Dark Secrets

A New Twist Part 25

It was early as Lucas stood out on a back balcony and watched as Tori emerged from the forest in the distance with harm, Anna, Archer, and Reid. He couldn't help but shake his head. A smile crossed his face as he noticed mud on Reid and Harm's knees. It was rather obvious she'd been taking them through the trails again. Anna and Archer however had no evidence they'd fallen at any time. Then again Warner had trained them and trail running and sudden changes were something he specialized in. He did a lot of training outside in the elements and in nearly every type of weather.

"They're improving," Justin commented glancing over at his charge. "A lot less mud this time." Lucas chuckled and nodded. "I'm surprised Genevieve isn't with her as well."

"She's working with Warner on some new surveillance equipment," Lucas informed him. "Warner noticed several of the old cameras weren't working and is replacing and reconfiguring some stuff."

"You really have no idea about anything to do with the security system, do you?" The strawberry blonde man remarked.

Lucas looked slightly guilty and gave a mild shrug. "I'm not very technically savvy and you know it," the prince replied. "Luckily Tori understands this stuff. I just nod and go along with whatever she says." Justin laughed and nodded knowing how true it was. "I really am the luckiest man in the world," he said watching Tori and her enforcers as they reached the castle grounds. Justin was smiling and nodding when his smile and agreement suddenly ended.

"What is it?" he asked and looked back behind himself to see who or what his enforcer was looking at. Turning he saw Ryker standing there and he looked concerned. "What's wrong."

Ryker hesitated and then said. "The counsel made their ruling so it doesn't change anything." Lucas couldn't stop a confused look from crossing his face as he waited for his other enforcer to continue. Ryker glanced down at the ground and then back up at his charge. "You know we couldn't look at anything because of the fire at the morgue."

Lucas nodded. "Yes, but I have a feeling you may have learned something."

"An autopsy report of the victim."

"Of River, go on."

Ryker held up a sheet of paper and said, "The victim. The body retrieved from the wreck isn't River's."

"What?!" Justin asked completely caught off guard. "Well then who was it? Where is River?!"

"It was River's car," Lucas replied. "Drake went and verified it was River's car. It was River's smell all over it and there were no other smells. Not..."

Ryker nodded. "I know. River may have been in that car when it went over but..."

"He could still be alive!" Justin said and looked over at his charge. Remembering Ryker's words, he understood why the dark-haired wolf had said them. "Tori and River's marriage was already ruled invalid anyway. Even if he is alive, she's still marrying you," he assured the High Prince. "She doesn't need to... you're going to tell her."

"I have to Justin," Lucas sighed rubbing a hand through his blonde hair. "No secrets. Especially not between me and Tori. If he's alive why hasn't he shown up here?"

The two enforcers looked at each other and then Justin said, "Someone definitely tried to kill River. If he survived, they may have taken him prisoner."

"Or he survived and someone happened upon him and saved him," Ryker suggested.

"How was there a body then?" Lucas questioned.

"Body? What's going on?" Warner asked walking up With Ranger and Genevieve.

Lucas looked over at his future father-in-law. "The morgue may have burned but Ryker just managed to get a copy of the autopsy. The car recovered was River's but the body wasn't." He watched as the enforcer had the same questions cross his face that they had.