door. There are still so many unanswered questions. Hastily, I pass by her as I feel as though I’m being drawn back into the nursery. Heading that way, my feet never falter as a smile encompasses my face with the thought of the absolute joy we get holding these precious bundles in our arms. Just feeling her weight nestled on my chest has a calming effect I’ve never experienced before. It’s as if she belongs to me somehow as ludicrous as that may sound. I plan on spending some time with her over the coming weeks before she’s placed with a family while I attempt to figure out why that is.
Three
Trigger
Thumbing through file after file, I begin to feel the annoying sting of a headache forming. This feels impossible; however, I will never give up. Not until we’ve brought these rogue shifters back, stopped them, and given their victims justice.
“Ronan!” Gaia excitedly announces, barging through my office door causing my eyes to enlarge to the size of saucers. My bear grumbles inside, slightly annoyed, as he was in the midst of healing the onslaught of my would-be headache.
Leaning forward in my chair, I rest my elbows on the desk. “Yes, go on.”
“Well, Echo’s childhood friend is Ronan Jones, or R.J. as he was later nicknamed. I remember when Echo’s parents went missing and then were later determined to be deceased, he tried to recruit Ronan as an accomplice for the vengeance he sought out; only Ronan refused.” She fills me in, but I’m not sure I’m gathering where she’s going with this information besides the fact that she’s now given me another crumb to follow in the trail I’m already on.
Closing the file in front of me, I let out a sigh. “Well, looks like Ronan has now made the list of people I need to pay a visit to.”
“But, wait, Sheriff, there’s more.” She closes more of the distance between us, piquing my interest as I steeple my fingers together. “Echo was the leader of their little vampire group with Ronan second in command. Nobody ever dared to challenge him, not even Ronan as close as they were. You might wonder how I would know such detailed information such as this, but my sister, Glorianna, was once great friends with Killian Sanders, another friend in their group. He eventually got away from them and found his mate, but not before spilling vital information to my sister; information that didn’t seem pertinent at the time but could mean something now.”
On the edge of my seat, I am nearly overwhelmed with the enormity of the information she’s giving and how it might pertain to this case. “Well, Gaia, go on,” I enthusiastically encourage her.
Eagerly, she continues, “Well, Killian divulged that he happened to be present for this particular conversation between Echo and Ronan. He told Glorianna that it made no sense. He said that not only did Ronan decline without hesitation, but that Echo hardly made a fuss about the decision. I can promise you that if you knew that group and how everyone did Echo’s bidding, especially Ronan, you, too, would find this suspicious. At the time we all did as the rumor spread but brushed off Echo’s lack of violence toward his friend, and especially Ronan, due to his eagerness to get out of here and have his revenge. About a month ago, I remember Glorianna telling me that Killian had recently told her that while paying a visit to Ronan, he was acting as if he were in some sort of a hurry for him to leave. He also mentioned in what was supposed to be a secret, that he could smell the fresh blood of what he swore to be unlike anything from this island. Something foreign, something possibly from beyond the veil. But he couldn’t be certain as he also said there was a strong odor of animal blood that in fact did belong to this side.”
Taking in this enormous amount of new information, I lean back into my chair and begin to process aloud, “So, there’s a possibility that Ronan was attempting to cover up a scent? Possibly one of human descent?” I can feel my eyes narrow as my eyes shift to my peripheral. “Yes, it does sound suspicious at best and damn sure worth looking into. Gaia,” I say jumping from my seat as I make my way toward her, “you’re a doll! Every little piece of information you’ve just given me is