Page 86 of Alpha's Rejected Warrior
“After what just happened, I don’t see how I can justify further investigation or delaying his trial any longer.” Xander’s mouth flattens into that stubborn line I know too well. “He almost wiped the dungeon floor with us. All of us.”
My stomach twists, my thoughts colliding in rapid succession. Jayme is being controlled. Someone orchestrated this. Someone who knew exactly what buttons to push.
“But Alpha—” I begin.
Commotion erupts outside. Instinct kicks in. I’m halfway upright with my hand over the hilt of my sword before my body screams in protest. Xander steps toward the door, shielding Thea.
The door bursts open. Ethan rushes in, followed by Conan, Akila. . .and Branson.
This is now the second time I’ve seen him out of his chambers despite placing him on house arrest.
The guard trails behind them. “Forgive me, My Lord. They insisted—”
“It’s fine.” Xander dismisses the guard with a wave as he stands, then looks at Ethan. “What is it?”
Ethan’s eyes find mine briefly before shifting to Xander. “We need to talk about Jayme. We think he’s being controlled by someone else.”
What is Ethan doing?
Xander’s forehead creases as he scans Conan’s, Akila’s, and Branson’s faces. “I appreciate that you want to defend your comrade, but we know that’s not possible. Lycans can’t be mind-controlled.”
“You’re right.” Branson’s deep voice rumbles through the room. “Normal Lycans can’t be. But my brother isn’t a normal Lycan.”
The air shifts. I brace myself, knowing what is about to be revealed.
“Jayme is a Scarlet Wolf.” The confession drops like a stone.
“What?” Xander recoils half a step. “His appearance doesn’t match a Scarlet Wolf.”
“It’s true,” Branson continues. “He’s been dying his fur to disguise it.”
The temperature in the room plummets. Xander’s eyes flash, his wolf rising to the surface.
His gaze snaps to me. “Did you know about this?”
“I just discovered it earlier.” The words come out steadier than I feel. “That’s why I placed Branson under house arrest.”
“And you didn’t think to tell me immediately?” His voice drops to a dangerous rumble. “Do you understand the consequences of this? A Scarlet in our pack, near my pregnant Luna, during delicate peace negotiations—”
“With all due respect, Alpha,” Ethan interrupts with that reckless courage of his. “Does it matter what Jayme is if someone else is pulling his strings?”
“Of course it does.” Xander’s attention shifts to Ethan, giving me a moment to breathe. “But what makes you so certain he’s being controlled?”
“Because none of this makes sense, My Lord,” Conan says. “Sure, Jayme’s got a bit of a temper, but he’s worked his ass off to be one of us for over a year.
“He earned our trust, proved himself worthy of the Guard.” Akila looks straight at Xander. “Why would he suddenly throw that away, after everything he’s been through?”
“And the memory loss?” Branson says. “When has a wolf ever forgotten what they did in their shifted form?”
Xander’s posture doesn’t soften, but I see the flicker of doubt in his eyes.
“Blackroot.” Ethan’s sudden declaration makes everyone turn. “Jayme uses Blackroot to dye his hair. The seers keep seeing Blackroot in their visions. The visions are a warning. Someone who knows about Jayme is trying to sabotage the summit.”
It makes sense.I turn to Branson. “Who else knows that Jayme is a Scarlet?”
“No one else that I’m aware of. We’ve been very careful.”
“That doesn’t explain everything.” Akila shakes her head. “Who would want to sabotage the summit? No Lycan would risk another Moon Curse. We suffered too much during those years.”
