His Killer, His Mate

Answers Refused

Sable

I barely slept.

Not because I was afraid of Darius.

At least, that's what I told myself.

I was afraid of what his existence meant.

Every time I closed my eyes, I saw him.

Not the man I remembered.

The wolf.

Midnight-black fur.

Those black eyes.

The weight of his body pinning me down.

His teeth against my neck.

And then the memory that had haunted me for years came crashing back.

Blood.

His blood.

His body.

His death.

I sat up sharply.

My breathing came fast.

No.

I couldn't do this again.

I needed answers.

Real ones.

Not Xavier's jokes. Not Victoria's sympathetic smiles. Not the Beta's cold warnings.

Answers.

I threw the blanket aside and got out of bed.

The door opened before I reached it.

Xavier stood there with a tray in his hands.

He blinked.

I stared at him.

He looked at me.

Then at the tray.

Then back at me.

"Good morning?"

I folded my arms.

"No."

His eyebrows lifted.

"Okay. Bad morning?"

"Where is Darius?"

The smile disappeared from his face so quickly it almost would've been funny.

Almost.

He stepped into the room and carefully placed the tray on the table.

"I brought breakfast."

"I asked where Darius is."

"Breakfast is important."

"Xavier."

He sighed.

"You're very demanding before you've eaten."

"And you're very annoying when you're avoiding a question."

"See? You remember me."

I glared at him.

He gave me a small smile.

It didn't reach his eyes.

That was when I knew.

He knew something.

"You knew," I said.

His smile faltered.

"Knew what?"

"Don't."

His expression changed.

"What?"

"You knew he was alive."

Silence.

There.

That was all I needed.

He didn't deny it.

I stepped closer.

"You knew."

"Sable—"

"You knew before you came to get me."

He looked away.

My stomach twisted.

"How long?"

Xavier rubbed the back of his neck.

"I can't tell you."

A bitter laugh escaped me.

"Of course."

"It's not what you think."

"Then tell me what it is."

"I can't."

"Because Darius told you not to?"

His silence answered for him.

I stepped back.

The realization hurt more than it should have.

"Unbelievable."

"Sable."

"No. Don't 'Sable' me."

I walked past him.

"Where are you going?"

"To find someone who will actually answer me."

His footsteps followed.

"Sable, wait."

I ignored him.

I made it halfway down the corridor before I heard another voice.

"You're up early."

I stopped.

The Beta stood at the end of the hallway.

Tall.

Broad.

Light brown hair neatly pushed back, silver-grey eyes watching me with an unreadable expression.

He looked exactly as intimidating as always.

Good thing I'm not intimidated by him.

"Where is Darius?"

His jaw tightened.

"That's not your concern."

I laughed bitterly.

"Excuse me?"

"You need to return to your room."

"I'm not a prisoner."

His eyes hardened.

"Then stop behaving like one."

Something inside me snapped.

"You dragged me here."

"You were brought back because—"

He stopped himself.

My eyes narrowed.

"Because what?"

Nothing.

He said nothing.

I stepped closer.

"Finish that sentence."

"It's not my place to explain the Alpha's decisions."

"Of course it isn't."

I turned away.

"Then perhaps I'll ask Victoria."

"Sable."

I stopped.

"Don't involve my wife in this."

I turned slowly.

"Why?"

He didn't answer.

I smiled bitterly.

"Because she knows too?"

His expression gave him away.

My chest tightened.

"You all knew."

He said nothing.

"You all knew he was alive."

Still nothing.

"And you brought me back here knowing I killed him ."

His eyes flickered.

"You did not kill him."

I froze.

The hallway suddenly felt too quiet.

"What?" My voice trembled. Shivers ran down my spine.

The Beta's expression hardened immediately.

"I said nothing."

"You absolutely said something."

"I said you need to return to your room."

I stared at him.

"You can't do that."

"Do what?"

"Drop something like that and pretend you didn't."

He walked past me.

I turned.

"Did I kill him?"

He stopped.

For several seconds, neither of us moved.

Then he looked over his shoulder.

"Ask the Alpha."

And walked away.

My heart hammered.

Ask the Alpha.

So that was how this was going to be.

Fine.

If nobody else wanted to talk, I'd find the one person who could.

I don't know how long I stood there, but before I could take another step, I heard voices coming from the sitting room nearby.

