CHAPTER 39

Adrian's POV

I sat in my room in the pack house, trying to find some lead. Betty's was now the second death in the pack in such a short span. I compared all the evidence from Elara and Betty's cases, trying to find out some connection. Only one thing stood out clearly. Mandrake. That poisonous plant had been found at both crime scenes, its presence too deliberate to be a coincidence.

I decided to send out an order to investigate the local flower shops for anyone purchasing Mandrake. Just then, a knock interrupted my thoughts. The girl who was sitting beside Isla in the healing and recovery class entered, her expression tight with urgency.

I waved her in.

“I am Chloe. Isla's friend. I need to talk to you, Alpha,” she said, her voice firm but laced with tension.

My wolf stirred inside me restlessly at Isla's name. But I tried to maintain the indifference. I gestured for her to sit. But without wasting time on formalities, she jumped straight to the topic.

“Isla told me about the mandrake,” Chloe said, her eyes sharp. “It’s a key clue in both Elara’s and Betty’s deaths." She looked at me, trying to read my expression, and then her eyes shifted to the clues scattered over my desk.

"But you already know about that, don't you?" she asked, shaking her head.

"Yes. If that was it, you can leave." I was about to dismiss her when she continued oblivious to my inner turmoils, her voice becoming even more urgent and worried.

"I work at a flower shop. And... recently, someone has been ordering mandrake. Twice. Both times, right before those incidents happened. I couldn't help but wonder... if they are connected. It can't be a coincidence, right?”

I straightened, my wolf snarling. That naive looking girl was actually clever. I never thought the lead I was looking for would walk straight into my room. Unable to bear the suspense, I pressed for the name. “Who?”

She nodded and then pulled out a small worn-out slip from her jacket. “At first, I didn’t know who. But I compared the handwriting on the slip and our register after Isla told me about the mandrake. And it matches perfectly with someone we both know.”

The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. I could already sense where this was going. But I needed to hear her say it. “Who is it, Chloe? Spill!”

Chloe hesitated, then placed the slip on my desk. “Stefan.”

I stared at the slip, my brain struggling to process the connection. Stefan? My mind raced, recalling all the times I had seen him around Isla. Didn't Isla have his unwavering loyalty? And the way he looked at her, even when she was not looking at him... I knew he liked her. My blood ran cold, jealousy coiling inside my heart. And so did anger.

"Why would he do something like that? That meek boy isn't capable of something like that. Is he?" I was mostly telling myself, my eyes narrowing on the slip.

But Chloe wasn’t done. “There is more." My eyes popped out, my brow furrowing with curiosity and tension.

"What?"

Chloe sighed, hesitating a bit. "I... I don't know if this could be a reason. But I must tell you... It's for our pack's safety. I... I am just worried I am betraying Isla."

I sighed, hissing at her. If that was the case, then she should have stayed back at her home. But I tried to maintain my composure. "Don't worry. The pack is bigger than all of us!"

"I thought so," Her eyes gleamed as if she felt relieved. "Stefan has a reason."

I quacked my brows, sure what reason he could have to kill Elara and Betty. To me, they don't even belong to the same world. He was a nobody, while Elara was my supposedly future Luna.

"Not many know, but he was bullied by both Elara and Betty when they were in school. I heard stories... And I can't help but wonder if he held a grudge. And we all know he cares about Isla. So that could have contributed. Before Betty died we all saw how she was ridiculing Isla."

I sighed, rubbing my temples. I knew Betty was not a good person, always causing problems and being a loudmouth. Even if Elara kept her close, she was still jealous of her. But Elara... There was no way I could believe that she was bullying Stefan. She always stood against bullies, even when one of them was her sister.

If it was Stefan, he must have done it for Isla. That part at least made sense. I was still contemplating Chloe's information, when she continued again, revealing another piece of information.

"The night Elara died, Stefan was supposed to leave with Isla.”

A wave of fury surged through me. “What?”

Chloe’s expression softened, even though it was still firm. “I know it’s hard to believe, but Isla was going to leave the Pack with Stefan. Even if she is my friend, I think she knows more about this than she is letting on. Maybe she is even covering for him, Adrian.”

The betrayal sliced through me, sharp and cold. My grip tightened on the edge of the desk. Isla. Her secrets, her lies, her closeness with others... there was no end to it.

The realization hit me like a punch to the gut. I was only beginning to perhaps trust her. But she... She had been lying to me this whole time. And for whom? Stefan? She kept telling me they were her friends. Huh! I was played.

“She is hiding too many things,” my wolf said, his voice a low growl. “You can’t trust her.”

She had used me. Worse, perhaps she had even been protecting the man who could have been behind Elara’s death. I was torn apart, trying to piece together everything. And they... they wanted to elope? My blood boiled, as I clenched my fists in retaliation.

“I trusted her,” I muttered, more to myself than to Chloe.

Chloe’s voice was steady but cold. “Maybe Isla isn’t who we think she is, Adrian.”

I would deal with Stefan first. But Isla… Isla would have to answer for her lies too. She wasn’t going to slip through my fingers, not after that. If she thought she could play me like a fool, she was sorely mistaken.