Page 9 of His Relentless Mate
Daniel tilted his head, studying her with that same perceptive gaze he had always had. “Do you still have feelings for him?”
Annika hesitated, the truth hovering on the tip of her tongue. “I don’t know,” she admitted finally. “Maybe. But it’s been so long, and we’ve both changed so much. I’m not sure if we can go back to what we had.”
Daniel smiled, a soft, understanding expression that made her heart ache. “You don’t have to go back, Annika. Maybe it’s about moving forward. I always believed you two belonged together. Don’t let him get away a second time.”
His words hung in the air, heavy with meaning. Annika wanted to believe him, wanted to think that she could find happiness with Trace again, but the doubts were still there, gnawing at her.
She looked at Daniel, her heart aching with a question that had haunted her since the day he died. “What happened to you, Daniel? How did you really die?”
For a moment, Daniel’s expression shifted, becoming more distant, more enigmatic. He opened his mouth as if to answer, but then he just smiled—a sad, wistful smile that sent a shiver down her spine.
“You’ll find out when you’re ready,” he said softly, his voice echoing in the quiet room.
And then, just as suddenly as he had appeared, he began to fade away, his form dissolving into the golden light that filled the room.
“Daniel, wait—” Annika reached out, but it was too late. He was gone, leaving her alone in the empty kitchen, the sound of the ocean growing louder and more insistent until it drowned out everything else.
Annika woke with a start, her heart pounding in her chest, her skin damp with sweat. She stared up at the ceiling, the dream still vivid in her mind, Daniel’s voice echoing in her ears. It had felt so real, so tangible, as if he had been there with her, speaking to her from beyond the grave.
She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, but the unease lingered. The questions that had been buried for so long were bubbling to the surface, and she knew she couldn’t ignore them any longer. Something about Daniel’s death had never felt right to her, and now, with everything that was happening, she couldn’t help but wonder if it was all connected.
But as much as she wanted to delve into the mystery of her brother’s death, she had to focus on the task at hand. The case she was working on was just as important, and it was the reason she had come back to Kodiak in the first place. She couldn’t afford to let her emotions distract her, not when there was so much at stake. She would give to Greta Hansen what she’d never been able to achieve for herself… closure.
Annika got out of bed and dressed quickly, her mind still buzzing with the remnants of the dream. She needed answers, and she knew just where to start.
The next morning, Annika found herself standing outside the Kodiak Public Library, a place that had once been a refuge for her as a child. She had spent countless hours here, devouring books and escaping into worlds far removed from her own. But today, she was here for a different reason.
Her mother, Carol, worked part-time at the library, a job she had taken after Daniel’s death to fill the emptiness that had consumed her. Annika hadn’t seen her mother since she’d left Kodiak, their relationship strained by the grief they had never fully addressed. But now, with everything that was happening, Annika felt a need to reconnect, to find out if her mother knew anything about the town’s history that could help with the investigation.
Steeling herself, Annika pushed open the door and stepped inside. The library was quiet, the smell of old books and polished wood brought back memories of simpler times. She spotted her mother at the circulation desk, her gray hair pulled back in a neat bun, and her eyes focused on the computer screen in front of her.
“Mom,” Annika called softly as she approached.
Carol looked up, surprise flashing across her face before it was replaced by a tentative smile. “Annika. I heard you were back, but I wasn’t expecting to see you here.”
“I thought I’d stop by,” Annika said, trying to keep her tone light despite the tension between them. “I’m working on a case, and I was hoping you might be able to help.”
Carol’s smile faded slightly, and she gestured for Annika to follow her to a quieter corner of the library. They sat down at one of the small tables, the silence between them heavy with unspoken words.
“What kind of case?” Carol asked, her voice careful, as if she was afraid of what Annika might say.
“It’s an old murder case…”
“Your brother wasn’t murdered, Annika. Why can’t you just accept that?”
“Because I never believed it, but I’m looking into Carl Hansen’s murder, not Daniel’s. Uncle Mike asked me to look into it,” Annika explained, keeping her tone neutral. “I’m trying to piece together what happened. I was hoping you might have some insight into the town’s history, maybe something that could help.”
Carol nodded slowly, her hands fidgeting with the edge of the table. “I remember that case. It was a big deal at the time. A lot of people were talking about it, but then it just… faded away. People stopped asking questions.”
Annika studied her mother’s face, searching for any hint of the woman who had raised her, the woman who had always been strong, even in the face of adversity. But all she saw was a tired, grieving mother who had never fully recovered from the loss of her son.
“What about Daniel?” Annika asked quietly, unable to keep the question at bay any longer. “Do you think his death was really an accident?”
Carol’s expression tightened, and for a moment, Annika thought she might refuse to answer. But then she sighed, her shoulders slumping as if under the weight of the years of pain and doubt.
“I’ve asked myself that question so many times,” Carol admitted; her voice barely above a whisper. “But every time I try to think about it, to really dig into what happened, I just… I can’t. It’s too painful, Annika. Losing him was… it broke me.”
Annika felt a lump form in her throat, her own grief rising to the surface. “It broke me, too, Mom. But I need to know. I need to understand what happened to him. I can’t shake the feeling that there’s more to it than we were told.”