Page 42 of August

“It’s just…the way the guy is walking looks so familiar to me. But I think it’s the hat. Which doesn’t mean anything, like you said, but I can’t shake this weird feeling.”

“The other cameras are up in here,” Justus called.

August and Ginny walked into the other room where Jupiter had pulled up video footage from when she’d seen the male in question.

Ginny stood and watched the screens, arms folded and lips pressed into a thin line. August watched the screens as well and saw the male in the dark hat and clothes. He was definitely walking suspiciously, but the details of his face weren’t visible with his head turned down as if he was actively avoiding the cameras.

“Okay,” Justus said, clicking the mouse around on one of the screens, “so it’s this guy, right?”

“Yeah,” Ginny said. “With the hat.”

“Let’s follow him in. I’ve got the cameras all cued to the same time so we can see where he goes.”

Using a slow speed, they watched as the male walked into the park, stopped, and looked around. He moved a few steps toward the aviary, then changed his mind and turned the other way, heading toward the security office.

He was halfway to the building when he froze and didn’t move for several moments.

“What’s he looking at?” August asked.

“Hmm?” Justus asked.

“He looks like he saw something. What’s in his eyeline?”

“The security office,” Ginny said.

“No, it’s that female in the pink hoodie,” Justus said. He tapped one of the monitors with his finger.

The male backed away and ducked into a small crowd, then left the park.

“Holy crap,” Ginny said.

“What?” August asked.

“I don’t know who that guy was, but that’s the mate of one of my grandfather’s top males. Her name is Celia and her mate is Diedrich. He’s…he’s a bad male.”

They all stared at the screen, where a female watched as August and Ginny left the security office and walked into the employee cafeteria.

“I don’t remember seeing her when I stepped out of the building,” August said. “I looked around. I scented the air.”

“Maybe she masked her scent,” Justus said. “And she just looks like a normal female. But that male saw her and left, which is weird.”

“Did you see what car he got into?” Ginny asked.

Justus pulled up the parking lot footage and after a few minutes of searching said, “No, he ducked around different cars like he was trying not to be found. Shit. I wish we had better resolution, but with his head tilted down, we still wouldn’t be able to see enough of his face to make any kind of match.”

“She’s not worried about being seen,” August pointed out.

“No, she’s not,” Ginny said. She leaned against him, her gaze riveted to the screen. “Oh gosh, what if there were others in the park and we just didn’t know? What if we nearly walked into some kind of ambush?”

August put his arm around her as his own thoughts rolled through all the terrible possibilities.

“I’m calling the alphas,” Justus said. “You two probably need to get out of here, back underground where we know it’s safe.”

“Yeah. Thanks, man,” August said.

He took Ginny’s hand and led her from the office.

What the hell were they going to do?