and Blake back at the packhouse, conscious that any sign of him acting out of the ordinary would tip the culprit off to our plan. Better to let them think I’mcrossing all my t’s and dotting my i’s before I report my findings back to them.

The footsteps get closer, bolder now that we’re moving further away from the populated areas and pathways. No longer bothering to hide their approach, they’re trying to catch up to me before I reach the safety of his porch.

Heat from my knife tells me there’s magic nearby but I dare not reach for it yet lest I give them the chance to bolt.

A twig snaps to my left.

I freeze for just a moment, as anyone would.

“Hello?”

The rustle of leaves greets me, but they don’t speak. The sounds of movement through the trees are no longer just coming from behind me. Someone else is here, moving through the undergrowth parallel to the path, which provides the perfect cover for someone who wants to remain hidden till the last minute.

There’s two of them. At least.

Shit.

I force myself to resume walking, increasing my pace just a little, even though every instinct screams to run. But I can’t, not yet. I need to draw them out fully, get them to reveal themselves. Dean and Callum won’t move in until the attackers commit, or they could just pretend they were out for a moonlit run and didn’t realise they spooked me.

The path narrows here as I crest the hill, a perfect choke point. Dense forest and undergrowth on either side, limited visibility, and far enough from the main compound that any sounds won’t carry back.

If I were planning an ambush, this is where I’d do it.

My fingers close around my necklace, reminding me that the charm should keep me safe from the effects of the artifact. They won’t be expecting that. Then, the rest is up to me.

The footsteps behind me speed up slightly, and the movement to my left keeps pace. They’re coordinating now. Timing their approach.

The passage turns into a Y, with the left turn heading up a small path to Dean’s cabin, and the other toward the lake. Isolated. Dark. Somewhere nobody else has any reason to be at this late hour.

I slow, pretending to listen, letting my nervousness bleed through, so they can sense my fear at knowing someone is out there, tracking me.