Page 34 of Malcolm


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Other than the scent of disuse permeating the place, Vincent’s home, which had always seemed a fortress of brick and power in the heart of Sunburst, hadn’t changed much.

Not physically, anyway.

In Vincent’s study, Gregory immediately began searching for hidden compartments or safes.Hannah took up position by the window, scanning for any sign of movement.

She caught another glimpse of Malcolm and Larissa in the distance as they returned from their patrol.They had separated now, but the tension between them was visible even from afar.

A sneer curled Hannah’s lip.Let them have their moment of passion.It would make their downfall all the sweeter when the time came.

“Got ’em.”Gregory’s triumphant whisper drew her attention.He held up a stack of documents.

Hannah moved closer, her curiosity piqued.“What are they?”

“Insurance,” Gregory replied, quickly leafing through the papers.“Blackmail material, financial records, details of alliances with other packs.Vincent was always prepared for every eventuality.”

A thrill of excitement ran through Hannah.

This was more than she had dared hope for.With this information, they could begin to rebuild their power base.They could—

A sudden noise from outside froze them both in place.

Hannah peered out the window, certain they had been discovered.But it was only a desert cottontail.The rabbit darted across the xeriscaped yard, and Hannah blew out a relieved breath.

“We need to go,” Gregory said, tucking the documents into his jacket.“We’ve pushed our luck far enough tonight.”

Hannah nodded, taking one last look around the study.Her eyes fell on a small, framed photograph.It showed her—along with several other pack members—standing beside Vincent, everyone smiling at some long-forgotten pack event.She picked it up, her fingers tracing the image of her younger, more naive self.

“We don’t have time for sentimentality.”Gregory’s voice held a note of warning.

She knew he was right, but she couldn’t bring herself to leave the photo behind.It was a reminder of everything she had lost—and everything she was fighting to regain.With a series of quick movements, she pulled it out of its frame, folded it in half, and slipped it into her pocket.

They made their way out of the house as silently as they had entered, the stolen items safely hidden.They made their way around to the back of the home, and as they reached the edge of the property, Hannah paused, unable to resist one last look back at the town and the pack grounds.

The moon hung low in the sky, bathing everything in a soft, silvery light.The houses stood silent and dark, their occupants unaware of the intruders in their midst.

In the distance stood the silhouette of Sunburst Mesa, its dark height looming over the town, where she had once dreamed of standing as Vincent’s second-in-command.

Someday, she vowed silently, she would reclaim her place, no longer an outcast but a leader in her own right.

“We need to move.”Gregory’s voice was soft but insistent.

As they crossed the open land toward the far western boundary of the pack’s territory, Hannah caught a fresh scent on the wind.Her blood ran cold as she recognized it—Conall, one of the twins.He was close, too close, and moving in their direction.

She grabbed Gregory’s arm, pulling him to a stop.“Conall,” she breathed, her voice barely audible.“He’s coming this way.”

“We split up,” he whispered.“I’ll lead him away.You get clear of the territory with the documents.”

“But—” Hannah began to protest, but Gregory cut her off, shoving her down onto her knees in the dirt and stuffing the files they’d taken from Vincent’s home into her hands.

“No arguments,” he said.“You’re faster than I am, and we can’t risk losing what we came for.Go north, to the old Caledonia mine.I’ll meet you there.”

Before Hannah could respond, Gregory was gone, crashing through the scrub brush with deliberate noise.

Conall gave a startled shout, followed by the sound of pursuit fading into the distance.

For an instant, Hannah continued crouching, frozen, divided between the instinct to flee and the urge to help Gregory.But she knew he was right—the documents were too important to risk.Gritting her teeth, she staggered to her feet and ran, practically flying over the familiar terrain.

She didn’t stop running until she was well clear of pack borders, the nighttime sounds of the desert giving way to the windswept quiet of the high plains.