Lessons in Love

Chapter 42: MAP

POV: Delta Rick Wallis

My phone dinged as I reached Ben’s office door. I knocked twice and let myself in as I pulled out my phone. “Hey,” I said, coming in. “Andrew just messaged me. He said George arrived. He thinks the thugs might be Flain River. He says George smells of silver and the woods, like he’s been out in the bush.”

“He’s gone out to wherever he’s keeping Marcus and Eleanor.” Ben said.

“I’ll ask him to get Tyler to call us after he leaves. We’ll see how much information Tyler is willing to give us. Did you see my message?” I asked, seeing the maps on out on his desk.

“Yeah, I was just about to message you back. This spot ... look familiar?” He tapped the map. It was a spot we’d seen a lot of Rogue activity.

“Were these maps George’s or Marcus’s?” I asked.

“I have no idea.” He said, searching the map. He lifted the edge and started to turn it over.

“It was my father’s.” I said, suddenly seeing the writing on the back of the map. “That’s his writing.”

“B26, R14, M6, M8.” He read out loud. He flipped the map back over. “B26 is the spot we’ve seen the most Rogue activity. The other spots on the map are … in town by the look of it.” He said, skimming his fingers over the map. He grabbed a pencil and marked them out. “M8 is my parents' house, M6 is the training facility, and R14 …”

“Is my parents' house.” I said, leaning over the table. “Your parents' house is in that square, but so is Henry Sloan’s.” I pulled my phone out and showed him the picture. “We need to have a conversation with Mr. Sloan.” I gritted my teeth.

“It’s more likely it’s my parents’ place, Rick.”

“That’s exactly what your father would have thought.” I said. “Because Henry was stripped of his title. But both he and my father have the same three letters next to their names in Marcus’s diary. M-A-P.” I tapped the page in front of me.

“Holy s**t,” Ben said softly, sitting back down. “The night Marcus came to dinner with my father, he said Arthur had mapped out our futures. That he would be happy that we were going to be the next Alpha and Beta. If the map is his, then he knew where Marcus was keeping the succession plan.”

I sank into a chair. It made sense.

“Henry must have had it first?” Ben said. “When he got stripped of his title, Marcus gave it to your father. He knew George was going to betray him.”

“Marcus knew he already had.” I said quietly as I tapped the map next to B26. “It’s been a Rogue hot spot as long as we’ve been officers. Ten years. He’s searched his own home, and mine was destroyed during the war.” He said.

“f**k,” I said, taking in the information. George was responsible for the war, possibly even my father’s death. “I think Henry has it now. The letters were written in next to his name more recently. Maybe Marcus trusted him again.”

“Then I think we start with Mr. Sloan.” He said looking at his watch. “He’s at the school today. It’ll be another two hours before we can question him.”

“What about the rest of the maps?” I asked.

“Nothing special that I could find.” Ben shrugged. “We should go through them together though. You’re the one who got us this far.” He gave me a half smile.

We spent the next two hours going over the other maps, but Ben had been right. There didn’t seem to be anything special about any of them. No markings or coordinates that meant anything to us. We made our way over to the school as classes were letting out. Sam met us at the doors to the high school and we caught him up.

Riley’s voice drifted from the building as she, Emma, and Mr. Sloan came to the door. “Hey guys,” she smiled brightly. Her demeanor changed instantly, and I could only guess that she felt something off of Ben that straightened her back. Her smile faltered.

“Is everything alright?” She asked.

“Riley, do you think you and Emma could hang out for a little bit?” Ben asked her, raising a brow at Henry.

“I have my after-school group in the gym.” Riley smiled. “Emma, do you want to come play in the gym?”

“No,” I said firmly. “Why don’t you come with me Emma?” I held my arms out.

“Can we play tag?” Emma asked.

“Absolutely!” I managed to smile at the child. I scooped her up and took her over to the training field where the boys were warming up.

“This is my bear. Ms. Campbell won him for me. Do you like him Uncle Rick?” She asked.

“I do,” I smiled. “Does your bear have a name?”

“I call him Snuggles.” She said happily.

“That’s a good name. Does he give good snuggles?”

“Yup,” she nodded seriously. “He helps keep the bad wolf away.”

“The bad wolf?” I asked.

“He growls at night and wakes me up. He’s scary.” She explained, hugging her bear. I gripped her tighter.

“Does the bad wolf hurt you?” I asked, sitting on bench near the training field with her in my lap. She shook her head. “Do you see the bad wolf at night?”

“No, I just hear him growling.”

“Every night? Is it a dream?” I asked.

Emma shook her head. “No, he’s there.” Her eyes got round as she looked at me. “He only comes over sometimes.”

“Does he come into the house?” I asked. Emma nodded, curling into me a little. “Have you ever seen the bad wolf?” I asked.

Emma pulled her bear against her chest and held him tight. “No.” She said, but I knew it was a lie.

“What do you think he looks like?”

“He was really big?” She phrased it like a question, clutching her bear. “Lots of sharp teeth and really big claws? That’s how he got mommy and daddy.”

“The bad wolf is who hurt your mommy and daddy?” I asked gently. She nodded, snuggling into my arms with her bear. There was no way Emma could know that. She had been at the high school, but Crista had put her in the bunker with the older children. When I had gone to get her, to take her to Sarah’s, I had blindfolded her. I hadn’t wanted her to see the blood and bodies in the gym.

“How do you know that?” I asked.

“He growled when you took me away to Ms. Sarah’s. When you first brought me outside after the bunker.” She said. “I remember his growl.” She whispered, trying to burrow into my chest to hide from the memory.

I wrapped my arms around her tightly as I racked my brain. I had been on autopilot at that point. I had put the blindfold on her and walked out of the gym through the back doors. I remembered the smell outside, how both her and I had taken a deep breath when we reached fresh air. I had been so focused on getting her out of there, I hadn’t really been paying attention to who was around. There had been several wolves on the training field, coming back from the woods, some injured. There was a lot of growling, whimpering, screaming … I felt my hand start to shake and took a deep breath. This was not the time or the place to try and figure this out.

“Hey, you two,” Katherine’s voice sang from behind me. I looked over my shoulder at her smiling at us. “Sam said you were needed and asked me to take Emma home with me and get her some cookies. Would you like that Emma?” All the child’s fears seemed to end at the offer of a treat, and I was honestly jealous that such an offer wouldn’t work on me.

“Uncle Rick,” she grabbed a hold of me. “I love you.” Her little arms practically choked me as she squeezed around my neck.

“I love you, too.” I said, hugging her back. “Go on, have cookies and have fun.” I smiled at her as I put her down. She gave me a winning smile as she took Katherine’s hand.

I had been close with John and Crista. I had stood with John during his mating ceremony. I had been with Crista when she went into labour and John was on patrol. I had been the first person to hold Emma, outside of her parents, and I was Emma’s godfather. I might have failed to protect her parents, but I wouldn’t make that mistake with her. I owed John and Crista at least that much. I needed to protect her above all else. The idea that someone or something was hurting that little girl after everything she’d lost, made me incredibly angry.