The Luna’s Choice

Chapter 233

Chapter 83: Theo

I returned to the packhouse. I had tried to tell Ayla I was leaving but Mina said she wasn’t ready to talk to me yet. I let my rage and determination take over to cover the pain of her rejection. Ayla would come back to me. Once I found out who was responsible for this, we could start to heal. She’d come back to me.

She had to.

Jimmy was waiting for me in the lobby when I arrived back.

“The Alphas are in the conference hall, Alpha,” he said solemnly. “They’re… they’re waiting to be informed of the situation.”

“I’m sure they have heard that Ayla is in the hospital,” I said with more snark than I intended.

“Yes, they know something happened,” Jimmy confirmed as he followed me down the hall.

I went straight to the hall. I knew I looked terrible but I didn’t really care at the moment. As soon as I walked in the door, the room fell silent and all eyes were on me. I went straight to the podium.

“As I’m sure you have all heard,” I began without ceremony, “Luna Ayla was admitted to the hospital last night. Sometime last night, she was poisoned… with a large dose of wolfsbane.” The room erupted in whispers but I threw my hand up to silence them. “Gratefully, she has survived the ordeal. Thanks to her family’s immunity to wolfsbane. However…” My voice broke slightly and I had to compose myself before continuing. “However, the assassin was successful in taking our pup from us.”

My grip on the podium was so tight that the creak of the wood was the only sound heard in the silent room.

“As you all can understand, I will be requesting you all to answer some questions to clear your names of any suspicion,” I said, expecting to hear opposition but receiving none. “Also, while I appreciate your assistance in determining how to handle the Waar Pa k, if evidence proves that either Malcolm Neal or Charles Anderson were involved in this egregious attack on my family, they will be executed.”

I turned and walked out without another word. McCabe was already waiting outside with several officers ready to start taking statements. I nodded to him, then continued on to the security office, Jimmy in tow. There were two of the regular security guards at the monitors.

“I need all the footage from the cafeteria wing from yesterday afternoon to midnight,” I ordered. “Jimmy, get Annabelle here, too.” Property of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

“I believe she’s gone to the hospital, Alpha,” Jimmy said.

“Then call her back.” I said stiffly.

“Yes, sir.” Jimmy replied.

I watched intently as one of the guards pulled up the files and added them to a thumb drive for me. Once it was done, I took it from him and headed straight to my office. I pulled the information up and connected it to the big screen TV. I didn’t want to miss anything.

I wasn’t long into reviewing the footage when Jimmy came in with Annabelle. She looked as upset as everyone else I’d come across.

“Alpha,” Annabelle rushed, “I’m so sorry. I don’t know how this could have happened. I swear. I have no idea who could have done this.”

“That’s why I want you to help us,” I said flatly. “You know every inch

of that kitchen and dining room. I need your eyes on this. Please.”

“Of course,” Annabelle said shakily but with determination. “Anything I can do.”

***

I was starting to get frustrated after several hours without finding anything suspicious. It didn’t help that it hurt to watch Ayla with the other Lunas. She was so perfect. But I couldn’t get distracted by her. With Ayla immune to wolfsbane, I couldn’t be sure when she had been dosed. So I worried I hadn’t gone back far enough in the day.

But then something caught my attention.

Or rather, someone.

I rewound the video and paused it.

“Annabelle, is that John?”

She looked up from the laptop she had been using. “Yeah, he helps with special events sometimes.”

I looked at Jimmy.

“We haven’t been able to find him since the night of the meeting,” he said seriously.

“What’s wrong?” Annabelle asked. “What meeting?”

“John’s Waar P ak,” I said, pressing play.

I watched John move through the crowd. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but he did bring Ayla a drink. He was hovering close to her when he suddenly bumped into her, causing her to spill. I rewound the footage and watched it again.

“I saw it, too,” Jimmy said, getting the same feeling I did.

I went back farther, watching him up to the point he gave Ayla the drink.

“I didn’t see him put anything in the glass,” I said.

“He’s smoother than we thought.”

I continued to track him through the dining room until he was out of view of that camera. I searched the files for another location, pulling up footage from the kitchen. I watched John drop off the tray with the empty glass on the counter and rushed out. He was visibly upset. I pulled up a different angle and followed his path. He stepped outside of the kitchen and was stopped by someone we couldn’t see. It looked like they were having some kind of argument.

“Hang on.” Annabelle said. “I remember this. I get on to him for slacking in a minute. Then he just walks out and leaves.”

“Did you see who he was speaking to?”

“No.” Annabelle said, her shoulders falling.

“It’s okay,” I said. “We’ll keep looking. I have a feeling he was sent in there to poison Ayla, but he had a change of heart. Whoever was expecting him to do it likely went in to finish the job.”

Suddenly, the footage stopped and the screen went blank.

“What the hell,” Jimmy said.

I quickly searched for the next file, but it ski pped ahead an hour. I looked through every file but the time was missing. I called the security office and told them I needed that sent up immediately.

“What do you mean it’s gone?” I burst out.

I slammed the phone down before the guard finished speaking. With a yell, I threw half the contents of my desk across the room.

“Someone wiped the cameras,” I said, seething. “We have to find John. Now.”