Contractually Yours Alpha (Riley)

Chapter Two Hundred and Twenty Nine

Bailey finally let me go. She gave me a very long look before she disappeared, leaving just as quickly as she came. I let out a breath of relief.

Then the panic set in. She was going to use me to hurt Thane. I couldn't let that happen; I would have to tell him, but then, what had she been referring to when she said she wasn't the first to do something like this?

I couldn't sit here and wait for Thane's arrival; I had to go meet him. I rinsed my mouth of the blood before heading to his office. Axel was the only one in there with him; they were going through some documents when I walked in. Two pairs of eyes met mine. "I need to speak to you, Thane."

Thane stared at the paperwork on his desk before pushing that aside. "What do you want to speak to me about?"

"Have you used your Alpha aura thingy one on me before?"

"Damn." Axel muttered. "I should go.

"No, you will stay." I said to him, and he settled back on his chair. "Please, Thane, don't lie to me; just tell me the truth; I need to know." "Yes, I had."

"Why?"

"That you don't want to know, trust me."

"You had no right, Thane."

"I was trying to help; you needed that."

"I never want my mind messed with, so

I will tell me exactly why you did that else..."

"Else what?" Thane questioned those piercing amber eyes on me.

"Else we are going to have a problem."

He let out a breath. "Are you sure you want to know?"

"Yes. I do, and that's why I am here."

"Jake didn't die by a fire; I had burned his body and placed it in the woods where it had been found, and so everyone believed the 'story'."

Everyone, including me. "So... Jake's death hadn't been by the other packs that wanted us dead?" I questioned.

"No, it hadn't been that.

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Chapter Two funded a

The realization finally set in. "I killed him, didn't 1?"

"No, you hadn't been in your right mind. The demon growing in you made you do things, but you had felt so guilty about it and in pain, I had to do something."

"You took it away; you took all the pain away." I said, and he nodded. I couldn't find a reason to be mad at him for doing that; he was trying to help me, and yet, I couldn't help but think she was right, Bailey was right; I was a murderer. I wiped away my tears.

"I didn't mean to kill him, Thane. But I did anyway. I am a monster.'

Thane rose, cautiously approaching ne. "You are not. If it helps, I've killed people too, and I know what it feels like, but over time that pain and hurt... is not so hard to bear anymore. I am the monster Riley, not you. You had made a mistake, one you cannot even be blamed for, so please, let it go."

I nodded, but I couldn't let it go; the guilt and pain remained there.

Jake's sister had died because of me, and now he too was dead. They didn't deserve it, but selfish as I was, they had to suffer because of me.

Thane didn't know; he didn't know that I had been the one who killed those soldiers; he didn't know that I was the reason Bailey was free.

He would hate me if he found out; I had only just gotten him back, and yet... I wouldn't keep the truth away from him, not this time.

"There is something you need to know, Thane." I began, and now he looked a bit worried. "L....."

The words wouldn't come out; no matter how I tried, I couldn't say it. Bailey had told me not to, and somehow, I couldn't... I couldn't tell Thane a thing even if I wanted to.

Tears streamed down my eyes.

"Riley, are you okay? What did you want to tell me?"

Now they were both worried.

"Is nothing."

I turned, heading for the door, but Thane blocked my path. "That didn't look like 'nothing' to

me."

"Thane, please, just let me be."

"No, you look scared; what did you want to tell me?" he insisted.

"Of course I am scared; why wouldn't I be? I killed a man, and I cannot even trust you anymore. Maybe you believed you were helping me, but I don't like my mind being messed with; you had no right to do that."

Chapter Two Hundred and Twvěňty Nine

I shoved past him and walked out of his office. I didn't mean any of that, but how else would I escape his questions? He was never going to let me go till he knew the truth, but the problem. was... I couldn't tell him.