163 The Woman In Shadows
Lucian
“So, you’re saying most of the hotel’s serving staff are from Goldenpeak?” I asked, studying the woman closely.
She nodded, still smiling, clearly enjoying the attention. “Yes, Alpha. Almost all the girls working the service floors are.”
Interesting. That explained the atmosphere-the flirtatious energy, the practiced charm. It wasn’t just hospitality. It was
survival cloaked in seduction.
As she finished sampling the food, she swayed closer and tried to give us a lap dance-completely unprovoked.
“No need,” I said firmly, raising a hand to stop her before things went too far.
She stepped back, disappointed but respectful. I handed her some cash, enough to make it worth her while, and she tucked it away with a thank you and a wink. Thirty minutes after she’d entered, she finally left our room.
We waited another ten, just to be sure nothing would happen to her.
When nothing did, we sat down and ate. Cautiously at first, then hungrily. The food was good-better than expected-but the long wait and the tension had left our bodies worn.
A nap would have been blissful, but we couldn’t afford it. We had an appointment to keep.
I made myself a strong espresso, the bitter scent filling the air as I sipped slowly, waiting for the caffeine to shake off the heaviness dragging at my limbs.
“What’s the woman’s name again?” I asked Denis as I poured a second cup.
“Lydia,” he replied without looking up.
Of course it was. I’d expected something just like that-plain, elegant, and easy to forget.
Darian and Denis each grabbed a coffee as well. The silence between us was weighty. None of us said it, but we all felt it:
this meeting wasn’t just routine.
A few minutes later, Denis’s phone rang. He picked it up, nodded once, and stood.
“She’s here.”
We grabbed our jackets and headed out. Lydia was parked far from the main building, tucked in the shadows of the
parking lot’s far end. That alone was suspicious-she didn’t want to be seen.
We scanned the area carefully, alert to every shadow, every footstep. So far, no one seemed to be following us, but we couldn’t take any chances.
This was supposed to be an old, buried case-forgotten history. So why did it feel like we were walking into something
volatile?
Something told me we were about to unearth secrets no one wanted found.
And whatever was buried… wasn’t going to stay quiet much longer.
The stepped out of the car, and Denis was the first to greet her with a handshake. Her presence was striking-thick, voluminous Persian curls framed her face, and her skin was the same rich tone as Mara’s. There was grace in the way she moved, a kind of quiet strength honed by time and experience.
She greeted each of us politely, but when her eyes met mine, there was a pause-an intensity that made me shift slightly. It wasn’t lust, not quite, but something lingered behind her gaze. Admiration, perhaps. Or familiarity.
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< 163 The Woman In Shadows
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Still, she was too old for me. Easily old enough to be my aunt. And yet… I knew that look. It held weight. Meaning.
I just hoped it wasn’t misplaced affection. Especially not after learning she had specifically requested me for this meeting.
We climbed into her car and settled in.
“I’m sorry for keeping you waiting, Alpha Nighthorn,” she said gently. “I had to tend to my mother before I could leave.”
“That’s perfectly alright,” I replied. “We had time to rest while waiting.”
Her expression warmed at that. “That’s good to hear.”
As the engine purred and we pulled away from the hotel, she glanced at me through the rear-view mirror.
“Be careful with the women from Goldenpeak working at the hotel,” she warned. “Many of them have criminal records. Desperate, and dangerous.”
That caught my attention. “We’re all mated,” I told her, tone neutral.
She smiled, a glint in her eye. “The best catch, then.”
I didn’t respond. Something about Neev was beginning to unsettle me. Every corner we turned revealed another layer-
another thread we hadn’t known existed.
The city might have looked peaceful on the surface, but beneath it… shadows moved.
We left the city centre behind and drove into the countryside, where the landscape softened into rolling green hills and quiet stretches of land. Eventually, we pulled up to a small cottage nestled between two tall trees. It was modest but well kept-humble in its charm.
“This cottage,” Lydia began as she led us to the front door, “was gifted to us by your parents. We are still grateful.”
I paused at the threshold, looking around. My parents? A cottage like this-for staff?
“Was it after the poisoning… or before?” I asked quietly.
Lydia glanced back at me with a faint smile, her eyes unreadable.
“Before,” she said softly.
Then she stepped aside and let us in.
And I realised-whatever answers we had come here seeking… we were standing right at their doorstep.
