Belladonna

Chapter 9

Spencer

I checked the first floor three times. My bag was full of candles, scented bags and incense. But there was one room I had yet to check. And I've been standing in front of it for the past five minutes. My hand trembled when I reached for the door handle. I pushed the door open. The room looked exactly like it did five years ago. I smelled of roses and cinnamon but more like the stuff in the bag, not like she had been sleeping here every night. I focussed on my task first, opening every window before I searched through his things. Maybe I should have let Idris or Andrew search his room instead of me. But Andrew divided the floors, he wanted me to be here. I started with his clothes, which seemed less invasive. I found four scented bags in there. While cursing I threw them away. And went through his desk next, but since he had an office downstairs not much was in it. I found two bags underneath his pillow, alongside an incense on the nightstand.

I opened the drawers on the nightstand, flicking through the books to be sure. Two photographs fell from between the pages. I leaned down to pick it up. The first one was a picture of me. But not from the time when we were young. It was me at my college graduation. How in the world did he get that picture? The second was a picture of the two of us. Me on his back as we laughed. I let out a trembling breath, my hands shook as I put the pictures back in the book and searched the other nightstand. I checked the room four times before I figured I had found everything.

I sat back on the bed, grabbing the pillow and hugging it to my chest. I took in a deep breath; his scent was still in there and it made Kai purr inside my head. I put the pillow down and stood up. I sucked in a breath as I saw Axel, standing inside my room across the street. I couldn't move, I was frozen on the spot. If he would look this way, he would see me standing here. But he didn't. He sat down on my bed and looked around. I don't know how much of my scent still lingered there. I just hopped into the room earlier this week for barely ten minutes. He was clutching something in his hands, but I couldn't see what it was. I heard Idris coming down the stairs. I looked away from the man in my room, grabbed the bag and headed downstairs.

"I think I got everything," Idris said, placing a full bag on the table.

"Me too." I said.

"This is insane." Andrew fumed, throwing two bags on the table. "They are insane."

"I found the most in his bedroom."

"Me in the office." He ran a hand through his hair. "And my guess is Idris found the most in the library. Those are the places he spends most of his time."

"What do we do now?"

"It will be up to Axel to punish them, he's the Alpha."

"When do we tell him?" Idris asked, glaring at the bags on the table.

"This weekend. Eveline and Marianne are visiting their old pack until Sunday night."

"We should be careful. Their contact, who provided them with the Belladonna, is from the Northern pack."

"They won't get closer than three feet from him."

"They must've planned it for a while." Idris dropped into a chair, rubbing his hands over his face. "I guess they wanted to do it before your eighteenth birthday, especially after he gave you the necklace. Eveline must have thought you were going to be his mate. I can't believe they did this to Axel."

"What's going on here?"

Our heads snapped to the doorway. Axel was standing there, his hands stuffed in the front pockets of his jeans. He looked pale as he glanced between the three of us.

Axel

I spent a few hours at Miles and Lore's place before I got restless. My dad's strange behaviour on the front of my mind. I told them I was going for a walk and before I knew it, I was in front of Deacon and Idris's house. I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath, vanilla and jasmine filled my nose. It calmed me instantly. I knew I should stay away for now, but I couldn't help myself. Or Astrix couldn't, it was him who guided me here. Purring Mate once again my mind.