I stood in the war room doorway, heart pounding like war drums in my chest. Ryker looked up from the map table, and when our eyes met, I saw it—guilt. It slid over his expression too quickly for him to hide, but I saw it. Felt it.
He knew.
“You were there,” I said, voice low, raw. “You were there the night my brother died.”
Ryker froze. The others—his betas, the scouts, his advisers—sensed the shift in the air and quickly cleared out. Only Axel lingered for a beat too long, his eyes flicking between us with something that looked like satisfaction. Then he vanished, the door clicking shut behind him.
Ryker stepped toward me, but I held up a hand. My fingers trembled. “Don’t. Just answer me.”
“Nina...” His voice cracked, barely above a whisper. “I didn’t know. I swear to you—I didn’t kn
