The Mark of Betrayal (by Cooper) novel Chapter 28

Roman

I let her go, watching her walk to the kitchen to get food before returning to my office. There’s another plate of food waiting for me in my office, the breakfast plate having been removed while I was talking to Samantha. I need to remember to thank my pack for looking after me on these days. I know it’s hard for them, feeling my grief. I try to shield it from them as much as possible, but as their Alpha, there’s no way to shield it from them completely.

I ignore the food and pour another glass of whiskey, pushing the information on Theo aside and pulling up the information on Samara.

I go through everything, frustrated when I can’t find anything new, any new leads that could help me to find her. When I finally stand, frustrated and angry, I realize it’s dark outside. I go pour another glass of whiskey and walk to the windows, staring outside.

“You must be so disappointed in me, my friend. I know I am,” I say to the empty room.

I don’t know how long I’ve been standing there when I hear the knob on my office door turning. I look over, wondering who is entering my office. Everyone knows to leave me alone today.

Samantha steps in, looking around. I’m hidden in the shadows by the window and she obviously doesn’t see me. I watch her walk over to my desk, seeing the papers strewn across it.

As I watch, she begins looking at them, moving more quickly through each of the papers. I hear her gasp and her hand goes to her mouth.

“What are you doing, Samantha?” I ask.

She spins around, obviously startled that I’m in here.

“What is this?” she whispers.

I laugh, a very dry, humorless laugh.

“That is the sum of my failures,” I say, gesturing to the desk with my glass.

“Are you drunk?” she asks.

“I tried my damnedest but being a strong Alpha with a strong Alpha wolf, it’s fucking difficult to get drunk,” I growl, downing the rest of the drink.

I’m tipsy enough, raw enough, that I begin stalking over to her. She watches me, not with fear thankfully, but almost like she’s never seen me before.

“This,” I say, pointing to the right side of my desk, “is my failed attempt to try and find the people responsible for my best friend’s death and that of his family.”

I set my empty glass down. “And this,” I say, gesturing to the left side of the desk, “is me trying to find his youngest sister who disappeared without a trace and once again failing her and him.”

I lean forward, putting my hands on the desk on either side of her, forcing her to lean against my desk as I get in her face.

“I failed them, Samantha, which is why it is so important to me that I get revenge for whoever hurt you. I will never, ever, fail someone like that again,” I growl, my voice raw with the emotions that are so close to the surface that I feel like I might break.

I see tears well in her eyes. “You really never betrayed us, did you?” she whispers.

I jerk as if I’ve been punched. I stand up, staring at the woman in front of me. It can’t be. It can’t be ... can it?

“Samara?” I ask, my voice barely a whisper.

Her lips begin to tremble, and she nods.

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