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“Pol.” Morgan’s hand settled on my shoulder. “I know it’s hard, but sometimes, it’s best not to visit the past. I think today might be one of those times.”
I nodded in understanding. He wasn’t telling me to forget. He was advising me to shelf it for a little while. “I appreciate you.”
“Let’s go get some coffee.” We went back to his house, and he gathered up a quick snack and some tea. “I brought you here because I had some news that wasn’t what I wanted to share where our guest might overhear.”
“And I thought you brought me here for the cookies,” I teased and grabbed one of them. “Is it about the alpha?”
He nodded. “It sounds like they have a lead on that alpha, the one they think did it,” Morgan said. “Beckett mentioned that they picked up his scent, and now they were on his trail.”
Knowing Silas’s location, I knew it wouldn’t take long for them to find him. I gripped Morgan’s arm. “Morgan, you need to listen to me. You can judge and dole out consequences later, but for right now, please trust me. Silas is innocent,” I declared.
Morgan narrowed his eyes. “How do you know? Wait, do you know him? You speak as if you know him. Please tell me you don’t know him.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “I trust you, Pol, but you need to tell me what you know. I cannot work with only half a story.” Morgan reached for a notebook.
I took a deep breath. “When I went to my campsite to drop off supplies, Silas was there. His pride’s Alpha beat him to within an inch of his life when he tried to protect Nathan from unwanted advances of said Alpha.”
Morgan’s face was very measured. “Go on.”
“And then they dropped him off at the edge of the forest, and he fell down the ravine and broke his leg. He was badly injured—bad enough that I thought I was going to lose him for a bit. He had an infection, and his fever… it was bad,” I explained.
Morgan grimaced. “You should have reported this as soon as you found him.”
And I even had opportunities to do so, and yet I hadn’t. That didn’t change the fact that he was right. I should have.
“I know, but he was in bad shape, and he was worried that Steelwick was coming after him.” More importantly, my mate was worried they would. He’d been too hurt at the time. If they had should up, it could easily have been too much for him.
“I came back here to get the rest of my supplies, and Nathan had just been brought in. And then Beckett was telling you that Silas was guilty. I needed to wait until we got more evidence.”
Morgan scrubbed his hands over his face. “How badly is he hurt? Can he run here?”
I shook my head. “He wanted to turn himself in, but we need to go get him. He can’t walk this far. He has an injury. It’s healed badly, and he can’t shift.”
“Goodness, Pol, this is something you should have brought to us sooner,” Morgan scolded. I noticed he wasn’t mad at what I was telling him, just when I chose to do so.
“I know. He’s my mate, and I… I didn’t think. I couldn’t bear the thought of him being taken away.”
“You are sure of his innocence?”
Silas had an Alpha of his pride and one of the Betas speaking out against him. I had only his word and my gut instinct that Silas was innocent, but it was enough for me. For Morgan, though, who didn’t have the mate bond to Silas, it would mean nothing.
“He’s innocent,” I asserted. “I know he is. I swear it on my life.”
Morgan nodded in understanding. He straightened his shoulders as if gearing up for battle. “I will take you at your word and pray to the goddess that you are not wrong. I can’t imagine fate would give you a mate who would do such harm to an omega, especially after the cruelty you have faced.”
“Thank you,” I said.
“Let’s get in touch with our Steelwick friends and see if we might stop this.” Morgan pulled out his phone and dialed a number I didn’t recognize. The new Steelwick investigator perhaps?
Beckett answered on the second ring. “I was just about to call you,” he said. “How did you know I was on your territory?”
Morgan exchanged a glance with me. “I did not know you were on my territory.”
“We found that alpha, Silas. He’s here. He’s been camping out. Don’t worry, we’ve caught him.”
I sucked in a breath. I should never have left him. But what if I hadn’t? Would I be under arrest too? Probably. And I wouldn’t be able to protect him from inside my holding cell, that was for sure.
“Are you absolutely certain that he is the one who has harmed the omega?” Morgan asked. He held up a hand to keep me from speaking before the protest could slip from my lips.
“I have reason to believe he is at fault. It’s his Alpha’s word against his. He’s claiming his innocence. But if that was the case, why wouldn’t he turn himself in?”
