The Alpha - Joel Abernathy Page 0,91

stung, but Colt couldn’t deny it. It was the truth, at least as far as Jason was concerned. The truth, the lies... did any of it even mean anything anymore?

He took a step closer and froze when Jason pulled a gun on him. His hands were steady, even though Colt could tell from the look on his face he’d never used it. It was still enough of a shock to see it in his possession.

“Don’t,” Jason ordered. “Don’t come any closer.”

“Where did you even get that thing?” Colt asked. “Put it down before you hurt yourself.”

Jason cocked the gun with ease that made Colt second guess his initial assumption that his ex didn’t know how to use it. “Not another step.”

“Okay, okay. I’m not going anywhere,” Colt said, holding up his hands. He still didn’t want to believe Jason would actually shoot him, and if he did, he was in for another surprise, but he didn’t need to give his ex any more ammunition for his conspiracy theories.

Then again, were they really conspiracy theories if they were all true and then some?

Jason’s breathing grew shallow, and Colt could hear his heartbeat as his Alpha shift tried to come through. He forced it down and tried to tell his more primal instincts they weren’t actually in any danger, and even if they were, he wasn’t going to risk hurting the man in front of him to defend himself. Not even if Jason hated him now.

And he clearly did, more than Colt had ever imagined.

Jason took a deep breath, keeping his eyes on Colt. “You know,” he said, as if trying to reassure himself of a fact he’d long questioned. “Everything Carver spent his life trying to figure out, you know.”

“I do,” Colt admitted.

The answer seemed to surprise Jason. Colt just wasn’t expecting his response to be one of sadness. “It figures the only way I’d be able to finally get a straight answer out of you is at gunpoint.”

“You always were kind of kinky,” Colt said dryly, hoping to lighten the mood, or at least highlight the absurdity of their current predicament.

Jason set his jaw. Too soon for jokes, then. “What are you?”

“I can’t tell you that,” Colt said, shaking his head. “And you can shoot me if you want, but it won’t change anything.”

Jason’s finger moved just slightly, a twitch that didn’t seem fully voluntary, but he finally relaxed. “What happened to me?”

Colt hesitated, warring with himself over what the safest reply was. The one that wouldn’t push Jason over the edge, without further inflaming the curiosity that was destined to get him killed.

“Someone did alter your memory, but it wasn’t me.”

“Who was it, then?”

“The same person who’s responsible for the deaths of those kids,” Colt said, unable to mask the disgust in his voice. Jason seemed shocked by the candid answer, so Colt decided to seize on his hesitation. “You think you uncovered the tip of the iceberg, but you didn’t. You’re standing on the tip of the horn of the giant dragon that sleeps beneath this city, and if you wake it up, you have no fucking idea what you’ll unleash. Something even I can’t protect you from. Something that will destroy all of us, Andrew and our families included.”

Jason seemed to be considering his words. “Do your parents know?”

“No. I didn’t even know until recently, and the only way to keep them safe is to make sure they stay in the dark.”

Jason’s eyes narrowed, and Colt knew he had something to say about that, but he didn’t. Whether it was because he knew it was pointless or because he just didn’t care, he moved on. “How much does Andrew know?”

“Enough,” said Colt. “Enough to cooperate with me in the interest of protecting the city. And you.”

Jason gave a disbelieving laugh. “Protect us from what, yourself?”

“You have every right to hate me. I deserve it. If I didn’t know the things that would take my place would be a thousand times worse, I’d be more than fine with dying,” Colt said, shrugging. “I’m not innocent. I’ve probably done everything you think I have and more. I am a monster, and I don’t make any attempt to deny it anymore, but if you think I’m the worst one there is, you’re in for a bad surprise. Why do you think Andrew puts up with me?”

Jason seemed to be considering that, too. He made no move to put the gun down, but Colt was slightly more hopeful for a peaceful