Hunters' Shadow (Book one of the Hunter Chronicles)

Chapter Sixty One

Simon kept his head bowed, showing little reaction as Blake recited the charges to the shocked witnesses – passing the incriminating photos between them and summarizing the events of the last few months, listing every act of treachery they had uncovered.

Blake took a deep breath, a part of him consumed with the need to understand why his friend had betrayed them. "How did it start?" he began.

"With my brother," Simon admitted, in an unemotional voice. "Nothing I did could ever compare to the pride in our father's eyes as he watched my brother succeed in the only thing that ever mattered to him. And I tried, I really did. I - "

"Spare us the sob story,” Liam muttered. “So daddy favoured your brother, big deal. That doesn't explain why you betrayed your Alpha."

"I mourned him when he died,” Simon continued as though Liam hadn't spoken. “But my brother? I felt nothing. I was too busy anticipating my rise to Gamma in his place.” His expression suddenly twisted into remembered anguish and he shot an accusing glance at Alex. “Then you gave my rightful position to an outsider.”

“Your rightful position?” Alex choked in disbelief, his eyes black with anger.

“The rank of Gamna is mine,” Simon snarled unexpectedly, eight years of bitterness spewing out all at once. “Mine by blood! You stole it from me.”

Alex snarled with fury, his claws extending as he took a step towards the wolf who showed such blatant disrespect.

“It was never yours,” Blake intervened coldly, raising a hand to restrain his friend. "It was your father's. And would have belonged to your brother, had he lived. He didn't."

“I was next in line,” Simon scoffed, the disbelief still prevalent in his tone. “You made a mistake, Alpha.”

“And Syrus promised to help you correct my mistake?” Blake guessed, ignoring Alex's stifled expletive.

"He sympathised,” Simon admitted. "Convinced me that the best thing I could do to prove myself worthy, was to accept his help."

"Flattery and foolishness," said Alex in disgust. "I thought you were smarter than that."

"So did I," Simon muttered. But you have no idea how convincing he was." He shook his head. "I knew I could serve our pack better than you. I knew it." The conviction in his voice rang with bitterness as he glared at the man who had taken what he believed to be rightfully his.

“Quick question, “Liam interrupted suddenly. “How did you get past Asher?” Blake raised an eyebrow and Liam shrugged. “He tested all of us before the meeting. Asked us outright if we were traitors.”

“I spoke no word of untruth,” Simon said sullenly.

Blake watched his eyes flicker between indignation and conviction and a sudden insight washed over him. “He believes his own lies,” the Alpha growled. “He's not a traitor, he's a patriot. Isn't that right, Simon?” He tilted his head to look at the pathetic husk of a wolf knelt on the ground before them. “Or maybe a victim,” he mused. “is that how you justified it in your head? Can’t be a traitor if you're a victim, right?” 

“Asher should have asked if we had anything to hide instead,” Alex grumbled.

“It wouldn't have worked,” Blake disagreed. “We all have something to hide. Every wolf in the room would have been lying to him.”

Simon looked between them, his expression pleading with them to understand. “It didn't feel wrong,” Simon tried to explain, a plea in his voice. “Syrus understood. He was always so understanding. He knew I needed to prove myself to you, and he found ways to help me. He always had a new titbit of information to give me, something I could use to get ahead of the game. He was a friend.”