Hunted by the Moon

Encroaching Danger

✰Trenton✰

“We have a problem, Trent. A big one,” Milo announced as he entered my office without knocking. I could see my assistant in the background, and I shot Milo a warning look. He shut the door and glared right back at me. “Don’t give me that look, Alpha,” he added, and I rolled my eyes. “Besides, I have been waiting for you at the pack…what are you still doing here?” Milo questioned as he looked around. The skyline of Bedford City stretched beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows of my office; the glow of city lights illuminated the sleek interior. Fox Enterprises stood tall in the heart of the metropolis, a fortress of power and influence. But tonight, my focus wasn’t on business. It was why I hadn’t left yet. I had been far too distracted lately.

“I’m going to assume Russell sent the information?” I asked as I leaned back in my chair and shut the file I had been trying to work on.

“He did and…you are not going to like any of it,” he said, and I sighed. It was then that I noticed a folder in his hands, which he promptly set on my desk. I flipped it open and there were pages upon pages of reports, crime scene photos, and forensic notes. The images made my skin crawl. The bodies of the victims had been dumped carelessly, but what stood out the most was the medical examiner’s reports.

“Cause of death…unknown,” I muttered under my breath. I glanced over at Milo. "This isn’t normal," I stated, and he scoffed in response.

“No, s**t…so, the question is, what killed these people? They aren’t able to pick up on anything…and…I hate to say it, but we both know there is only one thing that can kill like this,”

“Magic,” I whispered as I shut the large folder.

“I don’t want to bring it up, Trent, but…do you know where Felix is?” Milo asked and I frowned. There was no way Felix was involved.

“Nowhere near here,” I said firmly. “And even if he was behind this, Felix isn’t a murderer,”

“Not on purpose,” Milo said, and even though he was right, it wasn’t something I wanted to think about. Felix wasn’t just my ex-beta. He had been like a brother to me. “Look, the who isn’t even the problem…I mean, it is, but…all the victims have been found in the river. The river, Trent. Our river,”

“Too close to home,” I said with a nod. “Ok, so what do you suggest we do?” I asked. The situation was spiraling out of control. The police were baffled, which meant they had no leads. Right?

“Well, there is one thing, and I’m not sure if this is good or bad, but…they got some security footage, and they have established that whoever is behind this isn’t working alone. A van was spotted parked just outside of the college dormitories. The night Jonathan, Joel, and Brian were taken, four masked men climbed out of a van and took them,”

“Wait, what?” I asked as I stared at him in surprise. “Four?”

“Right, your mate has requested security footage from the other areas where people were taken. I’m going to assume that Russell will send that to us once they get it,”

“Masked men?” I repeated and he nodded. “Any clue on the van?”

“No license plate and the video was in black and white, which means there is no way to know the color of the van,”

“Ok, here’s what we are going to do,” I said as I stood up. It was time to take action. “I want scouts on the lookout twenty-four seven. Make it happen, Milo. If they keep dropping the bodies by the river, we may be able to catch them,”

“You want them first, don’t you?” he asked, and I didn’t even hesitate as I nodded.

“Damn right, I do. This whole situation reeks of magic and that means it is dangerous for the humans,”

“You mean for your mate,” he teased, and I blushed as I turned away.

“Get the scouts set up, Milo,” I ordered.

“On it,” he replied, and then silence fell between us. “I mean no disrespect, Trent, but…Caitlin is caught right in the middle of this,”

“I know,” I whispered as I once again faced him.

“If she keeps digging…if she stumbles upon something…I just hope you will be ready to deal with it,” he said, and I slowly nodded.

“If and when that happens, I will deal with it,” I promised. “In the meantime, let’s try and get this sorted out before she even comes close,” Milo stared at me for a long moment before he finally left my office. The pack had spent years keeping our world separate and maintaining the balance. I had vowed to protect my people and now everything was hanging on the edge.

“Mr Fox?” I glanced over my shoulder to see my assistant hovering in the doorway.

“Yes, Chris?”

“Can I…can I go home now?” he asked, and I simply nodded before I turned my attention back to the view. I hadn’t meant for him to stay here with me, but as I listened to him rush around to clear up his table, I realized that it just wasn’t safe. I grabbed my phone, the file, and my keys before I hurried out of my office. I caught up to Chris just as he stepped into the elevator.

“Next time, please remind me of the time,” I said to him. Chris nodded as he hit the button. “I’m sorry,” I added.

“It’s ok,” he whispered, and I sighed softly. Chris hadn’t been with us for very long, but he was a hard worker.

“Do you have a ride home?” I asked curiously.

“I have my car,” he answered, and I breathed out in relief. The underground parking garage was deserted as we stepped out of the elevator. I walked as slowly as I could as I watched Chris hurry to his car. Once he was behind the wheel, I got into my car and watched him back out of his parking. I couldn’t stop myself from following him home and as soon as I saw him go inside his house, I drove home.