Chapter 173

Cassie

What?

That was the word that rumbled around and around in my head.

"What the hell was that about?" Julian took the words right out of my mouth.  He turned to me his eyes wild.

I held my hands out at my sides. Palms towards him in a gesture that hopefully told him I was just as clueless as he was.

One thing was for certain though, Scarlett was hiding something. And it was something important.

"She's hiding something." Again he took the words right out of my mouth. Frowning so hard I thought the vein in his temple would explode. He began to pace, talking to himself the entire time. "If I find out she has been hiding something in these woods, if she's been protecting the thing that has been hurting you and taking my people then I will-" at his side his fists clenched. "Well," he took a deep breath. "It won't end pretty for her."

I was in front of him in a second. My hands soothingly on the hard planes of his chest. "Julian, don't say that." I begged because what he was saying was clear. "Scarlett is my friend. You're friend as well. If she is hiding something then it's for a good reason."

"If she is risking your safety then there is no good reason." Julian looped his arms around my waist and drew me forward. "I know you love her but I love you and if she has betrayed us-"

I shook my head and implored him with my eyes. I couldn't stand the thought of Scarlett being a traitor. Couldn't even bring myself to think of what her punishment would be if Julian found her guilty.

Too many people had died already. Far too many. I didn't want to add my friends name to the long list.

"She wouldn't do that." I whispered against his chest. And I had to believe that because if she was a traitor I wouldn't know who to trust going forward. "She wouldn't." I said again.

His arms tightened. "But she is hiding something."

I nodded my head. "Yeah." I admitted. "She is. She knows what or who that woman is."

That much I knew for certain.

"So we need to find out." Julian mumbled to himself. "But we need to be careful about it." He mused in silence for a few seconds.

"Maybe we should head back out there?" Searching his face I waited for him to agree with me. In my head it was the only possible course of action. We would retrace our steps and go and snoop around that derelict cottage. Search for clues.

"Yes." Stepping to my side Julian loosened his grip on me for a second to look around. "We should, and we will." He turned back to me, his dark brows low over his eyes. "But not yet. We have to do this carefully."

I opened my mouth to argue back and then snapped my lips shut when his eyes flashed.

"We will go Cassie." Julian said in a quiet even voice. "But for now let's make Scarlett think that we are taking her advice and leaving it all alone. There's meeting today and if we miss them then it will make her suspicious."

I nodded my head. Ok there he had a point there. "Later then?"

He agreed with me enthusiastically. "Definitely later." He nodded his head. "And that doesn't stop either one of us from asking questions. I'll find Ian and ask him as well. If anyone can find our secrets , Ian can." He gave a small laugh and after a seconds hesitation I joined in with him. He was right about that.

"I wish he would remember Yanna. She would have been a big help here." I mumbled under my breath.

"I wish we all did." Julian said quietly. "She sounds like someone I would like very much."

That caused a laugh to bark out of my lips. He couldn't remember Ian's mate so he couldn't remember how much he hated her just because of what she was. I wasn't about to remind him of that hatred though. Hopefully when we fixed this mess, he would see Yanna for the amazing woman she was and not her species.

"The book." I blurted out suddenly making him jump.

"What book?"

"When we came in here Scarlett went straight towards the reading desk over there. She took a book and put it into a drawer." Not waiting for him to answer, I went towards it.

"Is that so surprising ?" Julian followed after me. "This is clearly her safe space. She was just putting the book away. I saw her fold down the page."

Bending over the desk I frowned. I had seen that too. Just like I had seen her slip it into a drawer. Only there were no drawers. The reading desk was smooth. No handles, not even the outline of one. The polished wood was smooth and blemish free. I ran my hands over it, and lifted my eyes to my mate.

"Yes I saw that too." I said softly as my fingers continued to skim the wood. "She went straight for this book, this desk and then she hid it away." I waited for him to get my point.

He didn't.

"So?"

"So look around Julian." I shook my head. "There's books and her belonging everywhere." I pointed out.

A wave of shock swept across Julian's face as he looked around.

"She didn't hurry to put away those things. Just this one book." Again I swept my hands across the wood. There was nothing. Not even an indent of where a drawer would be.  "This was the one she didn't want us seeing."

"I agree. So we need to find which drawer she put it in." He rushed towards me and stood frowning down at the desk.

"I'm sure she put it in a drawer." He mumbled.

"Me too. But it must be hidden somehow. I'll keep trying."

"We will both keep trying Cassie, but right now I need you by my side for these council meetings. Something is going on here and Scarlett has something to do with it. Let's go before we arouse more suspicion."

I didn't want to go but I knew he had a point. We were playing a dangerous game of cat and mouse  right now.

I just hoped Scarlett wasn't the cat , I hoped she wasn't a traitor.