The Alphas Broken Mate novel · Chapter 10 of 24

Chapter 10: First Word

Lark's POV

I woke at dawn and he was sitting against my door with his knees up and his eyes red.

He had not slept.

"I have to show you something," Caius said. "Then you can decide what to do with me."

He put a folded letter and a ledger page on the blanket.

I read the ledger first.

I went straight to the tenth line, because I had already guessed who the nine were.

It was mine.

*Special order. Silver. Tongue first. Not to be marked. Third night as agreed.*

My stomach turned over, and I read the letter after it.

*The voice must be silenced and the line ended.*

I read that sentence until the ink swam.

Merrick had written that.

I knew his hand, because he had signed every report card and every prayer book in my childhood.

"Nine girls," Caius said. "In three years. While I was at the border."

"The warriors did it, and the cage was kept in my name. I signed the law that made it."

He did not look away.

"My uncle kept the books," he said. "He says he was building a case against Merrick, and that he signed to keep up appearances."

"I want to believe him. I haven't made up my mind."

I put the pages down on my knee.

Then I picked up the chalk and wrote on the slate:

*Show me.*

He carried me down to the yard.

The cage stood where it had stood for three years, with its door hanging open and the iron black with old stains.

Warriors had gathered along the wall.

Word moves fast in a hold.

The scarred man stood at the front with his hat in his hands.

Caius set me down on my crutches in the dirt.

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