Brannon rubbed a hand across his face, a slow growl coming from his lips. He was beyond tired and frustrated. He’d spoken to sixteen teens. Their stories were all the same. He knocked on Luke’s front door and waited a perfunctory couple seconds before heading inside. There was no reason to make them open the door since they were expecting him anyway.

The living room was full; he’d been the last to arrive. The tension in the room was stifling as he waded through, taking in everyone's faces. Looks like they didn’t get any better results, he thought to himself as he dropped onto the only vacant seat in the room.

“Are you okay, hun?” Toni asked gently.

“Just frustrated. I’m assuming we all pretty much got the same information. Everyone I talked to said the same thing. They remembered nothing, just woke up in the clearing.”

“That’s what I got, too,” Bastian confirmed. “Talked to a few of the parents that were around. They said that the kids just got up and walked out. They didn’t think anything of it, for the most part, these are all good kids. Their parents trust them and didn’t ask too many questions.”

“Wait, let me get this straight,” Kira called as she held up a hand to stall the conversation. “You’re telling me every teenager on the mountain suddenly dropped whatever they were doing and just walked to that clearing in some sort of trance?”

Brannon opened his mouth to respond, but quickly closed it in surprise. He hadn’t thought of it like that, but a trance sounded about right.

“What makes you say trance?” Caelan questioned. “I’m not denying that by any means, but I just find it interesting you used that word.”

“Not me, Kasey,” Kira said with a worried frown. “She said something like that when we were talking about it. It’s the first word that popped in my head when you explained what you’d encountered.”

“You guys have been working with Kasey for a while now, right?” Brannon questioned hesitantly, unsure how to broach the subject without raising their hackles in defense of their friend and coworker.

“Yes, why?” Kira replied suspiciously.

“Babe, how much do you know about her? How much do any of you know about her?” Luke asked gently. “Has she talked to you about her family or her life in anyway, to any of you?”

Brannon knew what their answers were going to be, the sad truth was they’d all been so blind. Sure, she’d never outright lied to them. They’d made it too easy for her to conceal herself. They’d never pushed or questioned her. Just let her join their group of friends without a second thought. That right there should have raised red flags. This woman came out of nowhere and integrated herself into their lives.

“Why? What’s this about?” Toni demanded. “Kasey’s been nothing but helpful. She pulls her weight at the office and has become indispensable to all of us. Without her, who knows what we’d have done with all of us getting pregnant so close together.”

“We’re not doubting that,” Garrett tried to explain, but a glare from his mate made him close his mouth quickly.

“All we’re saying is that some things aren’t adding up. She’s secretive to the point of paranoia. She hides who she is, evades personal questions, and has become entwined in all our lives to an almost frightening level.” Brannon sighed. “You all know she’s my mate, but even I can’t deny that there is something going on here. She knows something about these kids and we need to figure out what it is and the game she’s playing before it’s too late.”

“What do you propose we do then? Have Chris and Jeff detain and interrogate her?” Kira snapped angrily before sighing. “I’m sorry that was uncalled for. I just can’t imagine she’d do anything to hurt us or those kids.”

“If I may,” Jeff offered, “let me run her name and see what we can find. In the meantime, just keep an eye and ear out. See what you can discover, try to engage her about her life, her past or anything personal. If it helps, I don’t think she means any of you harm.”

Brannon cocked his head and studied the agent a moment before finally asking, “How do you know for sure?”

Jeff shrugged. “Spend a lot of time chasing criminals and you get to know their type. She is a good person, her cousin is skittish and fearful, but I don’t think she’s a danger either.”

They talked for a few minutes more about Brannon’s suspicions, the teens’ odd behavior and their plans to get answers. As he took the short walk to his own home, he couldn’t help but wonder if finding his mate was a blessing, a curse, or a little bit of both.