Zoya’s P.O.V
“Sam, I-”
“I am not Sam,” he finally confessed. “My real name is Silas.”
The room was silent after the words of admission left his mouth, and his eyes searched mine, imploring, hoping to elicit a response, anything, just anything. Unfortunately for him, I simply did not know how to react to that; on the inside, a storm was already brewing in both my mind and my heart, but outwardly, I didn't know how to express what I felt. I already knew that Sam wasn't his real name, I had expected as much from a stranger, but coupled with the recent information he had just given me, I didn't know what to feel.
I saw a flicker of something in his eyes. Was it guilt or shame? I couldn't quite tell. He looked down at his hands, clasping and unclasping them as if trying to find the right words to say. His body seemed to tense up as if preparing for a confrontation, and I was certain it was because he wasn’t used to it. Finally, he took a deep breath and met my gaze. I noticed that his jaw was tight, and his brows furrowed, as if he was bracing himself for my reaction. I held my breath as he began to explain, trying to read his expressions and body language for any hints of deception or untruthfulness.
“Like I said already, I’m a werewolf,” he continued when I didn't speak. “But there is still a lot that you need to know, and I think it’s time I finally told you the truth.”
He continued, once he noticed that I wasn’t ready to talk just yet. “The pack that runs this place,” he said, vaguely gesturing around with his hand. “I used to be their Alpha.”
Alpha. The leader of the pack.
Curiosity mixed with confusion and I wanted to ask him a about what he meant, why he had just told me that he ‘used to’ be the Alpha and not ‘am’ the Alpha. But I didn’t know if it would be the right thing to do.
“I was their leader,” he said, “until my brother's mate was killed. And I was wrongfully blamed for it.”
Suddenly, another voice sounded over Sam-Silas’s…another familiar voice that I had heard not too long ago.
"Lily was my fiancé, and she was…murdered. It was the same night you arrived in town. We don't know who did it yet, but whoever it was, I'll make sure they'll pay and wish they were never born."
Oh…god! Ezra!
Don’t tell me that…
“I found her body and tried to save her,” Silas’s voice cut through the bloodrush in my ears. He refused to meet my eyes now, even though he had never broken contact while he had been explaining the origins of werewolves. “When I realized that it was hopeless, I tried to pull the dagger out of her stomach...but that was when my brother showed up with his friends.”
My mind spun like a whirlwind as I listened to his story, trying to process the enormity of what he was saying. My heart pounded, and my palms grew sweaty with anxiety.
When Ezra had told me about the fact that his fiancé had died the very same night I had arrived, the very same night that I had found Silas lying on the floor of my cabin, I hadn't wanted to make the connection. Despite my reservations, despite everything going through my mind…I hadn't wanted to believe that Sam, Silas, could actually be a cold blooded killer.
But now, here he was telling me the exact same thing that I had feared all this while. That he may have been the one to kill Ezra’s finance…no…his mate. The woman that the Moon Goddess had chosen for Ezra…
“I had to run away because they immediately branded me as her killer,” Silas spoke, and his voice sounded like it was full of suppressed emotions, feelings that he did not allow himself to feel.
Then, I asked, finally, “What was her name?”
I felt my heart pounding in my chest, and I allowed myself an exhale, slowly and mentally patting myself on the back for being able to speak at all. My throat was dry, and my hands were shaking. I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down, and looked at Silas, who was watching me with a mix of anticipation and worry.
This was it…this was what could make or break this entire situation. The confirmation that I wanted. I already knew the answer. I already knew what was coming, but still…I wanted to hear it from him. I wanted him to confirm what I already dreaded.
“What was the name of your brother’s mate, Silas?”
My voice cracked a little as I began to speak, but I tried to steady myself, feeling a surge of emotions rushing through me. I bit my lip, waiting for him to respond. It was overwhelming to think about how much my world had just changed in the span of a few minutes. But at the same time, there was a strange sense of relief that came with knowing the truth.
It wasn’t the kind of relief that left you feeling lighter, however. It wasn’t the kind of relief that made you feel like a huge burden had been lifted off of your shoulders. Rather, it was just the confirmation that everything I knew, everything that I had been imagining all this time…was actually real. That I had just woken up from a beautiful dream and the nightmare was only just beginning.
And then he replied, in a voice of resolution, like a single, decisive stroke of a sword, the killing blow. And the last piece of the puzzle fell into place.
"Lily."
My heart sank as I realized the gravity of the situation. It was all too much to take in. I looked at Silas, searching his face for any sign of deception, but all I could see was pain and regret. The weight of the truth hit me like a ton of bricks, and I didn't know how to process it all.
Finally, I knew the truth…but it didn’t set me free. Instead, it twisted around me like a cage, trapping me in this vast web of lies and deception.