I stare at him for a long moment, allowing frustration to grow in my veins. “Did you enjoy yourself while you stabbed your pack in the back?”
“I-I had no choice. He threatened my family.”
I tighten my fists. “You could have spoken to me. You could have tried at least. We could have worked something out, but instead, you let Ryker know about the attack and my mate.My mate.”
Carson shudders at the intensity of my voice. “He was going to kill them if I didn’t tell him something.”
“So you told himeverything?”
His eyes close in defeat. “You know what your father was like, Caleb,” he rasps. “He didn’t give up, and he certainly wouldn’t let you leave without bleeding you dry for all the information you know.”
“In what world would he have brought up Evan?”
Carson steps back into the wall as I square up to him.
“Because from what I know, he had no clue Evan even existed, so why would you tell him about my mate?”
“He—” he pauses for a moment.
I raise my brow. “He what?”
“He wanted to know what was distracting you.”
My eye twitches. “You didn’t even think to lie or twist the truth about something else. Do you remember that Ryker nearly killed him? That he mademenearly kill him.”
Carson shakes his head. “I-I didn’t know what he was going to do; he kept threatening my wife and son, Caleb. I’m sorry, okay? I panicked.”
“You gave away too much information when you could have been smarter.”
“I wasn’t thinking. Unless you’re in that position, you wouldn’t understand.”
My nostrils flare at his words. “I was in that position my entire life, and yet, I’ve never stabbed anyone in the back. You put us all in danger.”
“For my family!” he exclaims. “I know you’d do the same for Evan.”
I grit my teeth as fire roars in my soul. “Don’t fucking say his name.”
I would do the same for Evan. But I’d only present information piece by piece, not everything at once. Evan never should have been involved. Carson should have kept Evan’s name out of his mouth and pretended he didn’t exist. That’s what I don’t understand.
“You ran away after my father dragged you to his position in the North,” I hiss. “You left without even an explanation, and you expect me to give you the time of day now? There were people there who needed help, and you didn’t even stop to try. That says a lot about who you are.”
Carson shakes his head. “I saw what you did to Ryker. Your powers. All of it. You think I wanted to hang around for you to do the same to me?”
“Still tells me you’re a coward who ran because he was scared.”
He lowers his head. “C-can I see my wife? Is she okay?”
I exhale a slow breath. “Funnily enough, she’s mortified you’d go against your own pack.”
Carson’s eyes waver. “Please.”
“Don’t. I don’t want to hear it.”
“What are you going to do with me?”
I drag my tongue along my bottom lip as I study him. “I don’t know yet, but if I were you, I’d get comfortable. You might be here for a while.”
“Caleb–” he murmurs desperately.
