Freya’s POV


    s


    Tears streaked down Luca’s face, raw and unguarded. His voice broke as he whispered, “Thank you… thank you…”


    It was the first time anyone had stood by him. The gratitude in his eyes cut through me like ws. My wolf stirred uneasily inside me, knowing too well the desperation of being left alone, unheard, unwanted.


    When I finally stepped out of the visitation chamber, Ss was waiting in the corridor. His broad frame leaned against the wall, his aura restrained but humming faintly, enough to make the guards keep their distance.


    “Did you get what you came for?” he asked.


    I nodded. “He insists the fire wasn’t caused by his father. Vice-Captain James had nodules in his lungs-he promised Luca he would quit smoking. He believes with everything in him that his father didn’t die with a cigarette in his hand, and he doesn’t want him remembered as the one who started that ze.”


    Ss’s gaze sharpened, storm-grey eyes catching the fluorescent light. “So you want to chase the truth for him.”


    “Yes,” I admitted. “But not only for him. I’ve always felt that fire is tied to Eric’s disappearance. I’ve been meaning to dig deeper for years. If I help Luca, maybe I’ll find the answers I’ve been searching for too.”


    “I’ll help you.” Ss said without hesitation. His tone was iron, the kind that didn’t bend to refusal.


    I studied him, then gave a small nod. “All right. The more eyes, the better. Evidence that old doesn’t surface easily.”


    Before I could say more, another voice cut in from across the hall.


    “Or maybe I should be the one to help, sister.”


    I stiffened. Turning, I found Kade standing at the threshold, his dark hair shadowing sharp features. His wolf aura filled the room before his body even did,ced with challenge.


    “Kade,” I said, surprised. “Why are you here? I thought we weren’t meeting until tomorrow. I promised to take you around the city.”


    He shrugged. “Had nothing better to do. When I heard you were at the detention center, I decided to drop by. Whatever you’re chasing, I’ll help you.”


    He hadn’t overheard everything, so I repeated what Luca told me. Kade listened in silence, his jaw tightening


    “Five years is a long time,” he said finally. “The ashes are cold. Still… there might be traces left to follow. And if Aurora was beside Vice-Captain James when he copsed, watching him burn without lifting a hand, then she might know something. Maybe something she’s not willing to say.”


    My thoughts flickered. I had already considered that possibility. Aurora had been forced, live on the PackNet broadcast, to admit she had stood by, watching. Even if she knew more, the shame binding her


    1:16 pm P pp.


    tongue would keep her silent.


    ??


    s


    “She won’t talk,” I murmured. “Not after being humiliated in front of the packs. She’d never admit to anything that might vindicate Luca’s father now.”


    “Then we investigate her too,” Kade said tly. “Every angle. If she holds even a fragment of the truth, we’ll tear it out.”


    I nodded slowly. “That may be the only way.”


    “Looks like you’re intent on protecting that boy.” Kade’s tone softened slightly. “I could find him a defense.wyer. One better than what the Whitmors are offering.”


    “Ss already assigned him one,” I replied.


    Kade smirked. “Have you forgotten my grandfather’s lineage? I can bring him the best legal wolves in the Capital, the kind that leave Whitmor attorneys in the dust.”


    Ss’s eyes narrowed, his aura ring just enough to prickle against my skin. “The Whitmor legal corps are the best in the Capital.” His voice was smooth but carried a razor’s edge.


    And just like that, the tension spiked. Two Alphas, circling, their dominance pressing heavy on the air. I rubbed my temples. Moon above, why could these two never breathe the same air without trying to w at each other?


    Later that day, I returned to Stormveil Pack’s Fifth Branch estate-the ce I still called home. The old house was ted for demolition under city expansionws, but every brick of it carried my family’s scent. Every corner was a memory.


    The deed was in my name now. I knew I couldn’t stop the demolition, but I could at least salvage what remained. I wanted to gather my parents’ belongings, the pieces of Eric’s life, and hold onto them before the wrecking crews erased everything.


    To my dismay, Ss and Kade insisted oning along.


    And so I found myself nked by two Alphas-both stripped of their usual airs, sleeves rolled, hands dusty -as they packed boxes beside me likemon movers. The image would have been amusing if not for the ache tightening my chest,


    One by one, relics of my family disappeared into cardboard. The air grew thick with dust, the silence broken only by the creak of wood and the rustle of paper.


    Then my eyes fell upon the photograph.


    A family portrait. My father, Arthur Thorne, stern but proud; my mother, Myra, with her quiet strength; Eric beside me, grinning with reckless joy. And me-smaller, smiling, na?ve.


    The sight hollowed me. My throat burned. For a heartbeat, I was that girl again, before fire and lies shattered everything.


    “Freya.” Ss’s voice brushed my car, low and concerned.


    1:16 pm P pp.


    ??


    s


    I blinked, hastily tucking the frame into a box. “It’s nothing.” I lied, forcing my lips into a curve. “You’ve both been working hard. I’ll grab us some water from the shop down the road.”


    Before either of them could argue, I slipped out. Better to leave than let them see the weakness wing at <ol><li></li></ol>