a's

had been stones in a pon

angled gasp, a mixture of shock and fury. "Ela

ould expose our pack's dirty laundry to the most powerful ally we had. The alliance was ev

look a hundred times before-she always resented that I was betrothed t

e is so important that I am summoning him. What do you think the Sinclairs will think of us, Father, if th

s, against him. He sputtered, his face purpling with rage, but h

inging her hands, while Audra stood as still as a statue-though I could see her fingers twi

hall. Officer Reynolds had arrived. He was a broad shouldered man in his late for

lpha Beaumont. Miss Beaumont. I received

tences, I laid out the suspicious

pable shift occurred in the atmosphere of the room. It was as if

washed over the main hall, completely

nclair ha

black suit. His dark brown hair was cut short, and his deep blue ey

elcoming smile. He hurried forward. "Donnie! I'm so sorr

ctly on me. He gave a slight, formal inclination of his head. "I received

h and controlled, yet it carried an

fire consumed everything. But I had lost consciousness before I could see whether he ever reached me, and I n

d it. I could not affo

a perfect, formal curtsy. "Thank y

er of curiosity in them. He was noticing the change. The girl he was betrothed to

as if the weight of their own secrets pressed down on the

ssertion of power. "Alpha Beaumont, since my future mate's life was threatened on your land, I believe

he family of the victim. I watched my father's face cycle through shock, anger, and finally grudging accep

ing, straightened his back. I could tell from his sudden alertness that h

room. I was no longer a lone daughter fighting her family. I now

ow, all I had to do was wait f

e, his voice, echoed silently in my mind, a pr

quire my

shake of my head, my

his unde