Chapter 255
Author
The nightmares were getting worse.
Nancy woke up at 3:17 AM again.
She knew the exact time because there was a digital clock on the nightstand and she’d memorized every number that flashed across it during her sleepless hours. 1:42. 2:08. 2:53. 3:17.
Her heart was pounding. Her tank top was soaked through with sweat. She didn’t move. Didn’t make a sound.
She’d gotten good at this over the past few weeks. Waking up quiet. Lying still until the panic faded enough for her to breathe normally. Hiding the nightmares from the man sleeping next to her.
Nancy slid out of bed slowly, careful not to let the mattress shift. Her feet hit the hardwood floor and she sat there for a minute, elbows on her knees, head hanging down.
She needed answers. Real ones. Not the cleaned-up version her aunt and uncle had been feeding her.
Your dad died in a car accident, sweetie. It was quick. He didn’t suffer.
Bullshit. She didn’t know how she knew it was bullshit, but she knew.
The same way she knew the gaps in her memory weren’t just trauma. Someone had taken things from her. And she was tired of pretending otherwise.
She’d tried private investigators. Three of them. None of them got anywhere.
Xander. It had to be Xander. He had his hooks in every PI in this state, and he’d made it clear he didn’t want her looking into her past.
But there was one person who might be able to get past those hooks. Elara.
Nancy didn’t like asking for help. She’d spent her whole life handling her own problems, keeping her head down. But she was out of options.
Elara had connections. A husband who happened to be the Alpha King.
So the next morning, Nancy found herself standing outside Elara’s office, staring at the door.
She knocked.
“Come in p>
Nancy pushed the door open. Elara was behind her desk, laptop open, coffee mug in hand. She looked up and raised an eyebrow.
“Nancy? Everything okay p>
“Not really.” Nancy stepped inside and closed the door behind her. “I need to talk to you. It’s personal p>
Elara set her mug down and pointed to the chair across from her. “Sit. Tell me p>
Nancy sat down. Her hands were sweating, so she wiped them on her jeans.
“I need a favor. But I need you to promise me something first p>
“Okay p>
“Whatever I tell you, it stays between us. Yardley can’t know. Neither can Dominic p>
Elara’s eyes narrowed. Not suspicious, more like she was trying to figure out what was going on.
She studied Nancy for a moment, then nodded.
“You’ve got my word p>
Nancy let out a breath. “Okay. So here’s the thing. I don’t remember parts of my past. Not really. I have fragments, flashes. But there’s a solid chunk of time that’s just gone p>
Elara’s expression shifted. “How much time p>
“Years. Before my aunt and uncle brought me to the States.” Nancy’s voice was flat. Controlled. She’d told this story before, but never to someone she actually trusted. “They said my dad died in a car accident. My mom too. But I don’t know if that’s true. I don’t remember them at all p>
“Jesus, Nancy p>
“Yeah p>
“And your aunt and uncle never told you more p>
“They told me what they wanted me to know. I don’t think they lied exactly, but I don’t think I got the whole story either.” Nancy’s jaw tightened. “I’ve tried to look into it on my own. Hired three PIs. Every single one hit a wall. Someone is actively blocking me p>
“You know who p>
Nancy’s jaw tightened. “I have a pretty good idea p>
Elara was quiet for a moment, tapping her finger against her coffee mug. Then she sat forward.
“Why come to me?
“Because you’re the only person I know who might have the connections to get around whatever wall someone built.” Nancy met her eyes. “And because I think you understand what it’s like to have someone try to control your story. To have parts of your past kept from you p>
Something flickered in Elara’s eyes. She nodded slowly. “I do p>
Elara moved fast. Twenty minutes after Nancy asked for help, they were pulling into the underground garage at Wolfe Group headquarters.
Nancy had been here before. A few times. But never for something like this.
They took the private elevator to the executive floor. But instead of heading toward Dominic’s corner office, Elara turned down a narrow hallway Nancy had never noticed.
She stopped in front of a door marked “EA p>
“Who’s this?” Nancy asked.
“Walter. Dominic’s fixer. If there’s a paper trail anywhere, he knows how to find it p>
Elara pushed the door open without knocking.
Inside, a guy in his early thirties looked up from his laptop. Military haircut. Sharp eyes. A face that didn’t give much away.
“Luna.” He stood immediately. His eyes flicked to Nancy, then back to Elara. “Everything okay p>
“Need a favor. And it stays between us p>
Walter’s shoulders tightened, but he didn’t argue. Elara walked in and shut the door.
“I need you to dig into something. Personal. Not for me.” She gestured to Nancy. “This is a friend of mine. She needs information about her parents. They died years ago, before she came to the States. All she has is a vague story about a car accident. No details. No records. Nothing p>
Walter studied Nancy. “What’s the name p>
“Nancy Wolfe.” She hesitated. “Miller before that. That’s the name I grew up with p>
Walter’s expression shifted. “Nancy Wolfe. As in… Alpha’s brother’s wife p>
“Yeah p>
He looked at Elara. “And the Alpha doesn’t know about this p>
“Not yet. You can tell him you’re helping me with something personal. Just not what p>
Walter let out a breath. “Luna, the Alpha doesn’t love being kept in the dark p>
“I know.” Elara smiled. “But remember when Blackwood Group tried to poach you last year p>
Walter went still. “I turned them down p>
“I know. But Dominic doesn’t know they made the offer, does he p>
Walter stared at her for a long moment. Then he laughed. “You’re a nightmare p>
“Thank you p>
He shook his head and turned to Nancy. “Okay. I’ll see what I can find. But if this blows up, we’re all in the same hole p>
“Thank you,” Nancy said.
Walter gave her a tired smile. “Don’t thank me yet p>
Elara grinned. “That’s my guy p>
They left his office and headed back to the elevator. Nancy felt lighter than she had in weeks.