Derek's POV
Leaving home, I drove to the Amber's Eye Pack.
As soon as I walked into the packhouse, I saw Mark. I guessed he was here for Daphne as well.
He was already devastated because of Holly, and now he looked extremely worn out after what happened to Daphne.
Seeing him like that, I felt bad for him.
I comforted, "Mark, cheer up. I'm sure Daphne's alive, or they wouldn't have made such a big fuss to take her away."
Mark sighed, "Even if she's alive, I'm afraid she's barely hanging in there..."
Justin slammed the table abruptly. "Who on earth could be so bold? Laying hands on her in public!"
I knew the pack's development meant the world to Justin.
He actually valued Daphne, hisonly heir, a lot.
"The current proof shows it's Poison and Wolf Shadow," I said calmly.
Justin's expression changed drastically as he roared with anger, "No fucking way!"
He seemed a bit too agitated, which was kinda weird.
I turned to him and asked while pondering, "And why is that?"
Justin quickly collected himself.
After a moment of silence, he said, "You've been cracking down on them, right? They wouldn't dare to come out and commit crimes in the open. Besides, Daphne has never messed with them. Why the hell would they hurt her?"
I frowned. "They've become unscrupulous in recent years. I had someone repair the surveillance footage, and I'm pretty confident that the man seen at the scene is one of them."
Just as Justin tried to argue with me, I showed him the footage. "This is the man who took Daphne."
"You can't even see his face. How could you be so sure that he's one of them?"
I zoomed in on the screen, and there was clearly a half-exposed eagle tattoo on the man's wrist.
"His real name is Albert, and he's a member of Poison and Wolf Shadow. His most distinctive feature is this tattoo, and he was also involved in the kidnapping."
After I finished speaking, Mark slammed the coffee cup in his hand. "These despicable rogues! They've gone too far!"
I comforted him while kept glancing at Justin.
When Justin saw the proof, he wasn't angry at all. Instead, he was incredulous.
His reaction simply didn't make sense at all.
Mark sighed and spoke up, "I got in touch with them this morning to set up a meeting. Take the chance to take them down, Derek!"
"Mark, why did you get in touch with them?"
Regretful, Mark explained, "The doctor told me Holly might die at any second. I know Poison and Wolf Shadow has been working on a variety of treatments for years. I was desperate, so I decided to make a deal with them. I didn't expect they would hurt Daphne!"
I pondered for a moment and said, "Calm down. If Poison and Wolf Shadow was really behind it, they've got Daphne now. If they're taken down, they'll be desperate and kill her for sure."
"So, what do you mean?" he asked.
"They've agreed to meet, right? Go there and meet them. See what their plans are. Don't spook them," I said.
Mark gradually calmed down with my persuasion.
"Derek, what suggestions do you have?"
I calmly said, "I'll go with you."
"No! It's too dangerous."
"That's precisely why I wanna go with you. We've never known enough about them, and this is a perfect chance for us to get to know them better."
Mark pondered for a moment and then still shook his head. "No. I don't think so. It's too risky."
"Mark, I have my personal reason, too."
This was my only chance to see Elena.
Mark didn't insist.
He reached out to Poison and Wolf Shadow again. We figured that after what had happened to Daphne, they'd shut the door, but they actually asked him to show up at the appointed place on time.
We discussed a plan, and now, I needed to go back and prepare.
When I left, I noticed that Justin looked absent-minded and completely out of sorts.
So, after leaving the Amber's Eye Pack, I ordered, "Find out what Alpha Justin has been doing recently and who he has met."
Alvin knew what I was thinking at once. "Alpha Derek, you think Alpha Justin has been in contact with Poison and Wolf Shadow?"
"If no one had covered up the tracks of Poison and Wolf Shadow, we wouldn't still be unable to find their traces now. There aren't many people in Seattle who can pull that off. Something about Alpha Justin today didn't seem right."
Alvin frowned. "But he's a venerable man. Isn't being involved with that kind of scum below him?"
I sneered, "Probably not, if they have what he wants the most."
Alvin curiously asked, "What does Alpha Justin want? Power? But he's already the Amber's Eye Pack's Alpha."
"He is afraid of death. The more powerful the man, the more afraid he is of death," I sighed. "We werewolves are strong and long-lived, but we are not immortal like vampires."
"So, you think that's what's happening to Alpha Justin."
I continued, "He hasn't been in good health since the last few years. Maybe the reason he's in better shape now is because he made some kind of shady deal with Poison and Wolf Shadow, and that's why he looked so shocked when he knew that they were involved in Daphne's accident."
With a sneer, I added, "He probably figures that they're his partners and even thinks they can't live without him. He has no idea how far they've come over the years."
Alvin fell silent for a moment and then sighed, "Alpha Justin has indeed grown old. He ought to know better."
"Of course, this is just my speculation. Go find out if I'm right."
"OK."