A spacious deck adjoined the dining area, furnished with a table and chairs. The unfenced yard featured a pair of large stone steps leading directly into the wooded area behind the house. As Luca had indicated it would.
The residence lacked an alarm system, and Luca unlocked the back door in under a minute; entry to her home was excessively simple. Ryder disapproved; if they could gain access so effortlessly, then so could others. Human, wolf, or any other supernatural entity, for that matter.
Brianna’s bedroom was spacious and featured a gas fireplace in the corner near the window, rather than a natural wood-burning one. She possessed a spacious en-suite, accompanied by a connected walk-in wardrobe. Her suite occupied one-third of the entire top floor. The room featured minimalistic decor, including a large queen-sized bed, two black wooden bedside tables, and a straightforward black padded headboard. Additionally, there was a chair positioned by the fireplace; that was all.
Photographs adorned the fireplace mantle, depicting her and Logan engaged in various activities such as snowboarding, snorkelling, and sailing. One image captured them indoor rock climbing, while others showcased their visits to Disneyland and Universal Studios. Several images featured Logan as an infant, including one of him, likely just a day old, swaddled in a crochet baby blanket.
Ryder retrieved one and exhaled audibly. He was unaware of how much of the boy’s life he had missed. He desired to take one or two for himself, but refrained. Brianna would become aware of his presence in her house, specifically in her bedroom. It is highly probable that he could be detected by scent. At this juncture, he was indifferent to that matter. However, he deemed it inappropriate to take something from her residence.
Brianna would have to acclimatise to his scent; he was persistent, as he had been previously, and she had no expectation of dismissing him now. He was determined to bring her in and raise the boy within his pack, ensuring their safety in the pack-house.
Logan’s room was replete with possessions; he lacked for nothing and possessed all that he could desire. A snowboard was suspended on a wall hook, with a pair of ice skates positioned directly beneath it. In one corner of the room, baseball equipment was stored, while a soccer ball and basketball were contained within a bag in the walk-in closet. The boy possessed a sizable king single bed and a shelf adorned with track and field medals, which elicited a smile from Ryder as he examined and read each one, noting that they were all first or second place, indicating his speed.
A study desk positioned beneath the window overlooked the backyard, and adjacent to the window was an expansive pinboard adorned with numerous photographs. The boy had travelled extensively with Brianna, as evidenced by photographs of them at the Eiffel Tower in France, near Big Ben in London, and on the Great Wall of China. He declined with a shake of his head. This child had visited numerous locations, some of which he had not personally experienced.
A few individuals were snowboarding, and he recently discerned, presumably during the long weekend, that she had departed. He removed a photograph from the board and flipped it over. It bore no inscriptions, yet he appeared to possess one now.
Activated the boy’s computer and powered it on. He sighed, as it was password protected.
“Consider Rowan.” Luca smiled at him while leaning against the bedroom door frame.
“What is the cause of your smile?”“He enquired of him.”
“You cannot refrain from touching everything.”
“Ha ha,” Ryder murmured, acknowledging the man’s correctness; he indeed desired to touch everything. He typed in Rowan, and it functioned. He seated himself in the boy’s chair and perused his photo gallery. Indeed, there were additional photos, and he observed that they had been downloaded this week.
Recently, there were several images of him alone, as well as a few featuring him and Brianna smiling at the camera. They appeared content in every photograph. He felt sorrowful for having missed numerous opportunities, yet there was nothing he could do to rectify it.
Entered the third bedroom and discovered it was not a bedroom but a studio for remote work, where a torn dress was draped over a mannequin in the rear corner, partially obscured by a decorative privacy screen. The mannequin had experienced more favourable times, he observed. Despite the room’s immaculate condition, it bore a striking resemblance to her store studio, featuring a comfortable high-backed wing chair.
Contacted her computer positioned on the desk adjacent to the door. It was additionally secured with a password. Neither he nor Luca could achieve it; it was not Logan, Layla, Dieng, nor Ryder, nor any of the pack’s names. Neither Anna nor Andrew possessed the requisite knowledge to manipulate the situation; they were unaware of her intricacies.
The house was immaculate, including Logan’s room, which, despite being cluttered, was organised, indicating Brianna’s preference for orderliness. The location he observed contained sparse furnishings, devoid of any clutter except for photographs and a few framed magazine covers featuring her name in her studio. There was absolutely nothing.
