The Wolf Prince's Fated Heart - Page 84

“The fact that you didn’t inflict the killing blow doesn’t make you any less responsible for their deaths,” I say coldly. “You’re just as much of a killer as Jason. Just because you avoided looking the victims in the eye, it doesn’t make you innocent.”

Tim’s gaze drops and he lifts his shoulder slightly in acceptance.

“I made a mistake, Cassie,” he admits with a defeated sigh. “There’s no going back from that. There’s no redemption for me. You’re right. I’m responsible for dozens of deaths.”

“Do you regret what you’ve done?” I ask.

“I regret where it’s taken me, and especially that it’s gotten you into trouble,” he says, his face sullen and grey. “I regret that innocent humans have died. I regret it all.”

I stare at him for a while, pondering his answer. Is his regret for the right reasons or is it only his self-preservation talking? Am I convinced of his remorse, or am I just desperate for it?

“What about wolves?” I ask, needing to know. “Do you regret killing them?”

He looks up, meeting my eyes. “Regret?” he repeats slowly.

He doesn’t say another word.

“Wolves deserve freedom and equality,” I tell him, searching his face for any emotions. “They’re not that much different from us. Why can’t you see that?”

“Because it’s not true,” Tim replies, and I can hear a hint of old determination back in his voice. “They’re monsters. Wild beasts. They’re a danger to us.”

“And so are guns, and yet, instead of putting out a law to ban them, we can go to the nearest shop and buy an entire arsenal of them,” I shoot back. “I’m afraid it’s too late to call the wolves an existential threat.”

Tim narrows his eyes, and I can see the wheels turn in his head. It’s too late for him though. He can come to whatever conclusions he wants, but he’ll never step out of the box he’s inside. He’s closed off to anything that goes against his warped beliefs. Jason’s clutches are too deep.

I try to hide my disappointment as I meet his gaze. “Where is Jason now?” I ask, steering back to the main point of this conversation. I can’t let Tim distract me. It doesn’t matter how sorry he feels. Not after everything he’s done.

He shrugs. “I don’t know.”

“Lies,” I hiss, slamming my fists on the table. “You know his hideouts and he won’t be without an army. Tell me where they are.”

“They never stopped moving,” he replies. “I’m not a part of his inner circle anymore. Not since he had to threaten me to get me to do his bidding.”

“You’ll forgive me if I don’t trust you,” I scoff. “You betrayed everyone for a man you hardly knew.”

“Believe whatever you want,” he says with a shrug. “For the last few months, my main goal was to protect you. I see that I’ve failed even in that.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’ve been colluding with the wolves,” he hisses, his face contorting with disgust. “I know you fucked him!”

I suppress a groan, hating that he’s being difficult. I’m not here for conversations. This is an interrogation, after all.

“Why did you bring the footage of Jason’s killings to my attention?” I ask. “You could’ve easily deleted it without anyone seeing.”

“Because I thought you were going to call the police,” he replies. “I wanted them to be stopped, but I couldn’t very well be the one to make the call.”

“You were hoping someone else would do your dirty work,” I mutter, unable to stop my condescension from spilling out. “How convenient.”

“It’s pointless, Cassie,” Tim sighs. “You want the answers that we both know you’re not going to believe anyway. What do you really want to know?”

I think for a second and then get up. “There’s nothing else you can give me. You’re a disappointment, Tim. I can’t believe how low you’ve fallen. I always believed you to be a good man. It was why I was attracted to you in the first place. Your strong morals and kindness. You’re nothing like the man I used to know and care about. Goodbye, Tim.”

I turn away from him. Everything inside me hurts. I’d believed in him, trusted him. Look how that turned out.

He grabs my wrist. “I’m still the same man,” he says, stopping me. “How I feel about the wolf problem hasn’t changed, but I care about you, Cassie.”

Before I can say anything, the shadows in the room come alive. They wrap themselves around Tim’s hands and legs, pulling him back and pinning him against the wall high above the floor.