SWNOVELS Chapter 96
Chapter 96: Theo
I put our discarded clothing in the washing machine after hanging up with Briggs. I had brought up the serving cart with all the dishes from the dock and the flower arrangements. A st**id grin on my face the whole time. I was starting the wash when I was suddenly filled with an overwhelming feeling of dread. It took a second for my head to catch up to what I was feeling. When it did, panic set in.
“Ayla…
I shot out of the house and across the lawn. I barged through the guest house door, calling her name. She was sitting in a ball on the floor. I ran to her, sliding across the hardwood on my knees.
“Ayla, baby, what’s wrong? What happened?” I urged, grabbing her face, making her look at me. “Ayla, talk to me?”
She looked up at me with so much despair in her eyes that it felt like my heart was breaking all over again.
“Ayla, please, tell me what’s wrong,” I pleaded.
“I…” she started weakly. “I’m sorry, Theo. I should have told you.”
She grabbed my hand, holding it tightly. Like she was afraid I would let her go.
“Told me what, sweetheart?” I asked gently.
I:
She looked over my shoulder, her eyes landing on something behind me. I turned around to follow her gaze and saw a card and envelope on the floor in the kitchen. I leaned back, stretching to pick the card up.
Chapter 96 Theo
288 Vouchers
“What is this, Ayla?” I asked, looking at the photo on the front.
“I’m sorry,” she said again. “I just keep putting everyone in danger.”
“What are you talking about, honey?”
I opened the card and my blood ran cold.
Then boiling with rage.
“Ayla, what the f**k is this?” I was trying to stay calm for her but I was struggling. I needed to know what was going on. I needed to find who gave her this. So I could rip them apart with my bare hands. “Ayla, tell me what’s going on.”
“He’s been following me,” she said. “Stalking me. Leaving me messages.”
“Who?” I commanded, the card crumpling in my fist.
She shook her head vigorously. “I don’t know. I swear. I didn’t know he would find me here. I thought he would lose interest. I should have told you when he did. But I swear I don’t know who it is.”
“Shh, shh, shh.” My anger faded at seeing her distress. I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her into my lap. “It’s okay, baby. I’ve got you. I promise I’ll keep you safe.”
She pushed against me. “Who’s going to keep you safe? I believe him. He will kill you, Theo.”
“Let him try,” I said, brushing her hair back.
“Don’t say that,” she protested.
“Ayla, you’re smart enough to know something like this isn’t going to
Chapter 96 Theo
288 (Vouchers
scare me away,” I insisted. “Now, tell me what happened. Where did this come from?”
“It was on the table when I got out of the shower,” she said, her brow furrowing. “He’s never left them when I was around. It’s always been when I was gone or in places like the mailbox or my car. Unless… Did you see it when you left?”
I thought back to when I left her. I wanted to relieve her fears, but I couldn’t remember if I had seen it. I didn’t think I had, which meant he was in here just a short while ago. What’s more, I know I locked the door.
“There’s no way this guy could have gotten far,” I said, pulling my phone from my pocket. “I’m going to call the patrol. They’ll track him down.”
“He’ll get away,” Ayla said. “He always gets away.”
I k*ssed her forehead, holding her against me as I spoke with the warrior leading the patrols around the lake house. When I hung up, I made Ayla face me.
“Hey, look at me, sweetheart,” I said. “No one is going to take you, okay? I won’t let that happen. No one will let that happen. I’m Alpha. I will always protect you.”
“But I’m not…”
your
“You’ll always be a Greytooth, Ayla,” I insisted. “Ties or not. You will always be my responsibility.”
“I don’t want you to get…”
“Stop, Ayla,” I said. “Stop. This is my decision. My choice. This is one thing I will do whether you want me to or not.”
Chapter 96: Theo
288 Vouchers
She searched my face for a moment, surprising me when her l*ps met mine. Her arms went around my n*eck, and I held onto her. When she pulled away, she swiped tears from her eyes.
“Do you have any of the other messages?” I asked. “Maybe we can use them to find this guy.”
”
“There’s not much to them,” she said. “Just the cards and the blue envelopes. They always come in a blue envelope.”
“Still, it wouldn’t hurt to take a look,” I stated.
She nodded. “Okay,” she conceded. “There’s one in my bag. The rest are in my car.”
I gave her an encouraging smile as I helped her off the floor. She walked over to the coffee table where her computer bag was, removed another envelope, and handed it to me.
“I should go get dressed,” she commented. “Then I’ll go get the rest.”
“Okay,” I said, trying not to focus on the distance she was keeping. “I’ll be here.”
She went to the bedroom, leaving me to look at the second card. It was a warning about getting close to me. I examined the card itself, looking for any printing company or watermarks. There weren’t any. The images on the front were different but of similar landscapes. The one she received today had a ruined building within the foliage. Nothing about them stood out.
Ayla returned and I followed her out to the car.
“When did all this start?” I asked as she leaned in to pull a stack of envelopes out of the middle console of her car.
Chapter 96: Theo
288 (Vouchers
“The cards started a week after we met,” she said, looking a little nervous. “But Theo, I think he’s been watching me for a long time now.”
“What makes you say that?” I asked.
“Just some of the things he says. The things he knows,” she explained, crossing her arms over her middle. “He was there that day. He watched us reject each other when we met. The thing is, he’s never left a scent. Nothing. Not even a masking agent.”
”
“I noticed that, too,” I said. “But we’ll find him, Ayla.”
I pulled her into an embrace. She seemed to resist at first but quickly melted against me, wrapping her arms around me. I hated that this was One more thing put on her. We needed to talk, but I didn’t think I could put that on her right then. I’d have to talk to Briggs and see if I could get away with spending a few more days with her before returning to the city.
My phone rang from my pocket, pulling me from my thoughts.
Chap 7. Aple
78ན་མPR