How’s my mate?he asked.
“Not to harm her,” Marcus replied quickly. “He was there to watch over her. It’s what I would have done.”
“How do you know that? Did he confirm this with you?” Zeke asked pointedly.
“No.” Murphy turned back around in time to catch Marcus shaking his head, a flash of uncertainty crossing his features. “I didn’t have time to ask him. You realized I was in town only a few minutes after I arrived. Like I said before, that was the first time I’ve talked to him in months.”
Murphy took a deep breath, willing the anger radiating in his core to dissipate. Now wasn’t the time for reckless emotions. Now was the time to act.
To put this entire ordeal to rest.
“Thank you for telling me this,” Murphy told the tracker. “I’ve reflected on your actions in this matter, and while I amdispleased that you went behind my back, I don’t believe your intent toward this clan was malicious.”
Tears of relief filled Marcus’s eyes. The male squared his shoulders, blinking furiously in an attempt to keep his composure. “I would never put a single one of you at risk. Never, Alpha. You’re my family as much as Dante is.”
“I know.” Murphy reached out, grabbing his shoulder and squeezing. “This is a difficult time for all of us, Marcus, especially for you. But before I place judgment on your brother, I need to know … Will you stand by my side after today, no matter the outcome? If I sentence Dante to death, will you accept that?”
Marcus took a shuddering breath, a lone tear trailing down his cheek. “Yes,” he whispered thickly. He cleared his throat, his face reddening as another tear fell. “I’ll accept it without question.”
Murphy pulled the tracker into a fierce hug, palming the back of his head and holding the male’s face against his neck, a sign of both comfort and trust. Marcus let out a small sob, fisting the back of the Alpha’s sweater as he clung to him, body trembling.
“We’ll get through this,” Murphy murmured to the male. Zeke’s muted words of agreement filtered through the air behind them.
Breathing hard, Marcus eventually pulled away from him, a muscle jumping in his cheek. He lifted the hem of his shirt, wiping away the salty tears on his face. “Is it time?”
Murphy straightened. “It is.”
Zeke moved to the door, opening it and stepping aside, allowing the other males to enter first. Murphy went in, followed by Marcus and then Zeke, the long, narrow set of stone stairs leading them deep into the earth. The air grew humid the further down they ventured, dew gathering along the dirt and roots packed along the walls.
Once they reached the landing, they moved to the far end of the wide hall, three prison cells set on either side. Wide circulariron bars covered the front of each cell, all of them empty but the last one on the left. A lantern sat on a wooden chair beside the cell, the only source of light in the dank cavern.
Silently, the males moved toward it, and to Dante, who sat huddled in the corner of his cell, atop an old, worn down cot. His head snapped up as they approached, and, muscles stiff, he stood to his feet.
The male cracked a sad smile. “I thought you guys forgot about me down here.”
“Why were you hiding out in my mate’s town?” Murphy asked point-blank, refusing to waste more time with idle chatter.
He was so close to finishing this, to putting everything behind him, and offloading this burden from everyone’s shoulders. Now that the time was here, he was anxious to see the task completed.
Nessa’s words from last night echoed through his mind once more, her tears a constant soundtrack he couldn’t tune out. Taunting him. Pleading with him.
Jasper?he asked again, reaching out for his younger brother’s mind.Stop ignoring me.
Dante moved closer to the front of the cell, his bare feet kicking up dirt beneath him as he shuffled closer. “To watch her,” he answered solemnly.
Murphy’s bear stirred in his mind, the animal agitated at the vague response. “Why?” he bit out. “Were you planning to harm her?”
Dante’s head snapped back in surprise. “Fuck no!” he denied, voice heavy with disgust as the accusation. “I just …” His Adam’s apple bobbed, and he cursed under his breath. “I wanted to apologize to her, to beg for her forgiveness, really. But I couldn’t … I couldn’t find the strength to turn myself in at that time. So I did the next best thing. I protected her from afar.”
If Dante was telling the truth then Marcus was right. Betrayal aside, this was typical of the Dante Murphy he remembered.
Loyal, protective.
The Alpha’s ire faded, his resolve surrounding his decision strengthening.
“An apology can’t make up for what you’ve done,” Murphy informed the male, the words tasting foul as he spoke them.
Dante dropped his gaze. “I know.”
