The Mark of Betrayal (by Cooper) novel Chapter 48

Chapter 48: Second Betrayal

Roman

I knew Sawyer would begin pegging me with questions the moment we were alone. There was no way for me to force his pups to stay with us after Samara left and they went to find their friends. Rather than fight it, I pulled on Pierce’s strength to stay calm and I followed Sawyer to his office

He, like always, sits behind his desk like he’s the fucking king of the pack. It always sat wrong with me before. I’m his friend his brother‘. But he always put the distance of the desk between us when I came to visit. Always. I don’t even do that with my pack members when they come to talk to me. I always sit beside them, making them feel comfortable

Now I know why he does it. And he should keep his distance. He is right to fear me. He must have known that if I ever found

out what he did, I would kill him for it.

“So, now that it’s just the two of us, tell me, what did she see?” he asks.

I shrug, sitting back. “Thankfully she only heard her mother die, but that was enough. She saw her blood pooling under the door of the secret passage,” I say, gritting my teeth as Pierce pushes forward to keep me from leaping across that desk to kill

Sawyer.

“She heard her father’s wolf howl and heard it cut off, so she knew that he was dead. She was terrified, hiding in that secret

compartment until Theo found her. Why did you close that off?” I ask.

“Althea didn’t want the reminder that it was where her mother died,” he says.

I’m not sure I believe him, but I nod. Then, I smile thinking of one memory I can share with him. “Samara watched Theo catch an attacking wolf mid air, ripping its throat out before dragging her off. He was such an incredible man. He would have been

one hell of an Alpha.”

“So he got her out,” he says, ignoring what I said about Theo.

“Yeah.”

“Where? How?” he asks.

“He sent her to the side door, told her to stay in the shadows and get off the pack lands. He told her to run and not trust

anyone and that’s what she did.”

“I’m just wondering if she heard anything, saw anything that could help us figure out who was really responsible for this.”

“Don’t you think I would have said something already if she had?” I ask, daring him to ask anything else.

“Of course. I’m sorry it’s so hard for her coming back here,” he says.

“It’s not like it was going to be easy. I knew that. She knew that. It’s harder than either of us expected, but the pack certainly is happy to have her back,” I say, sending a jab that I know will find its mark. I don’t know enough about the white wolves, but as I laid awake last night, it occurred to me that as fated mates, the pack might be responding more strongly to Samara than they do to Althea. I could be wrong, but some visceral instinct inside me doesn’t think so.

*We’re on our way to you and Sawyer. Althea wants to confront him. Be ready, Samara’s warning floats into my n

mind

Finally, finally this will all be done and Sawyer will know EXACTLY what I saw in Samara’s mind. I don’t think that Althea

confronting Sawyer is a good idea, but she’s not my concern. Samara is my concern.

When Althea barges into the office, Sawyer and I both stand. I know immediately that something is off. Sawyer should be more concerned that Althea is angered and upset. It’s almost as if she’s confirming what he already suspected

As soon as his gaze turns to Samara, I bark at her to get to my side. I want her behind me, safe.

כיד

+25 BONUS

Instead of doing what I ask, Samara looks at Althea

NOW, SAMARA

I know it won’t work on her, but I put the full force of my Alpha command behind my words.

I watch her body jolt with the strength of my words and then she’s moving to my side. My claws have already come out and I’m ready to kill Sawyer. I push Samara behind me as Sawyer focuses on his mate.

“What are we going to do about this, Althea?” he says, taking a step toward her.

Samara moves like she intends to go protect her sister, but I put an arm out to stop her. I won’t let Sawyer kill his mate, but i won’t allow him to touch mine. He killed Theo. I have no doubt he would kill Samara.

Topen the mind link to my father. ‘Get ready.”

His response is instant. “We’re ready.”

“Well, it’s a fucking problem isn’t it? After all this time, I thought we were clear,” Althea says, and I feel the shock of her words flow through my body. It’s a combination of my own and Samara’s but the devastation, the burn of betrayal is all

Samara’s.

“What?” she whispers behind me.

“You know we have to kill them now,” Sawyer says as if we’re not in the room.

Althea shrugs. I already thought she was dead

“WHY?” Samara half screams, half snarls from behind me

Althea turns and looks at her. “Why? WHY? Because I’m a fucking white wolf, that’s why! The Moon Goddess thought she was

going to mate me with some fucking warrior? A warrior, Samara! You know our line can’t continue unless we’re mated to an

Alpha. What a fucking joke. And here you are, ten years younger than me, mated to an Alpha. Why you? Why was it always

you? Sweet, special little Samara. You got away with EVERYTHING! Well, I took my life into my own hands. Sawyer is a

second son and he needed a pack. I needed an Alphu so that I could be a Luna. It’s my destiny, Samara! And the Moon Goddess

tried to take that away from me!” she yells, her eyes taking on a crazy gleam.

1 feel my mate’s devastation at Althea’s words.

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