Chapter 17: Investigations
Zane~
The soft light of my desk lamp bathed my study with warmth as I leaned back on my chair, my fingers absent-mindedly tapping away against the wooden armrest. The events of the day had left my mind restless. Natalie's lies and the scent she carried gnawed at me like a persistent itch. There were too many unanswered questions and I hated the uncertainty of it all.
A gentle knock on the door broke my thoughts.
"Come in," I called out, already knowing who it was.
Nora stepped inside, her presence was as calming as always. She closed the door behind her, and the faint sound of her soft slippers padded against the floor as she approached my desk with a soft smile on her face.
Nora wasn't my mother by blood but she might as well have been. She had been by my side since I was a child, raising me like her own child with care and firmness in equal measures.
"You've been in here for hours," she said, her voice laced with gentle concern as she placed a hot cup of coffee in front of me. "You didn't come down for dinner."
"Thank you. But I'm not hungry," I replied sharply, my eyes focused on the papers in front of me.
Nora didn't accept dismissiveness, especially not from me. She pulled out a chair and sat across from me, folding her hands neatly on the desk. Her piercing gaze forced me to look up.
"This is about the girl, isn't it?" she asked.
I exhaled sharply, leaning forward and resting my elbows on the desk. "I don't trust her, Nora. She reeks of an Alpha scent but she denies knowing him. And then there's Alexander..."