After My Mate Burned Me Alive

Dakari's words caused the guards escorting us to cast suspicious glances my way. I felt as though I had been plunged into an icy abyss, my fists clenching involuntarily.

I hadn’t expected Carson to be so ruthless as to try and cut off my escape route.

A weak groan from inside the car snapped me back to reality. Joey was in there, suffering. This wasn’t the time for arguments. I pulled back the car door to reveal Joey lying inside, his face pale and twisted in pain.

"Joey’s life is hanging by a thread. Even if you don’t believe me, I beg you to save him!"

The guards’ expressions softened slightly as they caught sight of Joey.

"That man really is the Gamma’s younger brother!" one of them muttered.

"He looks seriously injured. We need to get him to a Healer," another added.

"She’s the Beta’s daughter and the Gamma’s mate. She wouldn’t lie about something like this, would she?"

Their words gave me a sliver of hope. I turned back to Dakari, pleading. "Dakari, you’ve met Joey before. You can’t possibly mistake him for someone else. Look at him now—do you still think I’m lying?"

"The rogues have breached our territory. If we waste any more time, and something happens to the Alpha, none of us can bear the consequences."

Dakari’s expression faltered slightly as he took in my seriousness. He was about to step closer to inspect Joey when a mind link buzzed in his head.

My heart sank. Carson’s mind link.

Dakari’s face darkened with every word he received through the link. Suddenly, he slammed his fist into the car, the force nearly knocking me off.

"Dakari, have you lost your mind?" I snapped.

"You’re the one who’s lost it!" he roared, his eyes blazing. "You always seemed so refined, but who knew you’d stoop to such underhanded tactics?"

"Carson says you framed Armani, accused her of being a rogue spy, and spread rumors that he abandoned his post. And Joey? He’s supposed to be with the Alpha today, but you’ve gone so far as to hire an actor to play him!"

My voice was strained. "I’m not lying. If Armani hadn’t handed over the patrol maps to the rogues, how could they have replicated our defenses so perfectly? How else could they have breached our territory so easily?"

Dakari let out a cold laugh. "You’re still clinging to your lies!"

"If the rogues had truly invaded, how could you have made it here so easily to ask for reinforcements?"

"Because Carson secretly built a tunnel from our pack house to the outskirts to meet Armani!"

But my explanation only made his laughter grow more mocking. "Kamryn, you’re supposed to be the most intelligent wolf in the pack, but even your lies are full of holes. If Carson built that tunnel in secret to meet Armani, how would you know about it? And why would you keep quiet all this time? Do you really think we’re all fools?"

My face paled, and I leaned weakly against the car. How could I explain that I knew because I had lived through this before? If I told them I’d been reborn, they’d think I was completely insane.

"If you don’t believe me, fine. But please, save Joey. He’s still Carson’s brother!"

Dakari ignored my plea, his expression hardening. "As for the actor you’ve brought here, I’ll deal with him right now."

"No!" I screamed.