Ididn’t.
Please, baby. Look atme.
Baby?That got my attention. I glared athim.
I deservethat.
He deserved so much worse than aglare.
I deduced from his apologetic demeanor that Cole had uncovered something from Everest’sphone.
Eric started with the ritualistic singing that accompanied our people’s departure from this world, so Liam didn’t try to communicate with me again. I didn’t shed a single tear as Everest was lowered into the dug-out hole. I didn’t whimper as his remains were filmed with soil. I didn’t make a single sound while the dirt rained down on the pale linen. I watched with dry eyes and a dry throat until the very last scoop fell over him, and then I watched as Jeb patted the soft mound as though tucking his son in for the very lasttime.
When people headed into Headquarters for the wake, I stepped away from the women holding me up and approached the one who’d always pushed medown.
“I’m sorry he died.” My voice wastoneless.
Lucy stopped heaving and turned her reddened hazel eyes onmine.
“I always liked Everest. Even after he double-crossed me, I wanted him tolive.”
She stared at me for a long moment without speaking, and then she started yelling. “It’s because of you that he’s dead!You!You ruined our lives!” She jumped to her feet and began pummeling her fists into my chest, her bangles clinking furiously. “We should’ve left you to rot in that foul apartment. We shouldneverhave brought youback!”
Her blows didn’t hurt. My chest was too numb to hurt. Besides, it wasn’t my fault that Everest had died; it was his own fault. I didn’t bat her hands away. I didn’t much care for the blows she rained on me. August and Nelson must’ve cared though, because they each grabbed a freckled arm. And then Jeb was shrieking at her, spittle smacking his wife’snose.
She sneered at him. “I hope you die! All of you. Your species is unnatural and should be eradicated.” She spit onJeb.
August and Nelson hauled Lucy back and then dragged her around the building. Would they lock her up underneath the silver grate? I didn’t care what happened to my aunt. She was too miserable awoman.
Ness?Liam’s minty scent wafted over my shoulder and snaked into me, buryingdeep.
Slowly, I turned and faced my Alpha. The pain on his face didn’t soften my resolve to keep himaway.
“What?” I askedjadedly.
I’m sorry for not believingyou.
I pressed my lipstight.
Cole managed to track where the message was sent from through the Wi-Fi that was used, and it wasn’t from your phone. Wasn’t even fromBoulder.
I was relieved to have been cleared, but the pain of the hasty condemnation remained. “Why is it, Liam, that I am I not allowed the trust you give others in the pack so freely? Because I’m new? Because I haven’tearnedit? What exactly must I do to earn it?” Breaths broke like waves around my clenched teeth. “I would never have undermined you, Liam. And not because of any exchange of blood, but because when I give my word to someone, I uphold it. I have a lot of flaws. I’m the first person to admit how stubborn and argumentative I can be, and I’ve spoken my fair share of lies. I’m far from being anangel.”
Liam’s black pupils pulsed andpulsed.
“But I’ve always prided myself on being a good person—a reliable and loyal one. I haveneverbetrayed anyone in my entire life. And I wouldn’t have started with the pack I’ve coveted for so long, or the boy”—my voice broke—“or the boy who . . . who . . . ” I couldn’t finish my sentence. It hurt too damnmuch.
Liamwinced.
The tears that hadn’t come for Everest finally surfaced. I scrubbed them away, but they wouldn’t stop dripping. I took a step back, and then another. Liam didn’t move. He just stayed there, legs planted like tree trunks into theearth.
I spun around. Instead of heading toward Headquarters, I headed for the road and startedwalking.
Andwalking.
Evelyn called my name, but I didn’tstop.
I walked until the sky grew so dark that all the stars came out. And under this shower of light, upon blistered feet, I made my way down the miles and miles of sinuous dirtroad.
