In the morning, I made sure everyone knew what they had to do and how they were going to accomplish it before I left the security of the gated estate. “Wait!” Dallas stopped me before I could climb into my car.

“What is it?” I was distracted as I tried to mentally prepare for the day.

“We don’t have the gate code.” He crossed his arms over his chest.

I sighed. “Nor will you. This wasn’t an oversight. I’m following father’s instructions. Only the Alpha is to ever have access to this information.”

“Then how do we get back in?” He spoke carefully, but I could sense his rage beneath the surface.

“Simple. Either one person remains here at all times to push the button, or you wait for me to return and we enter together.” I glanced at the time on my phone. “I have to meet the architect at the homestead and I have several stops on the way. We’ll talk later.” I watched as his hands dropped to his side with clenched fists. “When will you be up there to work on sifting through the rubble?”

Dallas frowned. “As soon as possible, Alpha.”

There was more than a hint of disgust in the way he spoke my title, but I refused to address it at the moment. I had more important concerns. “See you at the homestead, Dallas. Soon.”

Though it was barely after seven in the morning, there were reasons I wanted to leave already. For one, I needed caffeine desperately. For another, I wanted to check on the safe before the rest of the pack arrived. This had always been the biggest Phoenix Pack secret. It must remain that way. The funds in my father’s account only told part of the story. The wealth hidden in the wall explained everything.

After stopping at the nearest gas station to buy several sodas, I drove the mountain roads while deep in thought. There were only so many reasons to murder a person: jealousy, revenge, to keep a secret, and probably most popular of all, money. My parents lived a quiet, peaceful existence. The pack stayed on our lands. We never ventured past our territory. By outward appearances, we lived a modest existence. Though rumors had circulated through the years, no one outside of the pack knew about the mines.

Slowly, I navigated the gravel driveway to the homestead. There were no other vehicles in the area, so I confidently exited my car and strode to the house. The fire had obviously started in the kitchen and then radiated through the wooden structure. Parts of the second story had collapsed, but luckily not in the study, my destination. Pushing open the front door, I froze. My parents had always left it unlocked, a sign of how safe they’d felt on the homestead. I wouldn’t make the same mistake.

I picked my way through the entry, past the stairs, and shoved living room furniture out of my path. Finally, I reached the French doors, which closed the study off from the rest of the house. Taking a deep, steadying breath, I pushed them open so I could assess the damage. I sniffed the still smoky air, hoping I might catch the scent of the killer or killers. Unfortunately, I smelled nothing other than the hint of an accelerant, and the stench from the charred wood.

Scanning the room, I discovered much of the furniture had been moved and the paintings had been removed from the walls. The area rug in the center of the room had been tossed in a corner. My fists clenched at my side. I’d discovered the motive. Obviously, this was about money and I was reasonably confident the safe was still secure. Cautiously, I moved to the built-in bookcase my father had so cleverly designed. Then I reached up and tipped the decorative finial until it was horizontal, so I could separate the two sections. With little effort, they slid into the walls on either side, revealing a huge wall safe. I punched in the code my father had taught me, then the green light appeared and a click echoed through the empty house. I pulled back the door and took a quick peek. Nothing seemed to be missing. My shoulders heaved in relief. Reaching inside, I grabbed the go bag my father kept at the ready, which was a cross body satchel filled with our most important documents, like birth certificates, social security cards, loan and insurance information. Then I added the ledger and the checkbook before throwing the strap over my head and adjusting it. Confident I had everything I needed for the moment, I quickly shut the safe, repositioned the bookcases, and locked the finial in place as I heard footsteps nearing the room. The doors swung open and Dallas appeared.

My eyes narrowed. “What are you doing in here?”

He panted and pointed. “Two men. At least one is a shifter. Arguing.”

With a sigh, I exited the study and ran to what remained of the front porch to survey the situation. The fireman had returned. He had an inspector with him, judging from the clipboard and business casual attire. A third man stood there all tall, dark, and brooding. My breath caught in my throat when he turned and caught me staring.

“Savannah Silver?” He crossed his arms over his chest and frowned.

Maybe I didn’t meet his expectations. Over the last twenty-four hours, this had become the norm. No one believed in me, despite my abilities. “Yes.” I huffed as I rushed over to the men.

The fireman spoke first. “I found him checking out the property.” He jerked his head angrily at the man who’d spoken to me.

