Every eye in the castle turned to Leah as she stood motionless in the vast hall, her heart pounding in her ears. The strained breath of the tied guy filled the excruciatingly long stillness between them as he knelt before Jacob. As she waited for Leah to falter, Gwen's posture conveyed victory and her smirk was triumphant.
Leah reiterated, her voice firm in spite of her internal distress, "I don't know him." She looked at Jacob, pleading with him to believe her. "Alpha, I promise you."
Jacob regarded the man at his feet, his mouth tightening. Leah could see the struggle going on inside his head as the weight of leadership weighed heavily on him—duty to his pack versus their shared relationship. At last, he spoke in a measured tone. "Then let him explain why he says he's related to you."
With anxious dark eyes, the man raised his head. He rasped, "My name is Samuel Odwolf." " I am Leah's brother."
The assembled members of the pack let out a series of gasps. Leah gasped for air.
"It's impossible," she said. "That isn't accurate."
Samuel looked directly into her eyes. "Yes, it is. When I was a boy, my family took me away. I have been trying to find you.
Leah struggled with confusion. She didn't remember having a sibling or any other relatives outside the pack that had reared her. Nevertheless, the man's genuine tone sent shivers down her spine.
Gwen stepped forward purposefully, her voice honeyed with fictitious worry. "How interesting, Omega. Even though you say you don't know him, he has your family name.
Leah's patience was wearing thin when she said, "I don't remember him." "He might be telling lies."
Gwen's head cocked. 'Or have you been deceiving us all along Omega?'
Leah clutched her hands at her sides. "All I have done is faithfully serve this pack."
"So why was he discovered lurking about the castle like a robber?" Gwen said. Why not enter through the front gates if all he wanted was to be with you again?
Leah narrowed her eyes and looked back to Samuel. "Why didn't you make an announcement if what you say is accurate?"
With a sharp gulp, Samuel glanced cautiously at the guards on either side of him. "Because I was afraid that before I could even talk to you, I would be rejected or worse, killed."
With a quick sigh, Jacob signaled for silence. Before he spoke, his eyes shifted from Leah to Samuel. "We will ascertain whether this assertion is true." He turned to Paul Lyall, his Beta. "Go to the dungeons with him. As you can see, he is fed, but he cannot leave until we have confirmed his identity."
As the guards pulled Samuel to his feet, his face tensed, but he lowered his head in surrender. Leah's mind was racing with suspicion and bewilderment as she saw him being pulled away.
"Leah," Jacob said to her, his tone suddenly gentler. We'll discover the truth if he is actually your kin. But in the meanwhile, be alert.
Leah gave a rigid nod, but as she looked away, she noticed the gleam of contentment in Gwen's eyes. Whether Samuel was telling the truth or not, Leah was now caught in the trap that the Luna had laid.