Chapter 5

Declan

I pushed play and leaned forward at my desk to study the footage of Ava in my club again. I had been obsessed and probably watched it a million times in the past month and a half because something was off. That's not the same Ava that I saw out and about with Sabin. 

The Ava I remember didn't have a poker face, and I always knew what she was thinking. That's what I saw in my club, but that's not what I saw when she was out with my brother. 

I've been thinking back to when she left me, and something wasn't right about that either, but I was too shocked, heartbroken, and angry to pay attention. 

I noticed the Ava with Sabin has a walk to get from point A to point B, but the Ava I remember from two years ago and the Ava that walked into my club that night walked like a sensual she-wolf. She was graceful, confident, and alluring. I had always loved her walk. Even the way she moved a stray hair from her face was sexy. 

I hit play again and watched her face when Trent told her about Bethany. It was full of pain that made my chest hurt. 

I picked up the phone and called Trent into my office. He's there in half a minute, and I tell him I want an investigation done on Ava and her parents. I want them to dig deep and anything they find in a folder on my desk as soon as possible. 

After I dismiss him, I call my vampire friend Lasiter and tell him I want to call in my favor, and we set up a meeting. 

I close my laptop and leave to pick up Bethany for the mating ceremony we are attending in a few hours. 

Later at the ceremony, I watch Sabin stroll in with Ava, and it's the straight, no-nonsense point A point B walk. I study her features carefully, but I don't see anything different besides the fact that her face isn't as animated with her emotions. She glances around until she finds me, she doesn't even spare Bethany a glance, but she then finds Trent in the crowd, holds his eye a second, and then turns away. 

All through the ceremony and reception, I keep a watch on her and Sabin. I can feel this isn't very pleasant to Bethany, but I can't help it. The need to solve the puzzle is eating at me. Sabin ignores me like I don't exist, but I'm not stupid. I know he's watching me watch Ava. I notice when Ava looks me in the eye and holds it before she stands up with Sabin to leave. She's telling me something. She puts her jacket on, and as she moves away from her chair, she pulls something out of her pocket and leaves it on her chair. I look at Trent to see that he noticed it also, and I nodded to him. He then strides across the room and grabs it as he walks to the open bar. 

The rest of the night I couldn't wait to find out what she left. I rushed me and Bethany through our congratulations and farewells then drove like a speed demon to drop her at home. Bethany wasn't living with me but she did spend a lot of time at my place. Tonight I told her I had some work to do, kissed her, and left her at her door. 

I called Trent as soon as I got back in my car.  

"What is it?"

"She had sewn a disc drive and a note into the hem of a scarf and left it."

"Do you want me to"

"No, meet me at the club office." I cut him off, "I want to see it myself."

"Gotcha, I'm on my way."

I drove to the club and parked at the front door. Trent met me at the door and we hurried to the office upstairs. He handed it to me and I brought the scarf to my nose. "Smells human."

"Yeah, I noticed that too."

I picked up the paper that had been folded into a tiny little note and unfolded it. I noticed right away that it wasn't in Ava's handwriting. 

Declan, I do hope you read this before watching the videos because I need you to be calm and hear me out. I've been doing things Ava's way for the past two years and I'm done with that. Frankly, her plans suck but that's only because she's been protecting us. Ava protects everyone she loves, it's time for us to protect her. If you don't use caution and your brains and end up getting yourself hurt or killed she will never forgive me. So please be careful. She loves you so much, she always has. She never left you for Sabin. I am Sabin's mate. I'm also Ava's identical twin sister, Eve. Whatever you do, do it wisely, and be careful. 

My heart pounding I read the note over and over then I handed it to Trent and booted up the laptop. 

Trent spoke up after reading it, "Alpha, I think maybe we should call some of the pack in before you watch whatever is on that."

"You go ahead and do that and call Lasiter, tell him our meet is now not later," there was a growl in my voice and I felt my wolf trying to come to the surface. 

"I will but let's wait on them to get here before we watch anything, okay."

I ignored him and Trent started making phone calls. I picked the note back up and read it a few more times and then I thought about how hurt she was about Bethany. The look on her face, the rawness in her voice, and I had rubbed her nose in it. My fists squeezed and my claws sprang out and stabbed my palms making blood gush out. Brent saw and threw a towel at me. He eyed me as he made calls and poured me a drink and set it in front of me. 

It wasn't long before my office was full of pack members and Lasiter. Trent hooked the laptop up to the television and opened the file.