“So we’re looking at council members, visiting Alphas, maybe...” I rubbed my temples, feeling a headache building. This whole situation was a disaster. Mary’s announcement had trapped meperfectly. If I’d denied it publicly, she would have exposed Lina and the twins. If I went along with it, I’d lose them anyway.
“There’s more,” Noah interrupted my spiral. “Alderic’s been leaving pack territory at night. Three times this week. Always returns before dawn, always smells like he’s been running hard.”
I straightened in my chair. “Covering his tracks?”
“Or meeting someone. I’ll follow him tonight.”
We were narrowing down suspects, building our case piece by piece. Once we had proof of who the real father was, I could expose Mary’s lie without risking my family. It wasn’t a perfect plan, but it was all I had.
My phone rang, Hunt’s name flashing on the screen. I almost didn’t answer, too focused on solving this crisis before it exploded in my face. But instinct made me pick up.
“Lina’s been injured. She’s bleeding. Fuck, Knox, she...” Hunt’s voice was pure panic, words tumbling over each other.
I shot to my feet, the chair crashing backward. “What happened?”
“Mary. Claws to the ribs. She’s conscious but-”
Through the phone, small voices that made my heart stop: “Please, please, is Mama going to be alright?”
Thea. My baby girl, terrified.
Then softer, broken: “Daddy...”
Rowan. My son, trying to be strong but scared.
“Is that Daddy?” Thea’s voice got louder, closer to the phone. “Mama is hurt, please come!”
My pups were there with my injured mate, calling for me. Begging for me. And Mary had done this. Mary had dared to touch what was mine.
“Five minutes,” I snarled, already moving toward the door, my body beginning to shift.
“Knox-” Noah started, but I was already gone, bones cracking and reshaping as I let the wolf take over completely.
“I’ll handle things here. Go!” Noah shouted after me, but I barely heard him over the roar of blood in my ears.
Four legs were faster than two. I tore through the pack grounds, not caring who saw, not caring about anything except getting to them. Mary’s scent lingered in the air, mixed with Lina’s blood, and my wolf wanted violence. Wanted to hunt her down and show her what happened to anyone who hurt our family.
But first, Lina. First, making sure she was okay.
I burst through Noah’s door, barely managing to shift back to human form before entering. Lina sat on the couch, Hunt pressing bloodied towels to her ribs. She was conscious, alert, but her expression stopped me cold. Fury and betrayal radiated from her, the kind that had nothing to do with physical pain.
“Take the children upstairs,” she said, voice deadly quiet.
Hunt looked between us nervously, clearly sensing the storm about to break. “Lina, maybe you should let Knox look at-”
“Now, Hunt.” Her tone left no room for argument.
Hunt gathered the twins quickly, ushering them toward the stairs with promises of stories and games. Thea kept looking back at me, tears still on her cheeks, while Rowan watched everything with those too-knowing gray eyes.
“But Mama needs-” Thea started.
“Your mama needs to talk to Knox alone,” Hunt said gently. “Come on, I’ll teach you that card trick I promised.”
The second their footsteps faded upstairs, Lina stood despite her injuries. Blood had soaked through her shirt, but she moved with the kind of determination that made injuries irrelevant.
“Basement. Now.”
I followed, dread building with each step. She was already pulling off my grandmother’s ring, the sapphire catching the light as she yanked it from her finger.
