The Luna’s Choice (Theo and Ayla) by Kat Silver

Chapter 110: Briggs

I pulled up to the cabin with Theo and Mina late that afternoon. Theo wanted Mina to come along as the forensic expert. If we find

something, we’ll call in the team, but he felt better having someone along with the search party. I wasn’t going to argue with a chance to work alongside my mate.

Especially since she was in a fantastic mood.

We all were now that Theo and Ayla had committed to each other and were out in the open now. The whole interaction with Kylee earlier that day had been unfortunate, and I knew Ayla was still shaken about it. But we were all determined to show her our support.

I was also glad I wouldn’t have to act on the message I had gotten from Pierce. I hadn’t told Theo, but he reached out, saying it may be a good idea to keep Ayla from returning to Sablemane for the time being. I had no idea why, but that was before she rejoined our pack. I didn’t think things would be better now.

“Okay, everyone,” Theo addressed us as we stood in the yard. “It’s no surprise we didn’t find this vehicle parked right here in the open. But he likely would have stashed it somewhere he could get out of quickly. So, start near the road within the tree line.” He held out a shirt. “Here’s the scent we’re looking for.”

The group passed it around before stripping down and shifting into their wolves. We had five warriors searching in their wolf form while the three of us would search in human form. Theo went to search the cabin first. I followed a path that led behind the building and into the mountains.

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I had walked about a mile when an acrid scent hit me. It was the smell of burning. Of multiple materials burning. It wasn’t fresh, but it was strong. I followed it until I came out into a clearing. Tire tracks were going through the tall grass, and sure enough, at the edge was a burnt- out car. It wasn’t completely destroyed. There was enough left to know this was Randall’s. But it would be no use getting anything else from

it.

“Theo, Mina,’ I reached out. ‘I found it.’

‘Why don’t you sound happy about that?’ Mina replied.

‘You’ll see,’ I stated, running a hand over my face. ‘Just get over here.’

I sent them images through the mind-link on how to find me. While I waited, I paced the field a bit. For some reason, the place felt really familiar. Not like I had been there before, but I had definitely seen it somewhere.

I was still wracking my brain when Mina and Theo arrived. I pointed them to the remains of the car.

Theo cursed. He walked over a slowly circled it, kicking the bumper and making the trunk latch release. It was completely gutted inside.

We had nothing.

“I guess it’s time to move Randall to the cellar,” Theo said tensely.

“I swear I’ve seen this place before,” I said, barely paying attention to

him.

“It’s a field, Briggs,” he replied. “In the middle of the woods, there are hundreds just like it.”

“Yeah,” I shook my head, “but there’s something about this one. Come

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on.

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There was a slight incline to the land. I walked up it and into the grass. It came up to my thigh and was hard to navigate, but I felt I could make out bare spots. At least when the wind died down. Mina and Theo followed me and started to take their own paths.

“I’m not sure what you’re thinking, babe,” she said, “but I’m not

wearing the right clothes for this. I expect a nice bubble bath when we get home tonight.”

I grinned. “I’m sure I can make that happen, mate.’

“You better,” she replied. “Because I’m already itching from hea… Oof.”

Mina disappeared from the corner of my eye, and I rushed to where she

was.

“Ow,” she grumbled, pushing up to her knees.

“Mina, are you okay?” I grabbed her and started inspecting her, Theo right behind me.

“Yes,” she said, shooing me away. “I’m fine. I just tripped over this st**id rock, is all.”

I shook my head. Of course the goddess would pair me with a she-wolf who didn’t like nature. Theo chuckled behind me.

“Hey,” Mina shot, “Ayla’s the hiker, not me.”

As she stood up, I noticed something on the stone. I reached over and brushed some of the grass and dirt out of the way.

“Of course,” I exclaimed, standing and spinning around. “I knew this

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was familiar.”

I walked a few feet north and found another stone. Then west to another.

“Okay, bud,” Theo said. “Mind filling us in?”

“You had me looking into the professor,” I said, walking south. “So, I dug into his work. A lot of his research is on historical structures. Including” – I took the last few steps and as my foot his the ground, there was an echo – “hidden caches

My companions rushed over. I examined the ground beneath me. There was grass piled over it, but it seemed artificial as if someone had placed it there.

“Someone’s definitely been here,” Theo concurred with my thoughts.

I bent down and we started pulling the debris aside to reveal a heavy metal trap door sitting in a stone frame. Theo grabbed the handle and lifted it open. A stone stairwell led somewhere underground.

“I’m not going down there,” Mina said.

Theo and I grinned at each other.

“Come on, babe,” I chided. “There’s no nature down there.”

“Um, spiders are nature, as**ole,” she snapped.

I chuckled. “Okay, but do you at least have a light?”

She opened her kit and pulled out a small flashlight, handing it to me.

“I

“Thank you,” I said, k*ssing her check.

Theo and I descended the steps into the darkness. When we made it to

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the bottom, I shined the light around us. I saw what looked like a switch close by and flicked it. Lights cut on down a long corridor. Very old lights. The place was definitely retrofitted with electricity, the walls seemed to be couple of centuries old, but the installation had to have been done at least fifty years ago.

But that we weren’t the first people to step foot in here since then.

‘Mina, come down,’ I reached out. ‘I promise, there are no spiders.’

I could feel her huff through the connection but heard her coming down.

“Holy cr*p,” she said, looking around.

“My thoughts exactly,” Theo voiced.

He led us down the corridor where there was a wooden door. Theo pushed it but it didn’t budge. It must have been locked.

“Who the hell locks a door in a secret underground chamber?” he said as he backed up, promptly kicking it open with ease.

We went into the room and were shocked.

“Umm,” Mina whispered. “I think I played my holy cr*p too early.”