I nodded. “Thank you.” Then I turned my attention to the man who hadn’t taken his eyes off me since he first noticed me. I struggled not to shrink under his scrutinizing gaze. Holding out my hand, I prepared for our introduction. “Please call me Savvy. Are you the architect?”

He grasped my hand in his to shake, but I was only aware of his touch. My wolf whined. My stomach fluttered. My heart raced. I stared at our hands a moment before yanking mine back. When I glanced up at his face, I saw a smile playing at the corner of his lips, but there was some indecipherable look in his eyes.

“Quinn Holderman.” Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out a business card. “Rogue Designs.”

“A man of few words, I see.” I pursed my lips, stuffed the card in my satchel, and then turned on my heel. “Follow me.” I started to walk toward the house when I heard him mumble under his breath.

“Gladly.”

I fought to hide my reaction. I was too far away. There was too much noise from pack members working around the homestead. I shouldn’t have heard him. Only…I did. A twitch began under my eye. When we reached what was left of my parents’ home, I paused and waited for him to catch up. “You don’t look like an architect,” I commented absently.

Quinn laughed, then sobered. He tugged at his chin while assessing my attire. “You don’t look like you can afford me.”

My brows peaked. “Oh, really? And why is that?”

He gestured while he spoke. “Flip-flops, jean shorts, and a t-shirt you probably picked up at Goodwill.”

I tilted my head. “Looks can be deceiving. Trust me. I can afford you.” I motioned for him to follow me, but he remained rooted to the ground.

“Trust isn’t really my thing. Perhaps you could give me money instead?” Quinn stared down at me. He stood a good foot taller than me.

Since I was barely more than five feet tall, I was used to craning my neck at people, but this time it bothered me. I shrugged. “Okay, how much would you like?”

“You want me to design something to work on the existing foundation?” He raked a hand through his hair.

“That would be nice.” I nodded.

“Well, I’d advise against it.” He held out his hand, ready to tick off reasons on his fingers.

“Of course, you would.” I muttered under my breath.

Quinn paused and chuckled. Then he grew serious. “Really. It might not be safe. The foundation. The fire.”

“I see where you’re going with this.” My shoulders sank. “So where would you suggest I rebuild?” I wrapped my arms around my body and struggled to control my emotions.

“Miss Silver?” The inspector interrupted our discussion. “There’s a detective on the way. He wants to speak with you.”

I turned to face him. “That’s fine. I’ll be here.” Then I glanced back and forth between Quinn and the inspector. Losing my parents hurt more than I cared to admit. I didn’t want to think about it. As long as I could keep moving, keep busy, I wouldn’t have a moment to grieve. I was the Alpha now. I couldn’t afford to appear weak or emotional. I couldn’t give them any reason to doubt my ability to lead. Inhaling deeply, I shook my head. I could feel a sob rising in my throat, but I choked it back. “I need…a moment.” Then I sprinted to the back of the house before anyone could stop me, before the first tear fell. I needed to let my wolf run free, but there was no way this would happen for hours. I looked about wildly, but there was nowhere to go, nowhere to be, nowhere to hide. Sitting hard on an Adirondack chair, I covered my face as I rocked back and forth.

“Hold it together, Savvy,” I whispered. “You can do this. You have to do this.”

Suddenly, someone squatted in front of me and laid his hands on the arms of the chair. I froze and inhaled deeply. No scent. Nothing human, nothing shifter. I frowned. Impossible. I uncovered my face and tucked my hands beneath my thighs. Blowing out a breath, I concentrated on masking my emotions while raising my gaze. “Quinn.” For some reason, his presence flooded me with relief. “I’m sorry,” I murmured. “It’s just…” I gestured to the house behind me.

“I know.” His eyes locked on mine. Slowly, he reached out and cupped my face. My lids lowered as I pressed my cheek against his palm. “The fire happened yesterday? You amaze me, Savvy.” Quinn stroked my cheek one time with his knuckles and then stood. He held his hands out to me and helped me stand, but even after, he didn’t let go. “Talk to the detective while I check out the land and take some measurements. Then we’re leaving.”

I stiffened. “I can’t. I need to take care of things here.”

“No, you don’t. There are so many people here to help you. What you need to do is come to my office so we can work on the design.” Quinn didn’t wait for a response. Instead, he spun me around and laid a hand on my lower back as he walked me to the front of the house.

I didn’t hate it. I didn’t hate him. In all honesty, he intrigued me, and after dealing with Tanner and Dallas, it was nice to be around a guy who didn’t doubt me or hover about waiting for me to fail.