Hunter sees the cuffs right away.
A frown clouds his face.
"What is going on?" he asks.
"She let a rogue go," Val explains.
"What?" Hunter cries.
"She let a rogue go," Val says again.
"I don't believe it," Hunter says.
"I saw it with my own eyes," Val says. She nudges me. "Tell him, Rylie."
Her voice is sharp.
I can feel my face redden.
I don't say anything.
I just bow my head.
Look down at my feet.
I don't want to look at the alpha.
I don't want to see the disappointment in his eyes.
"What do you have to say for yourself?" Hunter asks me.
His voice is hard.
"I'm sorry," I say.
"Sorry?" Hunter asks. "That's it? You failed your mission! Let your pack down!"
The disappointment is too much to bear.
A lie appears in my mind.
It is flimsy but it's all I've got.
Lying to my
