Sophia’s sobs filled the room, but I felt no sympathy for her. Not after what she and her family had put E through.


    “You all need to pay for what you’ve done,” I said, turning to Richard and Margaret. “All else aside, hiring someone to kidnap my wife goes far beyond simple meddling.”


    Margaret scoffed. “She was never in any real danger. That rogue was just going to rough her, up, scare her-”


    “You had her drugged, tied up, taken to a barn in the middle of nowhere, and nearly raped.” My voice was hardly more than a growl. “And he intended to take pictures of the entire thing like some kind of humiliation.”


    “Alexander, please be reasonable,” Richard said desperately. “Our pack needs this alliance. We’ve invested everything in maintaining good rtions with your territory. And ultimately, no real harm was done. E wasn’t actually hurt.”


    “But she was,” I hissed, feeling my wolf rise to the surface of my skin. “That was an incident that she’ll never forget for as long as she lives.”


    Margaret and Richard exchanged frantic looks while Sophia whimpered in the background. My wolf raged, urging me to rip their throats out right then and there. But I controlled myself- for now, anyway, and only because Liam was standing there and the Alpha Council would have me sent to prison for life if they found out.


    Although to be fair, Liam would probably go to prison right alongside me.


    Richard seemed to read my mind when I nced at Liam. He took a step forward and curled his lips into a malicious sneer. “If this goes to the Alpha Council, it will create a massive scandal. We’ll have no choice but to tell them the truth-that E is dying because you refuse to mark her. How do you think that will look for your political career? How do you think that will look for her?”


    My wolf snarled. Threatening me was one thing, but E…


    I wouldn’t stand for it. I couldn’t bear to see her Burt again.


    “Here’s what’s going to happen,” I said, my voice as cold as a winter frost. “You’re going on immediate parole; if you misbehave again, I’ll go to the Alpha Council myself about your crimes. And you must performmunity service for Ashw for the next two years, make public donations to a charity in E’s name, and act like perfect, upstanding citizens.”


    “And,” Liam added, stepping forward, “if you breathe a word of this to anyone, I’ll make sure you face the full legal consequences.”


    Richard’s eyes widened. “You can’t mean


    “Yes,” Liam cut him off. “You’ll be rogues. All of you.”


    Sophia was still crying, but she frantically turned to her parents. “Please, Mommy and Daddy. Please do what they say. I don’t want to be a rogue-


    “Fine,” Margaret whispered bitterly. “We ept your terms.”


    “Good.” I gestured toward the door. “Now get out of my house. All of you.”


    They left quickly with Gabriel showing them out, Sophia casting onest desperate look over her shoulder before the door closed behind them!


    Liam and I stood in silence for a moment, both too stunned by what had just happened to speak. The punishment didn’t feel like enough, but humiliating E publicly? If people found out about her illness, she would be ruined.


    Wolfless people in our society were rare and frowned upon. If it came out that she had an illness that made her wolf dormant, then she would be seen as weak. People might even attack her other suitors who might want to get her out of the picture and take her ce as my Luna.


    And her family… I already knew how they treated her. I hardly dared to think what they might say or do if they found out that she was sick. If she was their spy or weapon… Then they might dispose of her and dispatch a new one.


    The very thought of seeing her in pain, possibly even assassinated just as my own parents had been, made my heart clench in agony.


    “We can’t tell E about this,” I finally said, breaking the silence. “Not yet.”


    To my surprise, Liam nodded grimly. “You’re right. She’d be furious that we let them off so easily.”


    “And she’d be right to want it. But right now, she needs to focus on her health, not on revenge.” I held my hand out. “Do we have a deal?”


    Liam hesitated for a moment, staring at my outstretched hand. Finally, he sped it and gave it a firm shake.


    “Your secret is safe with me,” he said solemnly.