Free Redeemed by Becca Jameson Page B

hadn’t been to The Gathering for many years. His parents, Roland and Veronica, had retired and moved to Florida four years ago. They’d hated the Midwest weather. He’d been an only child and hadn’t attended The Gathering even when his parents were still living in St. Louis. School always seemed to have gotten in the way, or so he claimed. He’d been secretly uninterested in finding a mate at the time—and after all, that was one of the main reasons The Gathering occurred.
    The council members all attended every year, but young shifters paid them no attention. The only thing the children were interested in was reacquainting with friends they saw once a year.
    As the kids grew older, their only concern was flirting with the opposite sex in hopes of finding a match. It was ridiculous since very few wolves actually knew who their mates were before adulthood. Even the ones who crossed paths on occasion before turning eighteen rarely were aware of the plans Fate had for them. Most of the time mates didn’t find each other until their twenties. It was part of Her design.
    The man in the center spoke first. He was the oldest, at least seventy. His name was Ralph Jerard. Evan had looked up every member of The Council and studied their profiles before he headed to Seattle. Mr. Jerard wore glasses low on his nose when looking down at the file of papers in front of him. His hair was gray and his skin wrinkled with age, but he was not frail. He was still stocky and fit, not uncommon for wolf shifters. “We understand you’ve been working on the Damon Parkfield case.”
    “Yes, sir, I have. Is that a problem?” If the elders had dragged him here from Indiana to reprimand him for something he had no intention of changing, he was going to be pissed.
    “No. On the contrary, we’re hoping to combine our efforts since you seem intent on finding this rogue shifter and bringing him to justice.” The elder leaned forward on his elbows and set his glasses on the table. “That is your intent, correct?” He narrowed his gaze.
    Evan knew what this game was. Mr. Jerard wanted to ensure Evan didn’t have an ulterior motive, such as murder. “Of course, sir.” He didn’t break eye contact.
    “You’re a private investigator, correct?”
    “Yes, sir.”
    “And you’re the same PI who located Ms. Rice several months ago and returned her to her family?”
    “That’s correct. Her brother hired me when he suspected foul play. It took almost a year to track them down. If I’d had any idea at the time how serious the crime was, I never would have walked away that day after rescuing Ashley from the apartment they were living in.”
    “And where is Ashley Rice now?” Mr. Jerard asked.
    “At her parent’s home. She suffers from PTSD. She doesn’t leave the house often.”
    “I see. And where do you believe Damon Parkfield is now?”
    “I tracked him to a small town in Indiana last week, but he disappeared before I got there, as usual. It’s very frustrating how fast he catches on to me. Either he has incredible luck and happens to move around at a pace one step ahead of mine, or someone is alerting him to my arrival.” Evan shivered at the verbalization of that thought.
    “Is that possible?”
    “No.” Evan shook his head. “Because no one knows I’m working on this case. Not a soul.” He paused. “With the exception of you, of course. He usually rents a run-down furnished apartment and flees quickly. I don’t know what tips him off or if he just likes to move around often. He doesn’t strike me as being someone who could accomplish all this on his own. Someone must be funding him. He never holds a job very long and hasn’t worked anywhere that would pay the rent for ages.”
    “Do you believe he’s traveling alone?” Mr. Jerard asked.
    “I do. Every time I enter his latest location I rummage around looking for clues. I have seen no evidence he has anyone with him at this time. So, if you’re asking me if I