ra''s voice trembled slightly as she asked, "If you knew he hated the Luna, then why did you leave him alone with them?" Though she tried to sound strong, the sorrow underlying her words was unmistakable.


    I sighed, feeling the weight of the question. "Because that''s exactly what we''d been doing for weeks. We organized patrols around the pack hospital, and Jeff was always part of those ns. Rick was almost always by her side. If he ever had to step away-even just to use the bathroom-he''d leave Jeff and me to watch over her. There''s a difference between hating someone and wanting them dead. We never suspected he''d go that far." I paused, the memory stinging. "Rick and I were nning to hand over the pack to you once the Luna woke up. We had no reason to force a new team on you. He wanted you to have the freedom to choose who you wanted around you. Maybe he should have done it sooner. I don''t know if it would have changed anything, but I believe they''d both still be alive if he had." My voice carried a hint of bitterness-an almost ming tone that I quickly swallowed. Rick and Emilia were gone now, and I refused to let anyone cast me on them.


    ra''s eyes searched mine. "Do you know anything more about the rogues? The attacks? The drugs? Any of the things we''ve been trying to figure out for months?" She didn''t mention the magic angle, and neither did I. I wasn''t sure if Rick or ra had spoken about that discovery, and ra didn''t correct me.


    He nodded slowly. "The attacks were strategic. They wanted to see who would respond. They didn''t expect Rick to bring in help from Silver Crescent, but too many incidents required a stronger response."


    I frowned. “What do you mean? We only had two attacks before Dad called in Alpha James."


    ra leaned forward in her chair, and I mirrored her, shifting my left leg so it rested just in front of her right knee—a silent gesture of solidarity, both to her and to him.


    "There were nearly a dozen simr cases over the past five years,” he exined quietly. "Your father didn''t want to worry you. As much as he wanted you to be the next Alpha, you were still his little girl to protect. That contradiction was his undoing. So many things could be different if he had given you more insight." I heard the chair creak beside me as ra gripped the armrest tightly, white-knuckled. "The attack that brought Jeremiah, Ben, and their team here was a clear warning-to stop searching, to stop interfering. Before that, only one other kid was found, probably a new mule recruit who messed up. But the girl... she was different. She was your size, your weight, with red hair. They hung her between trees by her arms and legs, left to bleed out. I won''t go into the other horrors we uncovered about what was done to her here. Let''s just say, I like my furniture in one piece, but you get the picture."


    My heart pounded. "ra was the next target?" I struggled to keep my voice steady, my mind racing. My foot brushed against hers without thinking my wolf''s way of checking she was still right beside me. We couldn''t afford to cause a scene or make her feel trapped. I felt the familiar tingling beneath my shoes, and the restless energy within me settled immediately.


    "That''s what we believe," he confirmed. "Guys like Jeff don''t see women as equals in fighting or protection. They thought she''d be easy to capture, to use as bait or leverage against Rick if they got her alone. Thank the Goddess you never went anywhere without Jaxon, Devon, or this one.” He gestured toward me. “And before you get defensive, remember I taught you how to fight. I know your skill set. They wouldn''t have stood a chance unless they caught you alone against five or six of them and they would have fought dirty. They''d have used every weapon, every drug at their disposal to take you down."


    I felt a surge of anger. "Why didn''t you do more to stop it? Why didn''t you tell her what was happening so she could protect herself? That''s your job as Beta."


    He shook his head. "You forget, kid, I wasn''t her Beta-I was Rick''s. Rick, as Alpha, ordered me to keep quiet. I did my best to keep Jeff away from her. I did my job as well as I could."


    ra''s voice softened. “What about the listening devices we found everywhere?" He frowned. "I never saw Jeff put them there. I can''t exin that. We all had our roles. I couldn''t tail Jeff and protect your parents at the same time.”


    "And Sebastian?" I asked. "Where does he fit into all this?"


    "He was as lost as you," he said. "Jeff might act like a fool, but he''s smart and good at not getting caught. Sebastian was the one processing all the attacks, following leads. I''m sure Jeff sent him on more wild goose chases than you kids ever did." He nced to his right, and we both turned to see Sebastian standing at the edge of his porch, arms crossed, watching us expectantly. "Can hee over? Or do you want to keep forcing him to eavesdrop?”


    ra exhaled sharply, and I nced sideways at her, waiting to see what she''d decide. I wasn''t going to offer my opinion here—this was deeply personal for all three of them.