139 I Am Responsible
“Bell…” Ashleigh called out to her gently.
Bell’s eyes moved down to the paper Ashleigh held. She swallowed, and her eyes fell to the floor.
“You read it….” Bell said quietly.
Ashleigh looked down at the letter. She folded it and set it down on the desk. Looking back to Bell.
“Yea,” she replied gently.
Bell nodded, squeezing herself tighter.
“So, this is all my fault then?” she asked, looking at Wyatt. “Whatever deal you struck with that bloodsucker is why you left Cain out in the cold? Why Caleb and the rest of Summer hate us? Why all those wolves without suitable armor or upgrades died?!”
She gasped as she lost control of her cries, and sobbed gently.
“No!” Wyatt shouted immediately. “No.”
He shook his head as he stood from his chair. He made his way past Ashleigh and over to Bell. Wyatt stood before her and carefully, gently placed his hands on her shoulders.
She let out another soft cry as he did.
“None of this your fault,” he said gently. “I made every choice; I am responsible for the lives of my wolves.”
“But you did those things because of me?” she asked.
“Please, Bell,” his voice shook with heavy emotion. “Please, come, sit down. You deserve to know the truth.”
He looked back at Ashleigh.
“You both do.”
Ashleigh and Bell sat together on the sofa without saying a word. Ashleigh wanted to offer Bell comfort, but she didn’t know how. Wyatt made sure the door was locked so no one could just walk in. He sat across from them in his chair and took a deep breath.
“I told you that to get Bell free of Autumn, I needed Cain’s help,” Wyatt began. “As I already said, I do not know what the deal he struck with Tomas was, but I know it was something big. Something important.”
“Important how?” Ashleigh asked.
“I don’t know. I only know that Tomas’s satisfied look when they came out of that room was unsettling,” Wyatt answered.
“If he was happy, it wasn’t worth it,” Bell said quietly.
Wyatt lowered his gaze.
Ashleigh saw the tension building, the unease and discomfort between them.
“I don’t see how this would be a betrayal of Alpha Cain. It sounds like he chose to help,” Ashleigh said, then turning to Bell, she added. “And it was the right choice.”
Bell turned away, facing the empty side of the room.
“I told you that you needed to understand what happened years before he died,” Wyatt said. “So that you might understand why I made the choices I have made since his death.”
Ashleigh swallowed down her nerves.
“Caleb and the Summer pack blame me for Cain’s death because Cain was missing for two weeks before he was found. The last place anyone had reported seeing him was near the southern border of Winter.
“Caleb asked me personally to investigate. I gave him my word that I would. But after two weeks, I returned to Caleb with nothing, not even a body.”
“What? But they had a pyre for Alpha Cain,” Ashleigh said. “I remember it was the start of all the drama between the packs. Alphas Gorn and Tomas were both invited, but you weren’t.”
“The pyre was purely symbolic,” Wyatt said, “I told Caleb I never found Cain. Only signs of his struggle with the rogue wolves. It was one of the reasons he did not believe me.
“But I would not let him investigate it further. Because it happened in Winter territory, there was nothing he could do about it.”
Wyatt leaned forward in his chair, resting his elbows on his knees. Ashleigh could see the weariness on his face.
“Rogue wolves?” Bell asked.
Wyatt lifted his eyes to her.
New tears formed in her eyes, and she let out a bitter laugh.
“He really likes that excuse, doesn’t he?” she said.
Wyatt looked away.
“Please, dad,” Ashleigh said. “Just tell us what happened.”
Wyatt took a deep breath and nodded. ρꪖꪕᦔꪖꪕꪫꪣꫀꪶ
“After Caleb asked for my help, I left for the southern border where Cain was last seen. I tracked him for several days. I found campsites and fresh kills.
“But then I found something else. Signs of a struggle. Blood trails, bodies.”
“Bodies?” Ashleigh asked.
“Yes, wolves,” Wyatt said
“Ours?” she asked.
“Theirs,” Bell growled.
Wyatt nodded.
“I found four different wolves, each with dark markings in their fur.”
Ashleigh looked between Wyatt and Bell.
“Are you saying it was…” Ashleigh was shocked. Even with all the stories she had heard, she couldn’t believe it.
“Yes,” Wyatt answered. “They were Autumn wolves.”
“So, Alpha Cain killed Autumn wolves in Winter?” Ashleigh asked. Trying to piece together what she was hearing.
“No,” Bell corrected, “Autumn wolves tried to kill Alpha Cain in Winter.”
Ashleigh was confused.
“I don’t understand. Why not tell Caleb the truth?” she asked. “If Autumn wolves killed Alpha Cain, they need to be held accountable!”
“Come on, Ash,” Bell sighed. Her voice was filled with bitter regret. “Isn’t it obvious? He didn’t tell Caleb because Tomas threatened me.”
Bell turned to Wyatt.
“Didn’t he?” she asked.
Wyatt nodded.
“He did,” he said sadly.
“Tomas made it clear that if Cain’s death was investigated beyond the story of the rogue wolf attack, he would make sure that Bell’s mate knew she was alive and exactly where to find her.”
“How can he threaten you?” Ashleigh asked, looking at Bell, wanting to reassure her and make her feel safe. “You rejected your mate, right?”
Bell nodded.
“That’s why he broke my jaw,” she gave a sad smile. “Ash, a rejection has to be accepted by both people. My mate refused, vehemently.”
“Then how did you get away?”
“Tomas told us that he would handle the mate. He told him that Bell died while trying to run from Autumn,” Wyatt answered.
“What about the bond? Doesn’t he feel that you’re still alive?” Ashleigh asked.
“We sent her to the Priestess,” Wyatt said. “Corrine said they could help.”
“They told me they ‘strained’ the bond. We were still connected, but if I stayed in Winter, he wouldn’t be able to find me.” Bell said. “I lost a week of memories, but I couldn’t feel him when I came back out. Which is a huge win in my book.”
“Cain created a medicine for her to take,” Wyatt added. “Something that temporarily suspends the bond.”
“The block that the alphas take?” Ashleigh asked.
Wyatt nodded.
“My daily vitamin,” Bell said.
Ashleigh felt overwhelmed with all that she was learning, but her question still hadn’t been answered.
“I still don’t understand,” Ashleigh said. “If Tomas threatened Bell, I get why you would hesitate, but if Autumn wolves killed Alpha Cain, Caleb, and the Summer wolves would have helped keep Bell safe, so why not just tell them?”
“Autumn wolves didn’t kill Cain,” Wyatt said.
“What?” Both Bell and Ashleigh asked.
Wyatt took another deep breath, pushing it through his nose. Then, he lifted his eyes to Ashleigh.
Ashleigh felt a weight in those eyes, a pain that threatened to suffocate her.
“The hand that ended Cain’s life does not belong to an Autumn wolf, but to one of Winter,” Wyatt said. He turned his eyes down to his hand, gripping it into a fist. “This hand.”