Chapter 368 .

Rick’s breathing turned heavy. “An elixir?”

I nodded. “A tiny tonic that renews the hex, but also extends the life of the victim. The hex eats away at the victim. If the person doesn’t have the cure or the elixir, they die. If the elixir is taken too many times, the victim dies.”

Rick grabbed my hand. “How many times is too many times?”

I bit my lip. “I don’t know. It changes from person to person.”

Rick nearly collapsed. “How do I find out if it’s the withering or whatever this hex–”

“There would be a symbol on her. It fades the closer it gets to the elixir time. After the elixir, the marking becomes darker. It can be small or big, any way to confuse other people.” I grabbed a napkin and pulled a pen from my purse.

“What are you doing?” Temen leaned close.

I looked up. “Rick doesn’t know who or what to believe. His child’s life hangs in the balance and so does his mate’s.” I turned to him. “I didn’t say any of this to confuse or worry you. I just want you to have all the facts. When you first moved here, did Vince or anyone have access to your daughter for more than an hour alone?”

Rick’s mouth flailed as he thought back. “It’s been years.” He closed his eyes. “I don’t know.” His eyes opened. “I don’t know. We had paperwork and workups. We needed to see doctors and there was just a lot going on. I think my mate or I was always with her, but I just don’t know.”

“It’s okay.” I grabbed his hand and squeezed. “It’s okay.” I slid him the napkin. “Take this home tonight and look your daughter over from head to toe. Even under her hair. I know it might be hard, but this is the symbol.” He looked at the napkin and sat back, dropping it onto the table.

Alannah reached over and grabbed it. She looked up at me. “This is the symbol?” I nodded.

Temen leaned over her shoulder and stared for a minute. But I saw him pale. “No way.”

“What?” Alannah and I turned.

“I’ve seen that symbol before.” He pointed to the napkin.

“Where?” I leaned over. “Are you sure? This symbol? The three circles with tails chasing each other?”

He nodded. “I swear it.”

“Where?”

He looked at a deathly pale Rick. “I’ve seen it on Rick’s daughter.” Alannah gasped. But Temen shook his head. “I’ve seen it on a few of the young pups.”

My head snapped up. “What did you just say?” He nodded, but so did Rick. I looked between the two. “One of you speak.”

“Vince said it was a virus. All the kids in my daughter’s class got sick around the same time. The mark, they said it was from the vaccine they gave them to get better.” Rick closed his eyes, his voice becoming hollow, haunted. “Are you saying that Vince did this to my baby?” He snapped his eyes open. “He did this to my pup?”

“I can’t say for sure.”

Rick slammed his hand down onto the table. “Did he do this to my pup?”

I swallowed. “There is a very good chance he did.”

He closed his eyes, and I could see the tears fall. “I did this to my baby?”

“Goddess no, Rick!” I grabbed his hand again. “This is not your fault. It’s Vince’s, and we can make him pay.”

He looked into my eyes. “She needs the elixir to survive.”

He shook his head. “I can’t.”

“Not if we give her the cure.”

He shook his head again. “Vince will know.”

I smiled. “Not if we move at the same time.”

Rick looked at me. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, we coordinate our attacks. I need to snoop around the pack, but when I’m ready, we dig into the mainframe, getting everything we need, and you, your wife, and your kid disappear.”

“How is that even possible?” Rick leaned in. But then his eyes landed on Alannah. “I can’t.”

“Why?”

“Because if he disappears, then Vince will kill me.” Alannah swallowed loudly.

I turned to her. “How sure are you?”

Temen, Alannah, and Rick all looked at each other. “Very.” Rick answered me. “I took Alannah under my wing when I got here. She was a young, unmated omega who was being sniffed around by all the ranked wolves here. I introduced her to Temen, and they just happened to be mates. That pulled her off the market. But despite that, they would target her, push her around. I stood up for her.”

“He became a stand-in dad to me. And everyone in the pack knows it.” She looked at Rick with love in her eyes. “But it’s okay. I would rather die than watch your little girl suffer anymore. Not if I can help it.”

“No one will be dying…you will all just disappear.”