“Nonetheless, it’s definitely your residual scent. You might have leaned into him or shook his hand.”
As if they had agreed to kill werewolves. Someone planted my scent to implicate me. She had left most of her clothes back at her home near Project Sabertooth’s facility. And who identified her smell? Was it Cricket or Slade? Or even Steele. “Who scented me?”
“I did.”
She’d hoped it was a relative stranger or a werewolf with a motive to get rid of her, she’d be suspicious, but never Rylee. “What would be my motive? Someone framed me.” Kiara, of course. If I died, Steele would never be tempted to come after me.
“That’s what Steele thinks.”
He knows how much I hated murdering people. “And you, ma’am?”
“My gut believes you, but then again, that might be due to your charm.”
“It doesn't work that way. I can only influence animals, not lycans or people for that matter.” Especially alphas.
“Lunara told me wolf charmers can gentle a werewolf’s heart. This made us trusting and vulnerable, so our lawmakers created the edict to hunt and destroy your kind.”
“Kiara certainly didn’t seem taken with my charm.”
“Competing for a mate takes precedence over any other emotion.”
This gave Kiara good reason to frame her, but without hard evidence she wasn’t about to accuse the princess. “Believe me. I would never harm anyone, especially Steele’s beloved relatives.”
“I agree, although, the king disagrees. He ordered me to have the warden kill you.”
Hallie looked away, maybe just as shocked as she felt. Had Hallie put her in the same category as killing a puppy or bunny?
“Put my niece back on.”
“Yes, ma’am, please, I’m innocent.”
Hallie took the phone. “Yes?” She stared at Gaby and sniffed. “Yes, she is. Have Manny check. Nope, only a lady she bought an eggplant from.” She nodded. “Sure thing.”
Gaby watched her put the mobile down. Was the vegetarian werewolf about to go murderous carnivore on her? Her pulse raced. “What is going on?”
“Rylee wants us to leave.”
Gaby sighed. “I thought she ordered my execution.”
“Rylee told me to stand down.”
“Rylee believes me?”
“Yes. I sensed you spoke the truth and so did she. The only scent on you was from a local farmer.”
“When do we leave?” She glanced at all the fresh food.
Hallie’s face reddened. “Now. They are on the hunt.”
“They know I’m here?”
“Not yet. Kiara convinced the council to order your location ASAP. Rylee made it look like you went to a safe house in Canada.”
“I’m sure Kiara is behind this.”
“No werewolf would murder a royal family. Not even the jealous bitch.” Hallie grabbed a set of car keys. “Besides, how would she find a member of Project Sabertooth, when even you don’t know where they are?”
“You’ve got a point. Although, she could find him on the dark web.” Even so, Tomlin didn’t know her location.