rotecting me. No Beta Adrian waiting to lecture me about taking unnecessary risks. No Mira forcing me to eat more than a few bites because she believed I was too stubborn for my own good. I was a

"Yes. That Thorn." The older guard studied me carefully. "You're brave coming here." "I'm not here for a fight." "Most people who carry that name bring trouble with them." I stepped closer. "Then it's a good thing I'm not my father." The guard didn't respond. But he moved aside. The pack was smaller than mine, but it was peaceful. Families walked through the streets. Children played. Wolves trained in the open fields. It reminded me of home. Before everything changed. I was led to the Alpha's residence, where I waited for nearly twenty minutes before someone finally entered. An older man. His hair was streaked with silver, but his presence was still powerful. "Alpha Cedric," I greeted. He looked at me for a long moment. "I never expected to see Rowan Thorn's daughter standing in front of me." "I'm looking for information about him." His expression hardened. "Why?" "Because everyone believes he killed my mother." Silence filled the room. "And you don't?" "No." The Alpha studied me. "You are either very loyal to your father or very foolish." "Well..I'm Neither." My voice remained steady. "I just know the man everyone describes is not the man I knew." Alpha Cedric walked toward the window. "Your father was a complicated man." "That's not an answer." "No," he agreed. "It isn't." I waited. Finally, he spoke. "Your father came to me months before your mother's death." My heart tightened. "Why?" "He was afraid." That caught me off guard. "My father?" "Yes." "For what?" Alpha Cedric looked at me. "For something he discovered." I stepped forward. "What did he discover?" He hesitated. And that hesitation told me everyt