Page 47 of Fated to the Lone Shifter
I stalk past the rest of the crew, eyes scanning for Marcus. He’s disappeared. Again.
Damn it.
Then I catch movement—just a flicker—in the corner of my eye. A faint trail of flame on the grass behind the tree line. Subtle. Almost invisible.
Unless you’ve seen it before.
My boots thud over the ground as I charge forward, stomping out the trail one step at a time. It snakes back toward the edge of the drill site.
She left it.
No one else noticed. But I did.
The burn pattern is faint, curling in a delicate arc like a fingerprint made of heat. It ends exactly where she’d crouched minutes earlier.
I glance back toward her.
She’s watching me now. Not even trying to pretend she isn’t.
We lock eyes, and I see the panic flicker behind her calm, even as her jaw tightens and her shoulders square like she’s bracing for a blow. She's not in control of her magic.
I cover the spot with dirt and stand, wiping my hand clean on my thigh.
No words. No accusations.
But she knows.
And now she knows I know.
This secret between us? It’s about to get a whole lot harder to bury.
The station’s back hall is quiet, lit only by the green glow of the exit sign and the hum of an old vending machine. Most of the crew is still out on assignment or passed out in the bunkroom. Perfect.
I move quickly, the charred video cam wrapped in an old cleaning rag inside my jacket.
Captain Greene’s office is cracked open just enough. I slip inside, heart steady, steps silent.
The evidence cabinet sits against the wall—locked. I pull the spare key from the lip of the fire extinguisher casing. He always hides it there. Old habit.
The cabinet creaks faintly as I open it. Inside, rows of plastic bins are labeled and numbered. I find the one markedMurder (Nicole) – Initial Response. It’s already half full with scorched debris bags and labeled photos.
I slide the camera in under a folder, adjusting the contents just enough to make it look untouched.
A boot scuffs outside.
I freeze. Breath held. Door still open.
But the footsteps pass.
I lock the cabinet, replace the key, and slide out just as the vending machine hum kicks back on.
Evidence returned. No questions asked.
At least, not yet.
Chapter fifteen
The Bond Awakens
