Chapter 158
Augustin’s POV
The drive to Helena’s house took us through winding roads surrounded by dense forest. When we finally pulled up to the property, I was surprised to see no guards posted.
“Weren’t there supposed to be guards here?” Bryloch asked, voicing my thoughts as we exited the vehicles.
Adryx frowned. ‘I’ll call Delta Garth and find out what happened.”
We approached the building cautiously. It was a modest two–story house, nothing like what you’d expect from someone of Helena’s status. The front door was unlocked, which immediately put me on edge.
Inside, the house was dark and dusty. I worried briefly about the dust affecting the pregnant women, but I knew better than to suggest Freya and Juno wait outside. They were both too stubborn for that.
Scarlett found a light switch and flipped it on, illuminating a living room that looked like it had been ransacked. Furniture was overturned, papers scattered everywhere.
“Someone’s been here before us,” I muttered, surveying the damage.
Juno suddenly darted down a hallway toward a door, trying the handle only to find it locked.
“This one’s locked,” she called, rattling the handle. “I think it leads to the bedroom and office.”
I joined her in the hallway, examining the door. It was solid oak and something about it made my skin prickle with warning.
Juno knelt to examine the lock more closely, her fingers tracing over scratches in the wood.
“Someone tried to force this open,” she said. “And failed.”
I ran my hand over the marks. “Either there were guards here who stopped them, or they didn’t have time to be careful about breaking in.”
I touched the door itself and immediately felt a wave of weakness wash over me. Pulling my hand back quickly, I cursed under my breath.
“What is it?” Juno asked, looking up at me with concern.
“Silver,” I explained, “The door is made of thick oak infused with silver. It would be nearly impossible for a werewolf to break through without tools.”
“She really didn’t want anyone getting in,” Juno murmured, her brow furrowing. “What was she hiding?”
I placed my hand on her shoulder. “Or she was just protecting herself. She lived alone, after all.”
Juno reached up to her hair and pulled out two bobby pins. “Well, let’s find out.”
I raised an eyebrow. “You know how to pick locks?”
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She gave me a small smile as she bent one of the pins into an shape. “Matthew taught me. glancing up at me with worry in her eyes.
N
She stopped suddenly,
‘It’s okay,” I assured her, crouching down beside her. “He was part of your life. I understand that.”
“She nodded gratefully and continued working on the lock. “When I was seventeen, my aunt used to lock the doors at night to keep me from sneaking out. I wasn’t supposed to be dating at that age.”
So Matthew taught you how to pick the lock after your aunt went to sleep?”
“Yes,” she smiled at the memory. “So we could go out without getting caught.”
I watched her skilled fingers work for a moment before asking, “You’ve never really told me about your parents.”
Her hands stilled briefly. “My father was Matthew’s father’s Delta. Both my parents were killed in a border dispute when I
was young. No one ever told me exactly how it happened.”
My heart ached for her. “So your aunt raised you?”
“Yes. She was my father’s older sister. She died two months before my wedding. She was the last family I had,”
I felt a surge of protectiveness wash over me. No wonder she had been so devastated by Matthew’s betrayal. She had already lost everyone else in her life.
I swear you will never regret loving me, I thought fiercely. I will do everything in my power to make sure you never feel alone or abandoned again.
“Got it!” Juno announced triumphantly as the lock clicked open.
We stepped into a dark hallway, and I flipped on the light switch, my wolf’s enhanced vision having spotted it immediately. Three doors lined the corridor, and I opened each one, finding ordinary guest rooms.
At the end of the hallway was one final door. Juno worked her magic on this lock as well, and soon we were stepping into what was clearly Helena’s office.
The windows were covered with silver shields, indicating Helena had been trying to keep someone out–or something in. We began searching through the desk and file cabinets, looking for anything useful.
“Augustin,” Juno called from across the room. “Look at this.”
She was holding a folder labeled “Chris Sinclair and Levenstons.
I took the folder from her hands and opened it. Inside was a photograph of a man who looked like Evanth, but with the distinctive blonde hair of someone from a region in Lakeside.
Flipping through the pages, I found photocopies of handwritten letters. It seemed Helena had made copies of all correspondence she sent and received. The older generation insisted on using the letter system, believing handwriting and seals were the only way to confirm the identity of the sender.
I could see the black and white photocopy of the Ashford seal on the paper. The date was clearly visible, and I noticed one letter addressed to my mother.
My eyes scanned the contents quickly:
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**Dear Amelia,
I wanted to inform you that Nathanael intends to give the elder seat to his other son, Chris, not Evanth. This is possible because Nathanael holds the seat through marriage and can allocate it as he wishes.
“The Montalvo family were the original leaders of the elder council before the Holbrooke family. If this transfer is
successful, Chris will lead the council while Augustin becomes Alpha King.
I wanted you to know in advance so you wouldn’t be surprised.
Yours, Helena“*
I stared at the letter in shock. My father had planned to give Chris a seat on the elder council instead of Evanth? No wonder my mother had been so bitter. This would have been a tremendous insult to her.
I looked up at Juno, who was watching me with concern.
I smiled at her helplessly, feeling a sense of absurdity. I had a premonition that these letters would bring me unexpected shock so I decided to read them immediately.
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As they say in the movies. “The plot thickens.”
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