Chapter 171

DOMINIC’S POV “What have you got so far?” I asked, my voice sharp as I stepped into the temporary command room we had set up on the outskirts of Dorian’s territory. The room fell silent for a moment before one of my trackers, Elias, stepped forward. His expression was grim, tired from hours of combing through terrain that led nowhere. “He’s correct,” Elias began, nodding with reluctant respect. “We found traces of Evelyn’s scent on the far end of the territory, just beyond the river bend—exactly where Dorian said she escaped.” I raised an eyebrow but said nothing. “The room he showed us had her scent. The guards’ statements lined up. The evidence he provided—broken restraints, claw marks, and the opened window—it all adds up. The story fits,” Elias finished. Too perfectly. I paced the room, my fingers twitching at my side. It was all too clean, too convenient. Derek must’ve picked up on my silence, because he leaned against the edge of the table and crossed his arms. “Don’t you think a