Wanting to fix what he'd somehow made worse by being here.
"Dante." Emmett's voice cut through the fury. "Don't do whatever you're thinking."
"I'm thinking Hector needs to be stopped." Dante turned, finding the wolf watching him with wary concern. "Permanently."
"Not like this. Not with violence." Emmett moved closer, his presence solid and steady. "That's exactly what he wants. You go after him or his people, he uses it to prove Maeve harborsdangerous rogues. Proves she can't be trusted with Council authority."
"She already lost her tavern."
"Temporarily. Two weeks. We appeal. We gather more evidence. We prove his documents are forged." Emmett's jaw tightened. "But if you attack his people, you hand him ammunition to make the suspension permanent."
"So we do nothing?" Dante's voice came out raw. "Watch him win while Maeve loses everything she built?"
"We do it right." Emmett's wolf rose to his eyes. "We follow procedure. We prove our case. And we don't give Bram any excuse to side with traditional values over facts."
Dante wanted to argue. Wanted to say procedure didn't matter when the system was rigged. When lions like Hector could manipulate rules designed to protect into weapons meant to destroy.
But Emmett was right. Violence would only make things worse.
Even if every instinct screamed to hunt down the rogues and make them pay for touching what was his.
"Fine." The word tasted like defeat. "Two weeks. We build a better case."
"Good." Emmett clapped his shoulder. "Go cool off. Check on Maeve. Make sure she's not doing anything stupid."
Dante almost laughed. "She won't talk to me."
"Try anyway." Emmett headed toward the tree line. "She needs someone. Even if she's too stubborn to admit it."
He left, disappearing into the woods.
Dante stood alone with fury that had nowhere to go. Maeve had walked away without a word. Had looked at him like he'd failed her. Like bringing evidence and breaking protocol had somehow caused this instead of prevented it.
Maybe she was right.
Maybe his presence had given Hector the ammunition needed to twist everything. To use unauthorized investigation as proof of Maeve's disrespect for Council authority. To make Dante himself into evidence of her poor judgment.
His phone buzzed. A text from an unknown number.
Told you to leave. Now look what you've done. Last chance, Deleuve. Walk away or she loses more than her tavern.
Hector. Threatening. Gloating.
Something in Dante snapped.
He headed into the woods. Not toward town. Toward the lake. Toward the cabin where Hector's rogues camped between missions.
The cabin sat quiet when Dante arrived, smoke rising from the chimney. Two different lions than before lounged outside despite the cold, weapons within reach. They straightened when they saw him approach.
"Lost?" The bigger one grinned, revealing teeth. "Or looking for another beating?"
"Looking for answers." Dante stopped just outside striking distance. "Your alpha destroyed a woman's business today using forged evidence and manipulated procedure. I want to know what else he's planning."
"You want to know?" The second lion stood, cracking his knuckles. "How about we discuss it inside. Privately."
They moved together, coordinated and confident.
Dante's lion rose with a snarl.
