The evidence suggests otherwise,Nadine replied, producing the second bag.Scent markers from the scene, collected on fabric samples.Twin-specific scent trails leading away from Gregory’s body.
Conall took the bag containing his scent signature, and Nadine watched his nostrils flare as he inhaled.Something flickered across his face—confusion, maybe doubt.But he said nothing, passing the evidence to his brother.
As Quinton examined his own scent marker, Conall took his brother’s.And as he opened the bag and inhaled, Conall’s attention spiked.Through their developing bond, she felt his growing unease, though she couldn’t determine if it stemmed from false accusation or fear of discovery.
Scent evidence can degrade,Stephanie observed, her silver hair catching the afternoon light streaming through the windows.Lose specificity over time.
Which is why I mapped the trail immediately,Nadine said, unrolling a detailed topographical map.Red lines traced paths from the mine to Sunburst territory borders.The scent signatures led directly back to your pack lands.
The council members passed the map around, and she watched their expressions shift from skepticism to concern.Raymond studied the marked routes, his lips puckering as he peered at them closely.Una leaned in to examine the details, tracing the lines with one short fingernail.
Even if this is accurate,Nick said,it doesn’t prove intent.There could be other explanations.
There’s more,Nadine said, producing additional evidence bags.Blood samples from the scene.Gregory’s, obviously, but also trace amounts from someone else.Someone who was injured during the encounter.
Anders leaned forward, engaging with the forensic details.How much blood?What kind of injury pattern?
Not much blood.I’d guess defensive wounds, most likely.Probably deep enough to leave traces but not incapacitating.Nadine met Quinton’s gaze directly.The scent signature matches yours.
When were you last injured?Malcolm asked Quinton, authority underlying the seemingly casual question.
Quinton’s pause lasted a fraction too long.A few weeks ago.Training accident with some of the younger pack members.Nothing serious.
I was there,Anders said suddenly.The training session.I remember you saying you’d been injured, but I didn’t see it happen.
It was a private lesson,Quinton explained, his voice steady despite the growing scrutiny.Working with Dana and her siblings on defensive techniques.Dana’s claws caught me across the forearm.
Una nodded.I remember seeing you with bandages afterward.You said it was nothing worth mentioning.
Anders made a note on his tablet.I’ll speak with Dana about the incident.Get her perspective on what happened.
That meant Dana would have had access to Quinton’s blood during the training accident.Could she have been the one to plant evidence at Gregory’s death scene?
She pushed the thought aside, focusing on the remaining evidence.
Physical items left at the scene,she continued, producing a damaged access key card bearing a Sunburst Pack insignia.Abandoned during what appears to have been a hasty retreat.
Conall examined the glove with obvious recognition.That’s mine.Lost it during the move from the Old Packhouse to our new intelligence center.Couldn’t find it anywhere.
Convenient timing,Raymond observed, his tone neutral but his eyes dark with suspicion.
And this,Nadine said, pulling out the final piece of physical evidence.A patrol schedule with handwritten notes.Someone with insider knowledge marked optimal times for approaching Gregory undetected.
She watched the pack council’s expressions harden as they passed the map around the table, clearly recognizing the intelligence leak implications.
Someone inside Sunburst had been tracking Gregory’s movements, planning the optimal moment for elimination.
The circumstantial evidence supports a coordinated assault,she continued, pulling up crime scene photos on the intelligence display.Attack patterns consistent with twin tactics—synchronized approach, coordinated strikes, shared responsibility for the kill.
The photographs were brutal in their clinical detail.Paw prints in disturbed earth, scuff marks suggesting struggle, blood spatter indicating multiple attackers.Everything consistent with the Stewart twins’ legendary coordination.
None of this proves we did anything,Conall said, but his voice carried less conviction than his words.
Because we didn’t,Quinton added.
Then there’s this,Nadine said, producing her phone and playing the final piece of evidence.
Gregory’s voice filled the chamber, rough with pain and unmistakable paranoia:Nadine, if anything happens to me, check the Stewart twins.They’ve been asking too many questions, getting too close to things they shouldn’t know.If I’m found dead, they’re the ones who—
