Chapter 0266

It was enormous. Possibly seven feet tall. But it appeared partly wolf and partly man. The details were sparse but sufficient for our purposes.

The brief text mentioned the woman survived after six weeks in the hospital recovering from severe traumatic injuries.

"That's all?" I snap, frustrated by the lack of information. Nothing about claw marks or peeled skin.

I scroll down the page only to find conspiracy theory comments or suggestions that the couple were high on drugs. But I know you never forget witnessing something like that.

I needed to show Theodore. He was skilled at uncovering such information.

Unplugging the laptop, I rush over to his house, relieved to see lights still on inside. "You can track people down, right?" I blurt out when he opens the door.

"That depends on how much information you have."

I push past him and set the laptop on his table harder than intended, cursing myself since it wasn't mine.

"I've been searching for Lycan signs."

He smirks and moves to his new laptop at the table's end. He spins it around to face me. It's on the exact same page I was viewing. Only he had a map beside him with circles drawn all over it.

"Do you know why this one stands out?" He points at the screen.

I shake my head.

"It's an unusual first name for a human. But common among wolves."

I hadn't even noticed the name. 'Lucas Adler.' He was right, I'd never encountered that name among humans, and there were six in this pack alone.

"You think he's a Wolf?"

He nods at me. "Maybe he can provide more information."

I consider that if I leave the pack without informing Alexander, he'll explode again, especially with Seraphina lurking out there.

My eyes return to the image on the screen. He's smiling but it doesn't reach his hazel eyes. What if Theodore is onto something and we miss this opportunity?

"Do you think he's in a pack?" I ask.

"No. There are no packs located where this article originated. It's human territory which means if he is a Wolf, he was likely exiled from his pack."

"Exiled as a teenager?"

"Or abandoned." Theodore mutters.

"And that's if he's still there, the article is twenty years old. There's no guarantee we'll find him."

He hands me a blue post-it note. "He's there. Up for a road trip?"

"I'm already in trouble over the Seraphina incident." I protest. He nods and takes the post-it back. "You're going alone?"

"Someone needs to gather more intel, even if it's a dead end."

He moves around, stuffing snacks and water bottles into a duffle bag. But no clothes.

"How long will you be gone?"

"It's a two hour drive. I'll be back before sunrise." He slings the bag over his shoulder and grabs his laptop and map. "No need to cover for me."

I follow Theodore outside to a running car, only to find Sebastian in the driver's seat. Sebastian's eyes lock with mine. "Get in."

"You knew." I mutter, climbing into the back. "Is that why you blew me off again?" I yank the seatbelt around me, jamming the buckle into its lock with too much force. "Alexander is going to be furious that we're doing this!"

"Already cleared." He mutters back, watching me in the rearview mirror.

Theodore gets in the passenger seat and quickly programs the satnav with the details.

The journey was tedious. I hated not being the one driving. I hated that they were having a conversation that excluded me.

"Athena," Sebastian says as he stares straight ahead. If anyone else called me that, I'd tear their throat out, but it had become his thing and I liked how it sounded in his voice. "You might have to shift."