“Yes,” Virgil said. “I think it’s timetheyknew.”
In a smooth, almost protection motion, Virgil went to the other alpha’s side. We all waited for the man to remove his hoodandmask.
The hooded alpha sighed. “Fine. I’lldoit.”
Slowly, with shaking fingers, the man lifted the hood from his face and pushed it back. Underneath, he had unkempt darkbrownhair.
“Happy now?” hemuttered.
“The mask, too,” Virgil saidkindly.
With a grunt, the man lowered his face and went for the mask next. It came off. He lifted his head. An electric shockparalyzedme.
I was right. Ididknowthisman.
“Hector!?” Ishouted.
Hector winced, and braced himself. Virgil tensed as well, like he was ready to leap in at any moment if things wentsouth.
I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I blinked once, then twice. It was still him. I didn’t know what tothink.
“You know him?” Niko askedinnocently.
“Yes,” I said slowly. “I’ve met himbefore.”
He looked different now, to say the least. His hair was shaggy and uncared for, and a familiar set of scars ran across his face. His one eye was completely milky and pale - that must have been the eye that Charlie scratched all that time ago. I realized that was probably why he covered both his eyes; if I’d known he was blind in one and saw the scars, I would have known immediately itwashim.
“Nice to see you again,” Hector saidsarcastically.
Virgil glared at him. “Benice.”
“Oh, okay. Let me put on my get-along shirt with the guy who wanted tokillme.”
“What?” Niko exclaimed. “Does someone mind explaining what’s goingonhere?”
I pinched the bridge of my nose and exhaled deeply. “Hector is… someone I met under bad circumstances. Namely, he was working for Gunner and trying to steal my friend Charlie awayfromus.”
Hector chuckled humorlessly. “That sounds familiar,doesn’tit?”
“Hector,” Virgilchided.
“Wait, what?” Niko asked. “Did you reallydothat?”
A serious frown spread across Hector’s face. “Yes, I did. I had to. It was obey Gunner’s orders or die. That’s what it’s like here. Do you really think I wanted to get my ass kicked by a bunch of Indigo Mountain alphas trying to getoneomega to come back to Scarlet Ridge? Do you really think I don’t know how fucking awful it is here, and that Charlie never would have come back onhisown?”
I thought back to Hector crawling pathetically around as my alpha friends and I surrounded him. At that time, I’d wanted to kill him. The only reason he was still alive was because Charlie spared his life. He’d run off after that, and to be honest, I never gave him a second thought. To see him alive, and clearly a different person, made myheadspin.
“What happened after that?” Nikoasked.
“I came back here, because I had to. And as you can imagine, Gunner wasn’t too happy that I returned empty-handed. He almost blinded me in my other eye.” Hector pointed to the eye that still worked. “Except when I ducked out of the way on instinct, Gunner decided he’d had enough and tried to kill me instead. I only got away because of Virgil. He asked if it was really worth Gunner’s effort to kill me, and said he’d get rid of me in his place. Gunner agreed, and Virgil led me out of town. I live here, now, on the outskirts, and everyone thinksI’mdead.”
I listened to his story with disbelief. Even if I’d hated Hector because of his actions, did he really deserve what he’d been through? I wasn’t so sureanymore.
“Charlie was right when he spared you,” I said quietly. Hector’s face snapped up in shock. “You were working for Gunner and had no will of your own. Killing you wouldn’t have solved anything. The only thing that will work is getting rid of the problem at thesource.”
Hector looked stunned at my words. He bowed his head slightly in silentgratitude.
“I guess while we’re airing stuff out, there’s something else I should mention,” Hector grumbled. “I’m not actually analpha.”
