Rowan’s Doubts

Chapter 23

Rowan's Doubts

Alpha Rowan Hunter rarely visited the cemetery.

Not because he disliked it.

Not because he feared it.

Quite the opposite.

The small clearing held too many memories.

And memories had a way of forcing a wolf to confront things he'd rather leave buried.

The morning air was cool as Rowan stood beneath the ancient pines surrounding Silverwood's memorial grounds.

A few simple stone markers sat among patches of wildflowers.

Pack leaders.

Warriors.

Family.

Wolves who had spent their lives protecting Silverwood.

Wolves he had known.

Loved.

Buried.

For a long moment, Rowan simply stood there.

Thinking.

Not about the dead.

About the living.

About a dark-haired young woman who had no idea her name had dominated his thoughts for the past week.

Jade Sullivan.

A girl who should never have carried the burden she'd been forced to bear.

A girl he'd failed.

The realization sat heavily in his chest.

He had spent years convincing himself there had been nothing he could do.

Now he wasn't so sure.

"You're brooding."

Rowan glanced over his shoulder.

Eleanor stood near the path leading into the cemetery.

His mate approached slowly.

Warm brown eyes studying him with the familiarity of twenty-two years together.

"You always know when I'm here."

"You always come here when something's bothering you."

Fair.

Eleanor slipped her hand into his.

For several moments neither spoke.

They didn't need to.

Eventually Rowan sighed.

"I found more evidence yesterday."

There was no need to explain.

Eleanor already knew.

The hidden records.

The ledgers.

Marcus Carter's signature.

The files that should have been there and weren't.

Her expression softened.

"How bad?"

Rowan stared toward the distant forest.

"Worse than I want it to be."

The answer wasn't dramatic.

It didn't need to be.

Because they both understood what it meant.

If Marcus had manipulated the investigation surrounding Jade's father...

Then Rowan had made decisions based on lies.

And those decisions had destroyed lives.

The thought made him feel sick.

"We don't know everything yet."

Eleanor's voice was gentle.

Reasonable.

Rowan appreciated that about her.

Unfortunately, reason wasn't helping much.

"No."

His jaw tightened.

"We don't."

A pause.

"But we know enough."

Enough to question.

Enough to doubt.

Enough to see cracks spreading through a story everyone had accepted as truth.

Including him.

Especially him.

The worst part?

He remembered the day of the exile clearly.

The anger.

The disappointment.

The betrayal.

He remembered looking at his former Beta and believing the evidence placed before him.

Not because he wanted to.

Because he thought he had to.

As Alpha, he couldn't ignore theft from the pack.

Couldn't ignore broken trust.

Couldn't ignore debts.

Yet now...

Now he wondered what else had been hidden.

What else had been manipulated.

And whether the wolf he'd once considered a friend had received anything resembling a fair chance.

Beside him, Eleanor squeezed his hand.

"You blame yourself."

It wasn't a question.

Rowan laughed without humor.

"A little late to hide it, isn't it?"

"Maybe."

Her gaze rested on the nearest row of memorial stones.

"But that doesn't mean you're entirely responsible."

He looked away.

Because he didn't agree.

Not completely.

As Alpha, responsibility followed him everywhere.

Success belonged to the pack.

Failure belonged to him.

That was leadership.

That was the burden.

And Jade's childhood looked an awful lot like failure.

---

Later that afternoon Rowan stood outside the training grounds.

Watching.

Again.

Across the field, Jade and Devin sparred.

Neither had noticed him.

Yet.

Jade attacked first.

Fast.

Aggressive.

Determined.

Devin countered.

The familiar rhythm of their training filled the air.

Attack.

Counter.

Adjust.

Repeat.

Rowan wasn't watching the techniques.

He was watching the people using them.

The changes.

The growth.

Weeks ago, Jade barely spoke above a polite greeting.

Now she challenged Devin regularly.

Questioned him.

Argued with him.

Occasionally beat him at things.

The thought almost made Rowan smile.

Almost.

Because he recognized something else too.

Devin respected her.

Genuinely.

The realization should have been unremarkable.

Instead it felt important.

Meaningful.

Potentially dangerous.

Beside him, Garrett appeared.

The Beta folded his arms.

"Thinking again?"

"I hate when people ask that."

Garrett looked unimpressed.

"You do it constantly."

Also fair.

For several moments they watched in silence.

Then Garrett nodded toward Jade.

"She's stronger."

Rowan agreed.

Not physically.

Though she was certainly improving there as well.

No.

The difference ran deeper.

Confidence.

Self-belief.

Purpose.

The kind of strength a wolf developed when they finally began believing they deserved a place in the world.

Perhaps Blackthorn had contributed to that.

Perhaps Ryker had.

Perhaps the investigation had.

Or perhaps Jade had finally grown tired of listening to people tell her who she was supposed to be.

Whatever the reason, Rowan was glad to see it.

Because she'd deserved that confidence years ago.

---

That evening Rowan sat alone in his office.

The hidden ledger rested on his desk.

Marcus Carter's signature stared back at him.

Silent.

Accusing.

The door opened.

Devin stepped inside.

"Garrett found another discrepancy."

Rowan accepted the new document.

Read it.

Then closed his eyes.

One more inconsistency.

One more lie.

One more piece that didn't fit.

Devin watched him carefully.

"What are you planning?"

A good question.

One Rowan had been asking himself all day.

Because the truth carried consequences.

For Marcus.

For Sabrina.

For Todd.

For Silverwood.

And for Jade.

Especially Jade.

Slowly, Rowan looked out the window toward the fading evening sunlight.

A decision settled into place.

Simple.

Certain.

Overdue.

"I'm planning to find the truth."

Devin nodded.

As if he'd expected no other answer.

Rowan's gaze drifted toward the training grounds in the distance.

Toward the cottage near the edge of the territory.

Toward the young woman who still had no idea what was coming.

For seven years, Jade Sullivan had carried the consequences of her father's choices.

If Rowan discovered those choices weren't the whole story...

Then things were about to change.

And this time, he intended to make sure she wasn't standing alone when they did.