47. don't lie to me

For several long moments the two of them stood there in suspended silence, staring at each other. There was a mental tug of war for the both of them. Justin seemed to be debating on what his next move would be. Shayde considered how to explain his murder if the man thought to lie to him again. Luckily he wouldn't have to worry. Justin's next words proved he'd retained his intelligence.

“When you went out for your run I went back to the castle. I’d been preparing to fetch some warriors to head out, to search for the rogue as you requested,” Justin started his explanation of the days events, his head still lowered. The man understood that his life hung in the balance, that his honesty was the only hope for his survival. “I’d managed to catch the humans scent in the galleria. I’d thought she’d escaped her rooms and soldiers were training, so I’d followed her scent.”

Just stopped for a deep breath, clearly troubled by the confession he’d made.

Shayde mentally braced himself to hear the rest of his beta’s story. For his confession would mean the difference between his life and death. He had no illusions of what would happen if the man tried lying to him. By this point Danika’s survival had come to mean more to him than he ever thought. The bonds that he shared with this man and their people paled compared to the one he experienced with Danika. He knew he wouldn’t be able to let this one go.

“I found her in the cell in the basement,” Justin uttered so softly had he not been paying attention he’d never had heard it. It was clear he didn’t want to tell him what’d happened, but had been left with no choice. “The three of them had knocked her around a little, but she’d fought them off well on her own. She’d countered every attack, giving as good as she got and even stabbed one of Clarissa’s friends. I don’t have a clue to what the three of them were trying, but I stepped in. I told them it wasn’t their place to question your decision. I then picked her up and took her to her room, where I locked the door.”

Unable to quench the desire a balled fist swung out and struck the man in the side of his face. He watched in satisfaction as Justin flew backwards by several feet. “Just so we’re clear that’s for lying to me. Why did you lie?”

Justin shook off the assault on him and picked himself off the ground. “Because you’ve become too attached to this verm—human,” he was wise to correct his original assumption, hearing the low growl in his alphas chest. He really didn't want to die today. “You threatened to kill me only hours earlier, simply for correcting her disrespect of you. I’m your best friend, I’m the only one that’s always stood by your side, backing your corner. I knew if you ever found out what really happened, you wouldn’t hold back on those girls."

Shayde took a calculating step forward, towering over the man. "So you presumed to tell me what I had the right to no. Furthermore you lied to my fucking face, hid the truth from me."

His beta took a careful step backwards, avoiding the close proximity with the man. "Come on Shayde, be reasonable man. You cannot blame them for their hatred of her, when our cubs are taught from birth what baseless creatures the humans are. You can't everyone to suddenly change hundreds of years of conditioning because you've been taken in by one.”

“I’m not attached,” he clearly lied. He didn’t even attempt to comment on the rest, knowing Justin wouldn’t survive the outburst.

“Yes you are man,” Justin promptly rejected his claims. “I’m not the only one that thinks so either. After dinner everyone asked me what was so special about this human that you’d risk exposing your entire pack. Our world. The hunters would descend on us in droves, not to mention if the Black Guard was to find out.”

So all the pack members were talking behind his back, questioning his decisions even now. No surprise there, he’d been expecting as much. Shayde just figured all of them would have more faith in him, but clearly he was wrong. “When the timing is right I will tell them she’s going to have my baby. There’s no need for me to say anything until the deal is done, because the second word gets out she’ll be targeted. You know why I’m doing this, Justin. We’ve discussed this in full length, for months. I shouldn’t have to ask you to protect the mother of your future king. You can rest assured that she won’t see anything.”

He couldn’t miss the roll of his eyes or the mask of disgust that fell on his face. It was brief, but obvious. Shayde knew it was because Danika was human, but he couldn’t defend her race. He couldn’t bring himself to argue beliefs that he’d had until the day she walked into his life. And had it not been for the fact he was mated to one his beliefs would’ve never wavered.

“You don’t have to like her, but you will protect her with your life,” Shayde ordered, bearing down on the man, forcing him to look in his eyes. “Do you understand?”

“Yes alpha,” Justin submitted reluctantly.

Spinning around on his heels he sought to get out of there, before Caspar managed to escape. At the last minute he stopped, “I need you to deal with Clarissa and her friends. Send them all away.”

Justin’s head snapped up, a frown creasing his brow, at the demands made of him. “You want them expelled from our territory. Where am I to send them?”

“Anywhere. I don’t care where,” he informed him without a backward glance. “I don’t care where you send them, just know they have until sundown to get off my land. If they dare to come back there will be consequences.”

He bowed his head. “Yes, alpha.”

For some the punishment may seem harsh, but the best resolution he could offer. Caspar thrashed around in the back of his head, demanding justice and vengeance for his mate. His wolf wasn’t the least satisfied by these turn of events and honestly, if he was being truthful, neither was he. He’d wanted them to suffer, to know the true depths of his rage, to feel their blood coating his hands. But he knew killing members of his pack for hurting a human wouldn’t help Danika. It’d insight a rebellion among his people, for daring to choose her, a human, over his own kind. In the end it'd be the cause of their own destruction.

He’d been right when he claimed that his child would pay the price for his decision. For any blood that he’d shed before his death would be heaped atop the head of his child.

His intentions of heading back to the house to take her food were curtailed. Delilah stood at the back door of the castle, arms crossed over her chest, clearly waiting for him. Great. He’d known it was too good to be true to think he could escape the witch forever. She was determined to find out the truth, even against his wishes.

“We need to speak," she informed him.

“Don’t even start,” he warned.

Delilah clearly didn’t listen. “If she’s who I think she is then she is the key to breaking the witches curse. She could save you.”

Before he could even think to comment he heard one of the warriors reaching him through the mind link.

“Sire, we have a serious problem.”