The following morning, Alpha Kaidan walked into his office with John trailing behind him, folder in hand. ’Sir,’ John said.
Alpha Kaidan looked at him. "What did they find?"
John placed the folder on the table but didn’t open it immediately.
"The council continued discussing Miss Serena’s testimony after you and Miss Serena left yesterday."
"I expected that." "They have concerns."
Alpha Kaidan pulled out the chair and sat down. "About what?"
John opened the folder. "Some of the details Miss Serena gave about the time she disappeared don’t line up with the records we have."
Alpha Kaidan’s expression changed slightly. "What records?"
"Pack border records. Patrol reports. Old territory logs." John pulled out several sheets. "Most of the records from that period were incomplete, but there are enough entries to raise questions."
Alpha Kaidan reached for the first page.
John continued. "Miss Serena said she was taken shortly after leaving the territory. According to her, she had no idea where she was taken or how long she remained there. But one of the patrol records places her disappearance several days later than the date she gave the council."
Alpha Kaidan looked down at the paper. "How certain is the record?"
"The patrol captain who made the report is still alive. He remembers the incident."
"Why wasn’t this brought up yesterday?"
"Because the council only found it after the meeting."
Alpha Kaidan leaned back.
The information wasn’t enough to prove Serena had lied but it was enough to make yesterday’s questions harder to ignore.
"What does the council want to do?"
"They want to investigate further before making any conclusions."
Alpha Kaidan was silent for a moment. "Let them."
John nodded.
"They also want to speak with the patrol captain who made the report." "Arrange it."
"Yes, Sir."
Alpha Kaidan looked back at the documents. "And John?" "Yes, Sir?" "Keep this quiet for now."
John understood immediately. "You don’t want the pack to hear about it." "Not until we know exactly what happened." "Yes, Sir."
John gathered the remaining papers.
"John" Alpha Kaidan’s voice remained calm. "I want the facts first."
"Yes, Sir." John left.
Alpha Kaidan leaned his head back against the chair, staring at the folder on his desk. He didn’t like uncertainty, especially when it involved Serena.
He had spent four years believing Serena was gone. When she finally returned, he believed the explanation she gave him. Now, for the first time, there were details he couldn’t explain away.
Serena was in the sitting room when Alpha Kaidan returned to the pack house. She was seated near the window, looking through a book she clearly wasn’t reading.
The moment she noticed Alpha Kaidan, she closed it.
"You’re back."
Alpha Kaidan stopped a few feet away.
"Yes."
Serena studied his face. "Is something wrong?"
Alpha Kaidan didn’t answer immediately. He walked over to a chair opposite her and sat down. "I spoke with John this morning."
Serena’s fingers tightened slightly around the book.
"About what?"
"The council."
Her expression softened.
"Again?"
"They have questions about your disappearance."
Serena looked away. "I already answered them."
"I know." "Then why are they still asking?"
"Because some of the details don’t match."
Serena looked back at him. "What details?"
"The date."
Her face went still. Alpha Kaidan noticed.
"You gave the council a date for when you disappeared," Alpha Kaidan said. "There is a patrol record that places your disappearance several days later."
Serena stared at him. "I don’t remember the exact date."
"You told them you didn’t remember much."
"I don’t."
"Then how did you give them a date?"
Serena swallowed. "I thought that was when it happened."
Alpha Kaidan watched her carefully. "You thought?"
"Yes."
She placed the book beside her. "Alpha Kaidan, I was gone for four years. Do you honestly expect me to remember every single day?"
"No."
"Then why are you questioning me like I’m lying?"
"I’m not accusing you."
"It feels like you are."
Alpha Kaidan sighed. "I need to know what happened."
"I’ve told you what happened."
"And now the council has found something that doesn’t fit." Serena’s eyes filled with tears. "Maybe I shouldn’t have come back."
Alpha Kaidan’s expression hardened. "Don’t do that."
"Do what?"
"Turn this into something it isn’t."
Serena stood. "I came back because I thought you were the one person who would believe me."
"I do believe you." "Do you?"
Alpha Kaidan stood as well. "I just need the truth."
"You’re asking me for details I don’t have."
"I’m asking because I have a responsibility to this pack."
Serena laughed bitterly. "And where was that responsibility when I disappeared?"
Alpha Kaidan went quiet, Serena stepped closer.
"You didn’t know where I was. You didn’t know if I was alive. You moved on."
"I didn’t move on."
"You married Naomi."
Alpha Kaidan’s jaw tightened. "That marriage happened for reasons you know nothing about."
"But it happened."
"Yes."
"And now that I’m back, everyone wants to know where I’ve been. The council questions me. The pack watches me like a hawk, and you look at me like I’m the one who needs to prove that I suffered."
Alpha Kaidan stared at her. "That isn’t what I’m doing."
"Then what are you doing?" "Trying to understand."
Serena wiped beneath one eye. "Trying to understand?"
Alpha Kaidan didn’t respond, Serena looked at him for several seconds before lowering her voice.
"Maybe the dates are wrong. Maybe I remembered them wrong. Maybe after everything that happened, my memory isn’t perfect."
Alpha Kaidan nodded slowly. "That is possible."
Serena looked surprised that he hadn’t argued.
Alpha Kaidan continued. "But if there are inconsistencies, I need to know why."
Serena looked down. "I don’t have an answer."
Alpha Kaidan watched her.
He wanted to believe her; part of him still did. But wanting something to be true wasn’t the same as knowing it was.
"I’ll let the council investigate," Alpha Kaidan said.
Serena’s head snapped up. "You will?"
"Yes."
"So you don’t trust me."
"That isn’t what I said."
"You don’t have to say it."
Alpha Kaidan’s voice became firmer. "Serena, I defended you yesterday because I believed what you told me. I’m not going to stop defending you just because someone has questions. But I also won’t ignore information because I don’t like what it suggests."
Serena stared at him. For several seconds, neither spoke then she nodded. "Fine."
Alpha Kaidan turned to leave.
"Alpha Kaidan." He slowed down.
Serena’s voice was softer now. "Are you going to let them take me away if they decide they don’t believe me?"
Alpha Kaidan turned back. "No."
Serena’s shoulders relaxed. "Thank you."
Alpha Kaidan nodded once before leaving. The moment he was out of sight, Serena’s expression changed. The tears disappeared. "My main reason for returning must never be brought to light,’ she whispered, glancing around to ensure no one heard.
The council had started digging. That was a problem.
She needed Alpha Kaidan on her side before they found something she couldn’t explain.