Page 76 of Alpha's Rejected Warrior
“Yes, I am well aware.”
“They’re bred assassins. Mercenaries working in the shadows. They can’teverbe trusted. How could you bring him here? How could you put us all at risk like this? Do you have any idea of the damage he has already done to our chance to achieve peace? We’ve escaped the Moon Curse for only a year, and now, because of what Jayme has done, we might face something far more devastating. Do youunderstandthat?”
He says nothing, only hangs his head.
“Do you understand that if Stasio finds out — ifanyonefinds out — Stasio will be convinced that we planted him here with the intention of assassinating them?”
I put my hands over my face in despair. The revelation hits me, and I can barely breathe.
“I can’t expect you to understand why I did this,” Branson says. “I certainly can’t expect you to accept it. But you know who I am, Rhiannon. You know that I’m faithful to this pack. I would never betray my Alpha or my Commander. Not for any reason. Jayme is of the same mind. You know what we left behind to be a part of the Crescent Pack.”
I look at him, this gentle giant who has been nothing but a source of security for all of us. He’s always been my brother-in-arms.
But now, he has betrayed me in the worst possible way.
“I’m relieving you of duty,” I say to him. “And confining you to your quarters under house arrest until—” I stammer.Until when? Until we execute your brother?I take a breath and continue, “Until we decide what the next steps will be. Is that understood?”
He nods and says, “Yes, Commander.”
“Return to the training grounds,” I say. “Put Akila in charge, then go straight to your quarters. I’ll assign a guard to watch you shortly.”
Branson’s nostrils flare.
“You are not to leave your quarters or see Jayme without me present.”
“Yes, Commander.”
He turns and heads back toward the training grounds, his shoulders rigid. I watch him go, this man who has stood beside me through countless battles, now soon to be reduced to a prisoner in his own home.
My wolf paces restlessly. Everything I thought I knew has crumbled.
I stand there for a moment, my hands shaking. I take a deep breath to ground myself, processing what I know now.
If Jayme is a Scarlet, then he must be guilty. The evidence, the attacks, everything points to—
No.I stop myself mid-thought. I won’t let ignorance cloud my judgment.
Being a Scarlet doesn’t automatically make him guilty of these crimes.
I’ve trained him for nearly a year. His dedication, his perseverance to belong, I’ve seen all of it. Not to mention the way he helps younger guards, always being respectful, never getting aggressive unless provoked during sparring.
Yes, Scarlets have a dark history. But history isn’t destiny.
That confused face in the dungeon comes back to me, the genuine bewilderment in his eyes when he said he couldn’t remember the attack. That wasn’t deception — I would have sensed it. My instincts about people have never failed me.
Branson knows his brother, too. And despite my anger at being deceived, I know Branson’s judgment is sound.
Jayme is still innocent, but he’ll always be a Scarlet Wolf.
And I need to tell Xander immediately.
My stomach churns as I walk toward his quarters. Once he learns Jayme is a Scarlet, there won’t be any more delays. There’ll be no more investigation. He’ll order the trial, and we both know how that will end.
The evidence and testimonies already point to Jayme’s guilt. Now, with his true nature revealed, Xander will see no choice but to proceed with swift justice, not only to appease Stasio and prevent war with the Shaman, but also to manage the upheaval among the pack once they discover that a Scarlet has been living among us.
But I still believe Jayme. Somehow, I have to convince Xander to give me more time to prove it before they condemn him to death.
As I approach Alpha Xander’s office, I see that the door is ajar, and I hear voices before I reach it. I pause outside, recognizing Stasio’s cautious tone alongside Xander’s deeper voice.
