The Weight of Guilt
The memory twisted her stomach now, her guilt as raw as the day it had happened. She had killed Alpha Pete, and Kane had used that to bind her to him, to control her. And she had let him.
A soft knock at the door pulled her from her thoughts. Cleopatra blinked, shaking herself free from the past as the door creaked open, revealing Rob’s tall frame. His eyes flicked to her side before meeting her gaze.
Sitting up in her bed, Cleopatra traced her fingers over the scar, her mind spinning with a storm of emotions. But she steadied her mind, trying to focus on the person in front of her.
*****
Cleopatra's POV
“There's someone that would love to see you, Shadow,” Rob said, his voice gentle, but something in his tone made her uneasy. Who could it be? No one can find this place except we bring them in ourselves.
I frowned, pushing myself upright, ignoring the dull throb on my side. “Who?”
Rob didn't answer, only stepped aside to reveal the figure standing in the doorway. My breath caught in my throat, heart pounding widely as I stared at the person there. Shock rippled through me, freezing me in place as I tried to process the scene in front of me.
Standing there, framed in the doorway, was the last person I ever expected to see. It couldn't be.
But it was.
The figure’s eyes met mine, filled with a mixture of sorrow and unshed tears. My mind raced, struggling to make sense of what I was seeing.
Alex.
“Why are you here?” I whispered, my voice barely audible.
Tears welled down his eyes as he stepped forward and pulled me into his arms. “I thought she killed you. I couldn't bear the thought…i just had to follow you,” he muttered.
I looked up at Rob, tears clouding my vision. “How?” I muttered.
“He followed us secretly when we left the Stone Heart Pack. I knew he was someone you would want to tag along so I let him.”
I muttered a soft ‘thank you’ and held Alex tighter. But then I remembered why Renee had to stab me, the guilt made me freeze. My breath hitched in my throat, the weight of Alex's embrace stirring emotions I had tried to bury.
I didn't expect to see him again…especially not here, not now. I had thought that I would be able to confront the storm brewing inside me alone. But now, with Alex right next to me, the weight of his presence, his tears, only made it worse.
I flinched, pulling back slightly, though the warmth of his arms still lingered on my skin. “You shouldn't be here,” I said, the words coming out firmer, but tinged with desperation. “You don't understand, Alex. You don't know what I've done.”
Alex's gaze softened, and for a moment, I could see the man I used to know before the kidnapping, my human who had always been there for me.
“I don't care what you think you've done,” Alex replied, his voice steady, his hands gripping my shoulders as though to ground me. “You didn't deserve what happened. You didn't deserve to be stabbed by Renee, and you don't deserve to carry this all alone. I thought I had lost you, Cleo.”
I shook my head, my mind spinning as the guilt clawed at me from the inside. “ You don't get it, Alex. I did deserve it. I betrayed them. I was sent there to seduce, spy and kill. Renee was right to stab me. And it's not just that…”
My voice wavered as I trailed off, the memory of Alpha Pete's death gnawing at me, twisting my stomach.
Alex's face tightened with concern, his brow furrowing. “This wasn't your fault. You did what you were ordered to do—-”
“I killed his father. I killed Alpha Kane's father!”
For a moment, there was silence. The room felt suffocating, as if the weight of my confession had drawn all the air out of it. Alex's eyes widened, his shock evident, but he didn't pull away. Instead, he gripped me tighter, as though he was trying to hold me together.
“You didn't kill him,” Rob muttered from the doorway. “You are not a murderer, Shadow.”
“I killed him. But I didn't mean to, it was an accident,” I continued, my voice trembling slightly. “It happened when I was young, and Alpha Kane was training me. He made me wear a blindfold…I didn't even hear him come in,” I whispered, my voice barely audible.
I had kept this secret buried for years, and now, sitting here with Alex, I was spilling them all out, raw and uncontainable.
Alex's grip loosened as he processed my words, but his gaze never left mine. “Cleo…hey, that wasn't your fault. You were probably manipulated.”
“I let him use me. I could have fought back. I could have run, gone to the elders, told them the truth. But I didn't. I was scared. I let him turn me into a weapon, and now…now people are dead because of me.”
Rob reached out to me and squeezed my hands gently as he brushed a tear away from my cheek with his thumb. “You were a child, Shadow. You can't blame yourself for what happened. He's the one who's responsible, and not you.”
I shook my head, my chest heaving with the weight of my guilt. “No. I should have known better. I should have tried harder. And now…all of this blood is on my hands.”
“You're not alone, Shadow. Whatever you think you've done, we can figure it out. Together. You have a family, remember? And Lucien is out on a mission to get to the bottom of this,” Rob said, his hands still gently hold mine.
My heart ached at his words, but my mind refused to let go of the guilt. “Alex, you should go. Renee is your mate. She would be devastated to find out that you're gone.”
Alex's jaw clenched, his eyes darkening. “I would rather not be with someone who chose to hurt you, Cleo. I'll stay right here with you, please let me.”
I swallowed hard, my heart twisting painfully. If only he knew how this works, I'm pretty sure he would be begging me to take him back very soon. If only I had my own mate to comfort me, would this have been easier? I thought.
My mind wandered to Alpha Williams but I couldn't even bear to picture his face. I was too ashamed to do that. The truth that lies underneath my betrayal is too heavy. The guilt is too suffocating.
“You can't stay here, Alex. I'll have to send you…”
Before I could finish, the door creaked open, interrupting me. The sudden movement snapped me out of the fragile moment, my body rigid with instinctive tension.
A figure stepped into the dim light, casting a long shadow across the room. My heart stopped.
How is he here?
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