I recognized Xavier's.

I moved toward the doorway quietly.

"She deserves to know."

Preston answered.

"It's not our decision."

"She's going to find out eventually."

A pause.

Then the Beta's voice dropped.

"Not until he decides she's ready."

My blood ran cold.

He.

Darius.

I stepped into the room.

Both men froze.

Xavier's eyes widened.

Preston swore under his breath.

I looked between them.

"How long?"

Neither answered.

"How long have you known?"

Xavier opened his mouth.

I raised my hand.

"Don't lie to me."

His mouth closed.

Preston's expression remained unreadable.

I laughed quietly.

"This is unbelievable."

"Sable—"

"No."

I looked at Xavier.

"I trusted you."

His face softened.

"And I didn't want to lie to you."

"But you did."

"I was following orders."

"His orders."

Silence.

I nodded slowly.

"Right."

I walked away.

I didn't know where I was going.

I just knew I couldn't stay there.

I found Victoria in the kitchen.

She stood beside the counter, arranging something, when she noticed me.

Her face immediately brightened.

"Sable."

I didn't return the smile.

Her expression fell.

"What happened?"

"Did you know?"

She went still.

"Know what?"

"Don't do that."

She swallowed.

I stepped closer.

"Did you know Darius was alive?"

Her eyes dropped.

That was enough.

I closed my eyes.

For a moment, I couldn't speak.

"Everyone knew."

Victoria reached for my hand.

I pulled away.

"I'm sorry."

"Then tell me."

"I can't."

"Why?"

She hesitated.

"Because he asked us not to."

I stared at her.

"He asked?"

She nodded.

"Why?"

"I don't know."

"You're his Beta's wife."

"That doesn't mean he tells me everything."

I wanted to scream.

Instead, I whispered, "Why did you let me believe he was dead?"

Victoria's eyes filled with something that looked painfully close to pity.

"Because we weren't the ones who made you believe that."

My heart stopped.

"What does that mean?"

She shook her head.

"I've already said too much."

"Victoria."

"I'm sorry."

She walked away.

I stood there, staring after her.

My mind was spinning.

Not the ones who made you believe that.

Then who?

Who had made me believe Darius was dead?

And why?

I left the kitchen and walked mindlessly through the halls.

Everywhere I looked, people watched me.

Whispers followed me.

Doors closed.

Conversations stopped.

The entire pack knew something.

Something I didn't.

And suddenly, I wasn't angry anymore.

I was scared.

Because for years, I'd carried the weight of believing I had killed my mate.

I'd built an entire life around that truth.

I'd run.

I'd hidden.

I'd survived.

And now everyone around me was telling me, without actually saying it, that my version of that night was wrong.

I entered the waiting room, turned toward the big windows facing the courtyard.

And froze.

Darius stood below.

Even from this distance, I knew it was him.

He was speaking to one of the guards, his back partly turned toward me, but there was no mistaking that presence.

My heart slammed against my ribs.

Before I could think better of it, I stepped toward the window.

One step.

Then another.

I was going to go down there.

I was going to ask him myself.

I was done waiting.

But before I could reach the door, Darius looked up.

Our eyes met.

My breath caught.

For one suspended second, neither of us moved.

Then he turned away.

He said something to the guard and walked toward the opposite side of the courtyard, disappearing through an archway.

I stared after him.

“Where is he going?”

“Going somewhere, I assume.”

I nearly jumped.

I turned around.

Xavier was standing in the doorway, holding a tray of food like he hadn't just scared ten years off my life.

“How do you people keep appearing out of nowhere?”

He grinned. “Excellent training.”

I ignored him.

“Where is Darius going?”

His grin faded slightly.

“Why?”

“Because I need to speak to him.”

“That's probably a terrible idea.”

“I didn't ask whether it was a good idea.”

“Fair.”

He stepped into the room and shut the door behind him.

“He's in his study.”

I stared at him.

“You know where he is?”

“I know where the Alpha usually is when he wants to avoid people.”

My stomach tightened.

“He's avoiding me?”

Xavier didn't answer.

He didn't have to.

That was answer enough.

For years, I had been afraid of the truth.

Now I was beginning to think the truth had been afraid of me.

I walked towards the door because if Darius was the reason everyone was refusing to answer me...

Then I was done asking everyone else.

I was going to ask him myself.