Page 29 of The Alpha's Silent Mate

Tears of relief choke me so that I couldn’t speak even if I wanted to. I throw myself at him, burying my face against his throat.

8

“Ikilled my pack.”

Shay doesn’t ask me how I did it. He just waits.

It took a long time before I could finally stop crying, but when I did, we walked back to the cabin.

The room is still just as cold as it was before, but even if Shay hadn’t wrapped us in furs from the bed, I still wouldn’t have felt the chill. After what nearly happened in the clearing—after Aron nearly killed Shay—all I feel is numb.

More blood drips from the bite on his shoulder, but it’s healing. Slower than I would like, but itishealing. I dab at the fresh blood with a damp cloth.

“That’s why I stopped talking.”

“Lexa?” Shay murmurs. “Look at me.”

I’ve avoided his gaze since the clearing, finding any excuse to look away. All during the walk back, I stared at the ground. Back in the cabin, I fixed my attention on the wall, and when he agreed to sit in the chair in front of the dead fire, I settled on my knees and focused my eyes on his wound.

Shay must have known what I was doing, but he hasn’t pushed once. Now, his fingers grip my chin and gently lift my face to his.

His eyes are soft as they study me. “I refuse to believe that’s true.”

Grasping his wrist, I tug until he releases me before lowering my head again. “It’s true.”

The next several seconds pass in silence, but I feel his attempts to read me. “You’re pulling away from me.”

I don’t deny it.

“Was this why you ran away before? You think you’re responsible?”

“I am.”

“Lexa, you’re—”

“No!” I jerk my gaze to his. “Look what happened. I brought them here. It would be better if…” my voice trails off because I hadn’t intended to say any of this.

“You left?” Shay’s voice is a whisper so low that I barely hear it.

But I feel the impact of his words as if he’d roared them.

I nod.

“Lexa—”

“No, Shay. It’s not safe for your pack if I stay.”

“Lexa. I—”

The door bursts open. Shay is on his feet and in front of me in a second. But the tension radiating up his back eases at the sight of a light brown wolf who immediately shifts.

I haven’t seen the brown-haired and green-eyed man with laugh lines around his mouth before, but he has to be pack if Shay isn’t treating him like a threat.

“Daniel, where’s Ewan?” Shay demands.

“Alpha. He’s back at the courtyard.”

Shay sighs. “There’s going to be a reason no one came to discover why we didn’t return yesterday, isn’t there?”

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