CHAPTER 36: GUILTY ALPHA’S

Julian’s hands were clenched so tightly that the veins in his arms rose like cords beneath his skin. His wolf was shaking under the surface, scent sharp with regret.

"It’s... all my fault," he muttered.

His voice cracked. For a split second, something inside my chest tugged

not pity, not kindness...

something colder. A mix of pity and disgust.

Was he finally feeling loss?

If he was, good.

He was tasting a fraction of the pain I drowned in.

Vicky’s voice broke through the heavy silence, sharp like a beta trying too hard to sound important.

"Riley, please. This is a memorial. Your tone and expression are a bit... much.".

"Really, Vicky?" I asked softly.

"I’ve been hearing all kinds of things about Julian and his mate. Honestly, I feel terrible for Ms. Morrigan. She gave everything for love... and he left her to die. Alone. On a freezing night. By the river."

I let my words hang in the air.

"Can anyone tell me what Julian was doing while she was losing hope?"

Julian flinched.

It was small, but I saw it.

Felt it.

Savored it.

Good.

Remember, Julian.

You were with Camilla.

Watching fireworks with her.

Kissing her.

Ignoring my calls.

Letting my heart freeze until my wolf went silent.

Before Vicky could recover, I added more fuel.

"Oh... and didn’t Julian get a phone call on his wedding day?"

I tapped my chin lightly.

"That’s why he vanished, right? I’m curious, who was on the other end? Who mattered more than his bride? More than the mate he claimed to love?"

"That’s enough," James snapped, his tone thick with Alpha restraint, he turned to Lewis, expecting backup.

"Lewis, control your mate. She’s making a scene."

"Tell me," he said, "did she say anything false?"

James froze.

That was what I liked about Lewis.

I tugged lightly on his sleeve and leaned close enough for him to catch my scent.

"Lewis," I murmured, "don’t you think it’s strange? If Julian loved Elena so much, why leave her alone at the altar?"

Julian loved the idea of being loyal.

But when it mattered most, he ran.

"That poor woman," I said in a soft, fake-sad tone.

"All she wanted was her mate by her side. And he abandoned her. She died alone. That kind of betrayal... it changes a wolf forever."

Lewis’s grip on the armrest tightened, his wolf stirring beneath his skin.

He was trying to remain calm.

Then I dropped the last blow

casual, simple, cruel.

"She’s gone now. But who exactly is Julian mourning?"

I tilted my head.

"Her... or the guilt?"

I didn’t wait for an answer.

I simply turned and walked away, letting Lewis roll beside me.

James and Vicky glared daggers into my back.

"You just joined the Hale pack, and you’re already this bold. Aren’t you afraid they’ll cause trouble?"

Still riding the satisfaction of the moment, I met his eyes.

"I only said what everyone else is terrified to say. Think about it Julian and Elena grew up together. They shared everything. And when it mattered most... he ran. What kind of wolf does that?"

I paused.

"If they’re angry, it’s because they know I’m right. They’re not offended. They’re ashamed."

Lewis stared at me, thoughtful.

"And what do you really think happened to Ms. Morrigan?"

I took a slow breath and lowered my voice.

"I think..."

I let the words settle.

"This wasn’t an accident. Her body wasn’t found by the river. It was found inside a statue. In the house she was supposed to rule as Luna."

I met his gaze head-on.

"That’s not random, Lewis. That’s personal."

Lewis’s eyes sharpened.

"You think she was murdered?"

I nodded.

"Yes. And the killer wasn’t a stranger. Only someone close someone inside the pack could do something that twisted... and then display her like art."

"People kill for two reasons," I said quietly. "Territory... or emotion. And this wasn’t about territory. Her dress was found. Nothing was stolen. So what does that leave?"

I let the silence answer for me.

Emotion.

Jealousy.

Obsession.

Hatred.

"Someone saw her as a threat," I said softly. "Someone close."

I didn’t speak further. Esmee had left me clues before she died. I needed to follow them carefully, step by step, without revealing myself too soon.

Lewis didn’t reply. He simply stood beside me, quiet, the cold rain running down his suit. His wolf aura stayed controlled, but I could feel the tension under his skin.

The funeral shifted into its next stage.

The burial.

And I was still here

watching them bury me.

We walked together, umbrellas held over us, boots sinking into wet stone. Snowflakes mixed with rain, falling heavy and cold on the mourners’ dark coats.

At the front of the crowd, Julian carried the urn that held my "ashes."

Beside him, Camilla walked with her fake-sad face and a white blossom tucked in her hair, like she was the grieving sister-in-law.

They looked perfect two devoted wolves sharing pain.

If I didn’t know the truth, I might’ve believed it.

But I knew better.

I knew the rot beneath their fur.

They dared let him hold my urn?

My wolf snarled inside me.

Old pack superstitions whispered that whoever carried a wolf’s ashes carried their spirit too.

If that was true... Julian was dragging me down with him.

He had no right.

When we reached the burial site, the sound of crying sharpened.

My birth mother, Vivian, suddenly broke away from the others. She threw herself at the urn, falling to her knees in the mud.

"My baby... my sweet cub... come back to me!" she sobbed, fingers trembling so hard she nearly dropped the ashes.

Camilla rushed over, lowering herself gracefully beside her like some caring Luna.

"Mom, crying too much will disturb Elena’s soul," she murmured gently.

I almost laughed right there in the rain.

Disturb me?

Please.

Cry harder.

Drown in your guilt.

Keep pretending. Keep lying.

Let’s see how long your masks sit on your faces.

Julian knelt before my tombstone. Rain slid down his cheeks like tears, or maybe the tears were hiding in the rain.

He traced the etched image of me

me smiling, young, innocent.

He stayed frozen. Crushed.

Broken.

Because the girl they were grieving the weak, hopeful Elena she really was dead.

But I, the wolf now wearing Riley’s skin, was very much alive.

And the real hunt hadn’t even started.

Most of the mourners left after the ceremony. Only the closest pack members remained for the final rites.

As the tombstone lowered into place, someone familiar walked through the fogged rain.

Harris.

Dressed in a black Alpha coat, posture firm, expression calm.

"I came to say goodbye," he said quietly. "I knew Elena. It felt wrong not to be here."

James nodded in respect.

Julian didn’t move, didn’t blink. He looked trapped in some nightmare only he could see.

After a pause, Harris added, "There’s progress in the investigation."

That caught everyone’s attention.

The rain seemed to still.

"Our trackers re-analyzed the images that spread before her death," Harris said. "After comparing scent trails and timestamps, we confirmed something."

He looked at Julian.

"Those... indecent photos? They were taken after Elena died."

Julian’s head shot up.

His wolf froze.

"You mean... she didn’t betray me?" he whispered.

His voice shattered.

Harris nodded with a grim face.

"No. Someone tampered with her body. Someone staged everything. Someone wanted to humiliate her even in death."

"She... she didn’t do anything wrong," he whispered.

Regret tore through his voice like claws.

He realized it far too late.