John returned to Alpha Kaidan’s office later that morning with a report in his hand.
Alpha Kaidan looked up from his desk. "What did you find?"
"The vehicle registration led us to Ravencrest Pack, Alpha."
Alpha Kaidan set down his pen. "Ravencrest?" "That’s Serena’s pack."
"Yes. The car that brought Serena’s visitor to Blackclaw is registered to a man named Darius Voss. According to the records I accessed, he is a member of Ravencrest Pack."
"Is he the man who came to see Serena?"
"No, Alpha. The registration identifies Darius Voss as the vehicle’s owner, but the man in the CCTV footage is someone else. I checked the available identifying information against the records I could access. The names do not match."
Alpha Kaidan held out his hand. John passed him the report. He read it carefully, noting the vehicle registration, the owner’s name, and the pack affiliation. The report showed where the car was registered, but it did not explain why another man had been driving it or what connected him to Serena.
"Did you find an address for Darius Voss?"
"Yes, Alpha. The registration records contain an address within Ravencrest territory. I’ve included it in the report, along with the information available about the registered owner."
"Can you identify the driver?"
"Not from the vehicle registration alone. I’ll need to check Ravencrest’s records."
Alpha Kaidan placed the report on his desk. "Do that. Find out who the man is and establish his connection to Serena. I want verified information, not guesses."
"Yes, Alpha."
John left to begin the inquiry. Alpha Kaidan returned to the CCTV footage and paused it on a clear shot of the visitor’s face. The man had entered Blackclaw, asked Serena by name, and been admitted after the household approved his visit.
Alpha Kaidan saved the relevant footage and filled it with the report. Whatever the investigation uncovered, he wanted the original evidence kept preserved.
Serena spent the afternoon in her room, keeping to herself. She had expected his return to unsettle her, but she had not expected him to appear at Blackclaw’s gate without warning. His words had followed her long after he left.
Do you honestly believe Blackclaw can keep you safe?
She picked up her phone and opened their message thread.
For a moment, she considered asking when he intended to return. She stopped herself before typing anything. She wasn’t going to let him dictate what happened next, especially while she still had no idea what he wanted. Before she could lock the phone, it vibrated. She looked at the screen.
Unknown Number: We need to speak again.
Her fingers tightened around the device.
She had been hoping the man would give her more time before contacting her. Instead, he was acting as though he could decide when they met and how their conversation would proceed.
She typed a response.
I already told you I would speak to you when I was ready.
His reply arrived almost immediately.
And I told you that waiting won’t change anything.
Serena stared at the message, then placed the phone on the bed. She paced to the window and looked out toward the grounds. From where she stood, she could see part of the driveway, but there was no sign of his vehicle.
She returned to the phone. What exactly do you want?
This time, his answer took longer. You know why I’m here. Your pack knows where you are.
Serena read the message twice. She had expected him to threaten her with his own knowledge, perhaps to demand something from her. She had not expected him to state so plainly that Ravencrest knew her location.
She typed quickly. Who told them?
His response was brief.
That is what you should be asking yourself.
Serena called him. He answered after several rings.
"What have you told them?" she demanded.
"Nothing that you don’t already know."
"Don’t play games with me."
"Then stop asking questions you should be able to answer yourself."
She drew a slow breath, forcing herself to lower her voice. "You came here without warning, and now you’re telling me Ravencrest knows where I am. If you expect me to believe you came all this way to deliver a warning, you’re mistaken."
"Believe whatever you like."
"Why now?"
There was a short silence. "Because you seem to think that being in Blackclaw puts you beyond their reach."
Serena glanced toward the closed door. "I’m not discussing this over the phone."
"Then we can speak when I return."
"Don’t come here whenever you please."
"You allowed me in yesterday."
"Because I didn’t know what you wanted."
"And now you do."
The call ended before Serena could respond.
She lowered the phone and stood still for a moment. The conversation had given her no useful explanation of how Ravencrest had discovered her location, and the man’s refusal to elaborate made it difficult to determine whether he was warning her or trying to frighten her into doing something.
She considered contacting someone from Ravencrest to confirm his claim. She dismissed the idea almost immediately. Reaching out to her former pack could draw attention to her whereabouts, and she had no intention of giving anyone a reason to investigate her before she knew what they already knew.
Instead, she deleted the message notification and put her phone away.
A knock came at the door.
"Come in."
A household attendant entered and told her Christine wanted to see her later that afternoon.
"Did she say why?"
"No, Miss Cole. She only asked that you come when you’re available."
"Very well. I’ll see her later."
After the attendant left, Serena returned to what she had been doing. She had no intention of allowing the visit to disrupt her day or draw unnecessary attention to her.
John returned to Alpha Kaidan’s office that evening.
"I’ve contacted Ravencrest’s administration, Alpha. I’ve requested verification of the visitor’s identity using the information available from today’s investigation."
"Have they responded?"
"Not yet. They said they’ll check their records and get back to us."
Alpha Kaidan nodded. "Follow up tomorrow if we haven’t received anything by then."
"Yes, Alpha."
"Keep the inquiry limited to the people handling it. I don’t want the household discussing this visitor."
John acknowledged the instruction and left.
Alpha Kaidan shut the folder containing the vehicle details and placed it in his desk drawer.
For now, Ravencrest’s response was the next step. Once he had a name, he could establish whether the man had any documented connection to Serena and decide how to proceed.
He turned to the work waiting on his desk, leaving the investigation in John’s hands until the requested information arrived.