Chapter 44: Chapter 44

Alex Heartman

After alex followed Theo inside, Theo showed him an empty plate of Chex in the man's waste bin and Alex realized the man didn't die of hanging, but of poisoning.

They looked at each other, sharing the same thoughts.

In the kitchen's waste bin, there was an empty plate of Chex cereal. It was a small detail, but it set off alarm bells in Alex's head.

Had the criminals wished to be somehow caught or were they just dumb?

Alex could bet it was the former. He couldn't believe anyone would be so dumb to put such evidence carelessly except they hadn't expected them to search.

Anyone who knew him, however, would have known he would ransack the house if necessary.

Had they been in a rush or had they planned to use Mia as a distraction? He was sure they would have succeeded in that because if not for Hendrix, he would already be in his castle trying to make sure she was safe.

He couldn't comprehend what they had actually meant by this mistake. Was it even a mistake to begin with?

He needed to find out and he was going to do just that.

One thing was certain, they had found a possible clue and he was going to use it to beat them in their own game; mistake or not.

"I suspect he went into anaphylactic shock," Gerald thoughtfully suggested.

They all stared intensely at the body, trying to figure out the cause of the death. Suicide by hanging wasn't exactly on their list any more and it was possible that the Red Moon killer was involved in this scandal, and it was also possible that it was only a set up to distract them from the real culprit.

"Maybe it wasn't the Red Moon killer," Theo suggested. "Maybe it's a way to divert our attention."

"It isn't," Alex said sternly.

He didn't try to explain to them even when he noticed how they stared at him, waiting for an explanation.

He crouched to observe the now lowered corpse and tilted his head a bit. The man's eyes were wide open and to Alex, it felt like he died pleading for help or was it justice? Alex couldn't tell.

It unnerved him. He had seen his fair share of dead bodies but not one necessarily staring right at him like this one was doing.

He shut the man's cold dead eyes and was about to stand up straight when he noticed the marks on his neck.

Anyone would mistake it as the work of the rope because the wound had been cleaned and was now pink. But Alex noticed the tiny poke in his neck.

Was that done with a needle or what and why or was he not poisoned by the Chex meal? Was it something else?

Alex's confusion only grew more.

"Get ready to move. We're bringing the corpse with us."

He instructed before exiting the building.

He needed to take the body with him not just because of the orthopsy, but also because he needed to prove that he hadn't killed a member of the Diamond Shadow Pack.

Alex mounted his carriage and so did the rest of his men, carrying the body with them.

Alex's mind drifted back to Hendrix. He was relatively a man of few words but he was extremely quiet in the deceased's house and he seemed to be really deep in thoughts as he sat across from him.

He was not even meeting his eyes. Not that he ever would have before, but he seemed a bit off.

Maybe Alex was only being paranoid and because of his suspicions, he was now imagining things he wasn't sure of but he wouldn't let any Judas remain under his watch.

Hendrix had noticed the way the Alpha stared continually at him, and he was more than uncomfortable. Has the Alpha already noticed? Had he discovered what he had done?

He had to have. He had been snapping at him at every given opportunity and was always staring at him, gauging his reactions. What if he already knew his secret, what was he going to do if he did?

Hendrix played with his fingers. Maybe he should tell him the truth, his punishment wouldn't be that much if he did, he migjt even be lucky and forgiven.

He couldn't tell, but he was going to be honest and whatever the Alpha decided, he would accept.

Alex wanted to punch Hendrix so bad and get him to confess to a sin he probably didn't commit.

He had as much as he hatee to admit, trusted Hendrix to an extent but maybe this is the price you pay for doing exactly that.

He was going to get the truth from him even if it meant torture.

•••••••••••••

Mia was excited today. She had woken up earlier with a pain filled heart, but she was sure to return to bed happy.

After her story session with her maids, which was interesting, she decided to go to bed and sulk but Anne and Annabel told her they had a surprise for her.

She wasn't ready for any of their pranks so she turned it down.

She coiled herself into a ball as she laid on her bed, wishing for sleep to do her the honor and send her to a world of oblivion but sleep was reluctant to answer and she was slowly getting upset at it.

She was about to stand up in frustration and go to the bathroom to sleep in the bathtub when she heard a very familiar voice she hadn't heard in months.

"Mi lady."

Mia spun to where the voice had come and was surprised to see Iz.

"Iz?" Mia couldn't believe her eyes. Her eyes widened and her smile twitched into a big smile as she shouted," Iz!!!"

Mia flew toward her, engulfing her in a tight hug.

"How-how-how are you here?"

Mia asked, pulling away from the hug and cupping her cheeks as if to see if Iz was a fragment of her imagination.

"I got permission from your parents to come her to take care of you," Iz said, smiling brightly.

"I can't believe it." Mia pulled Iz back into her arms, hugging her tightly.

"I'm not here alone though,"

Iz announced.

"Mia, I can't believe you didn't reach out to us, nor invite us for your wedding." A familiar voice whined from the door and Mia released Iz, letting her jaw slack when she saw the owner of the voice.

It was Rain.

Mia pushed her head back and laughed heartily at the priceless look plastered on Rain's face but her mouth fell open again when the rest of her friends stepped into her room–Steph, Cade, and Kal.