Chapter 60

Alaric

The cold metal of the watch glinted under the harsh lights of the interrogation room. I held it between my fingers, thumb brushing over the engraved initials for what felt like the millionth time that morning.

A.S.D.

Asher Samuel Donovan.

The watchmaker had confirmed the watch’s owner without a moment of hesitation. He recalled it like the back of his hand: custom-made, sold two years ago, picked up by Asher himself when it was complete.

There was no denying it now—Asher had been there, and he hadn’t even bothered to cover his tracks.

In the weeks following my joining with Elara, so much had happened in such a short span of time that it felt like a blur.

At home, our private life was pure bliss. I admitted it: I’d fallen for her that night. I think I had fallen for her long before that, but it didn’t matter. What mattered was that we were together now, in all the ways that counted, and our relationship…

Well, our relationship was no longer fake. It was real. Real enough to touch.

Ever since that fated night together, we’d become nearly inseparable. Elara was more than just my lover; she was my partner, the mother of my children, a permanent fixture in my life that I had no desire to see go away.

And beyond that, she was crucial to the investigation of the sex trafficking and the Moonwolf powder.

So far, over the past few weeks—thanks to Elara’s constant presence by my side, her unwavering devotion, and her support—we had uncovered a lot more than I expected with the investigation. Namely, we’d managed to track down the centerpiece of the illegal auctions like the one she had suffered in.

It was hidden right under our noses, too: right beneath a large hotel chain in the area. They’d been holding their biggest auctions right in the basement, selling women like they were cattle.

The auction house, of course, had been cleared out. We learned a lot about the supply chains, the drugs used to subdue the victims—Moonwolf powder, used to make the victims fuzzy-headed and aroused long enough to be harmed—and most of all…

We had found this watch. Sitting in the bottom of the safe in the main office.

Asher’s watch.

I didn’t want to say ‘I told you so’, and I didn’t need to.

Elara stood next to me, her arms crossed, grinding her teeth. I could feel the tension radiating off her, even without the mate bond humming quietly in the background. She was pissed. Royally. Because Asher had fooled her, just like he’d fooled everyone else.

“Don’t say it,” she hissed, shooting me a sidelong glance.

I threw my hands up in surrender. “I wasn’t going to say anything.”

“I could smell it coming off of you,” she retorted.

There was no arguing that.

“He’s not going to talk until you bring me in there,” she said quietly then. Her eyes flickered toward the two-way glass separating us from the room where Asher sat, shackled to the table.

His head was bowed slightly, dark hair falling over his face, but I could still make out the sharp angles of his features. He looked bored, like being caught at the center of an illegal sex trafficking ring was nothing more than an inconvenience.

I hated him for that.

I hated the way he carried himself, the way he still acted as if the world owed him something. The way he smiled at Elara whenever he thought I wasn’t looking. Like he didn’t even care that she wasn’t his to claim.

But more than that, I hated that a part of me wondered sometimes if he might still have a chance with her.

It was stupid, I knew. Elara wanted me, not him. She’d made it abundantly clear that there was no one else who she wanted, especially not Asher.

But I couldn’t help it. He was my piece of shit brother, the same guy who had stolen everything I ever cared about. I was still certain that he had been the one to start the fire that had taken Sarah. And maybe he couldn’t start another fire to take Elara from me, but he could try other methods; like manipulation.

“I can handle him,” I replied, my jaw tightening.

Elara didn’t even flinch. “He’ll talk to me.”

I let out a slow breath, running my hand over my face. This was the last thing I wanted—to have them in the same room, breathing the same air. But if Asher was the key to unraveling the rest of this, then I guessed I didn’t have much of a choice.

“Fine. Let’s just get this over with.”

As we stepped into the interrogation room, Asher’s head lifted slowly. But he hardly looked at me. His eyes flicked right past me and landed directly on Elara.

He smiled.

Smiled.

“Elara. I was wondering when you’d come visit me,” he purred in that same infuriating voice as always.

I clenched my fists at my sides, but Elara beat me to it.

“Cut the shit, Asher,” she snapped, stepping forward until her palms pressed flat against the metal table. “We found your watch. The evidence is clear. Just tell us what we need to know, and maybe you’ll get out of this in one piece.”

Asher’s gaze lingered on her, tracing the lines of her face like he hadn’t seen her in years. Like I wasn’t even in the room.

“You’re still beautiful when you’re angry,” he said quietly.

I slammed my hand down onto the table, leaning in close until our noses were almost touching.

“Watch it.”

His smirk didn’t waver. If anything, he looked pleased.

“Alright, alright,” he drawled, leaning back in his chair so that his shackles clinked softly. “Let’s make this simple. Yes, I was involved in the trafficking. I distributed the product to the auction masters. But I didn’t manufacture the drug, and I didn’t even know what it really was until recently.”

Elara frowned. “What do you mean?”

Asher shrugged. “I thought it was just another designer drug, something to make the experience more erotic for both the women and the clients. But as it turns out, it’s something more. Made from the blood of Moonwolves, apparently.”

My eyes narrowed. “And you expect us to believe that you, of all people, didn’t look deeper into what you were selling?”

His expression sobered slightly. “I didn’t care. Not until now.”

I wasn’t sure if I believed him, but Elara pressed on. “Who’s above you in the chain, Asher? Give us a name. We need to know as much as possible, not just in regards to the victims, but the drug. It could harm a lot of people if we don’t nip it in the bud.”

He hesitated, his gaze drifting lower.

“I don’t know,” he admitted more quietly after a moment. “That’s the truth. Whoever is above me… is careful. I never met them face to face. They always operated through intermediaries. Maybe they’re part of something bigger. Or maybe they’re just one more piece on the board.”

Elara glanced at me, her eyes narrowing slightly. I could feel her doubt, her curiosity intertwining with mine. This wasn’t the full picture.

And then Asher looked at her again, this time with something softer in his gaze.

“But, Elara,” he said slowly, “I don’t care about any of that anymore. I never wanted Alaric’s power or position. I thought I did, but… I only ever wanted you.”

I stiffened.

He leaned forward, the chain around his wrists tightening as he tried to get closer to her. “I’m sorry, Elara. I’ll always love you. You’re my fated mate.”

The room fell so silent that I could hear the faint hum of the ventilation system overhead.

Elara stood there, her back rigid and her eyes locked onto Asher like she was trying to decide whether to laugh or slap him.

And then, after several long seconds, she spoke.

“I’m sorry, Asher. But even if you were my fated mate—which I don’t think you are—I just don’t feel that way about you.”

She turned sharply on her heel, striding toward the door without waiting for a response.

For the first time in his miserable life, Asher hung his head in shame.