Aspen’s brows inched up. “That’s true. You said he likes to be up close and personal. Maybe this was just a scare tactic. He’s playing with us.”
“Playing with me,” Camden corrected. “He only targeted you because of who you are to me.” The fucker.
Havana took a step toward the sofa. “If that’s the case, it isn’t your fault, Camden,” she said, her voice softening.
His brows drew together. “I know that.”
She blinked and then waved her hand with a small smile. “Sorry, I sometimes forget that you’re not a typical dominant male shifter like these guys here.”
Tate frowned at his mate, seeming unsure whether he should be offended. “What does that mean?”
“It means Camden doesn’t take responsibility for stuff that isn’t his fault,” replied Havana. “The rest of you love to shoulder unnecessary blame.”
Tate’s frown deepened. “No, we don’t.”
Luke sighed. “She’s right, you know. We do.” He turned to Camden. “Back to the matter at hand, where do we find Julius?”
“Your guess is as good as mine,” replied Camden. “He’s a lone shifter. Has been since his childhood pride banished him. He liked to terrorize the female juveniles. Not assault them—he never went that far back then. He liked to crowd them, spook them with his attention, make them afraid that he would hurt them. He liked to have that power over them.
“It’s rumored that he graduated to committing acts of assault on becoming a loner, but there’s no knowing for sure. When I was a kid, he used to boast of some of the violent things he’d done to others, but I don’t believe he was always telling the truth. He’s a chronic liar, and he’s all about the shock factor.”
“I’ll reach out to our sources and see if we can locate him,” said Tate.
Bailey sighed. “I guess we should expect Grant to come looking for Aspen and demand to be involved in the hunt for Julius.”
“I doubt it,” said Havana. “He went crazy last night. Got rip roaring drunk and trashed his apartment. Bree went to calm his ass down. She didn’t even need to touch him to read his emotions—he was broadcasting them so loudly her omega senses picked them up. She said there’s so much negative shit swirling around inside him—a wild brew of rage, hatred, scorn, and bitterness.
“In his mind, Aspen’s supposed to belong to him and only him. He’s essentially grieving the loss of his mate. Unless he stupidly hasn’t given up on her. Which might actually be the case, given that he didn’t seem ready to accept that just maybe his mate truly did die when they were kids and—”
“LaToya,” Aspen burst out, straightening in her seat with a jolt.
Camden blinked. “What?”
She twisted in her seat as she looked up at him. “Do you remember LaToya Whittle? She used to work for … our previous employer.”
“And who was your previous employer?” asked Luke.
Everyone fell silent.
Tate sighed at his mate. “It’s your call, babe.”
Havana twisted her mouth, quiet for a long moment. “This cannot be repeated, Luke. Ever.”
The Beta’s brow creased. “All right.”
She gestured at herself, Bailey, Aspen, and Camden. “We used to work for the Movement.”
Luke double-blinked. Slipping his hands inside his pockets, he hummed. “That explains a few things. Thank you all for your service.”
Aspen waved away the thanks, clearly eager to get to her point. “LaToya also worked for the Movement. She was killed by anti-shifter extremists when we raided a massive compound.”
Bailey snapped her fingers. “Yeah, I remember. Her mate, Wayland, was devastated. They’d only been together like, what, two years?”
Aspen nodded. “She popped into my head when Havana started talking about how Grant might have lost his true mate as a kid. That’s what happened to Wayland. He was a walking dead man when he first joined the group. But then he and LaToya grew close and eventually imprinted on each other. She brought him back to life, really. She was his second chance at mating. She used to talk of the plans they’d made for when they retired from the group. But then she died.”
Yes, Camden remembered. He remembered it all very well, because … “He blamed me for that.”
Tate’s brow furrowed. “Why you?”
“The raid was a clusterfuck,” Camden explained. “At one point, both Aspen and LaToya were held at gunpoint. I’m a sniper, I’m a very good shot, and I knew I could shoot one of the extremists before they managed to pull the trigger, but not both.”
“You saved Aspen,” guessed Luke.
Well obviously. “At first, Wayland was in shock. Catatonic. When he snapped out of it, he went through the hell that comes with the breaking of an imprint bond. He blamed me for her death. Said I could have saved her. He was right. But I chose Aspen, and I’ve never regretted that decision, never would. He knew that. I thought he’d come for me once he got stronger, but he left the group and broke contact with everyone.”