A COURT OF SHIFTERS AND SECRETS

F O U R T Y

Phoenix 

I frowned down at my desk, dozens of once smiling faces staring back at me, as the sound of missing person report after report printed behind me.

"You're telling me that over sixty missing persons reports have been filed but only one person has been identified?" Kassian questioned, a familiar analytical look on his face as he looked through all the files "Were we able to ID the first creature?" 

"We couldn't" Nìco shook his head, his arms crossed "The Royal Guards burned the body as soon as Alpha Lobo was secured." 

"You think that the first creature was also another missing person?" I asked

"Yes," Kassian nodded his head "That's exactly what I'm thinking."

"Uh..." Téo glanced at every file on my desk with worry "Like you said, there's over sixty missing shifters here. If one of them was able to take down an Alpha Heir, one of the strongest heirs of this generation, what kind of damage could sixty plus creatures do to our community?" 

"It'll be a massacre" Níco said "And we're definitely not prepared for more of them to come through our borders. We got lucky that the last creature died like it did." 

"Watch your tongue" I growled sharply "That creature was an innocent child that was stolen from his family and people." 

Níco bowed his head in apology. 

"When was Jakob reported missing?" Kass asked 

"The night Heir Lupine was brought to the Academy" Téo told him "Why?" 

"Because that means he was the last person that was taken" he said, grabbing the files and rearranged them in a way that had me raising an eyebrow "And based on when each person went missing according to their missing persons report, then that means it's possible that the first creature was probably someone that disappeared early on." 

I looked at Níco "Is it possible to run a DNA test agains the remains of the first creature?" 

"It'll be hard but it's not impossible" he said "I'll get one of my contacts on that." 

"Use discretion" I growled at him "I don't want anyone outside of this room, besides Rune and the other Heirs, to know about any of this." 

"Not even the Penta?" Téo asked and I shook my head. 

"Especially the Penta" I warned "I don't want them digging too much into this." 

"Why not?" 

I pursed my lips, my eyes sliding to Kassian who shook his head imperceptibly.