Conall growled. Rafael shrugged and continued, “I’ve got no reason to lie to you, Conall. I took Vivienne to the airport, followed her inside, and almost died tryin’ to get her away from the witches. In fact, I think you owe me a bit of thanks.”
Although he couldn’t access Rafael’s mind without severely weakening him, he could sense no lie from the other were.
“What about that girl? The one we found with her throat ripped out, and your scent over her?”
Green eyes grew shuttered and his entire body tensed for a quick moment before he forced himself to relax. “Don’t know what you’re talkin’ ’bout.”
Samia shifted to her human form, and Conall saw her fidget with her long, red hair as she stared at her brother.
“Tia Fallon,” Sloan called from behind Conall. “You don’t remember the name?”
Rafael barely spared him a glance before shaking his head once. “I’ve been with too many females to remember one.”
“How many have you murdered?” Conall growled, a vicious glint in his eye.
“None, to my recollection.”
If Conall remembered correctly, the girl had been one of the few with no family to vouch for or defend her. She’d come to them from a traveling pack, had wanted a chance to belong somewhere. She’d been strong too, young, but strong.
“Can you prove it?”
“I have nothing to prove.”
“She was a member of my pack, and all evidence points to you as her killer. She was without family, so I will challenge you—”
“Wait!” Samia called from behind him. “I can’t let you do this.”
“Samia!” Brennus and Rafael shouted simultaneously.
Conall narrowed his eyes on Rafael as Sloan looked to Brennus. “Is there something you wish to say, Samia?”
She took a few steps forward, wincing when Rafael grabbed her hand and shook his head once. Instead of listening, she tugged her hand away and moved to stand directly before Conall.
“It was me.” Samia bowed her head. “I killed Tia, not my brother.”
“She’s covering for me,” Rafael threw out, giving his sister a quelling glare. “That’s enough, little sister.”
“Why?” Conall asked, ignoring Rafael completely. He’d always wondered at the motive behind the murder, especially as Rafael and Tia were neither friends nor enemies. He’d assumed lovers, but that had seemed far-fetched as well. Samia and Tia though, hadn’t they been of an age? The murder had happened decades ago, but he still vaguely remembered the two being friends.
“She attacked me,” Samia said clearly. “She asked me to follow her to the end of the grounds, and she attacked me. I thought she was playing until she drew blood. It was self-defense. I killed her in self-defense.” She looked back to Rafael, who was shaking his head. “Rafael had always intended to leave the pack, so when I told him, he said he’d make it look like he did it.”
“Is this true?”
Rafael shrugged easily, but his eyes had grown cold. “Whose truth? I already told you my truth.”
But Conall heard and saw more than Rafael intended. A brother protecting his sister from pack exile by intentionally exiling himself. It sounded gallant, and he’d never equated the word with Rafael Mathias before.
“You will show me your mind?” Conall challenged, glaring at Samia. She nodded once.
“Samia, you don’t have to do this,” Brennus began in a defeated tone.
“No, I do,” she replied with a nod. “I’m ready.”
Conall slipped into her mind easily. At the forefront was a quick replay of that fateful night. He saw Samia, a younger and more naïve version, following Tia through the woods. Then Tia disappeared, and Samia laughed and called after her. The attack was swift. She didn’t give Samia time to change, instead lunging for her throat. Samia’s reflexes were quick. She’d caught an arm instead, and in that moment, Samia had realized that it was no game. The rest happened quickly. Samia shifted, countered the attack. In less than a minute, she was standing over Tia with her muzzle buried in the other wolf’s throat. And then had come the tears, the horror, the lies….
He pulled away from the memories, and nodded once. It was as she’d said. She had killed the girl in self-defense. Samia wasn’t old or strong enough to fake a memory so vividly.
“You lied to me,” Conall said, looking from Brennus to Rafael. They both were impassive, refusing to speak. “I have little patience—”
“We will leave Cedar Creek.” Brennus bowed his head in defeat. The Elder sighed and shook his head. “My children and I, we will leave.”