Kael’s POV
The red haze wouldn’t clear.
Everything I looked at was tinted crimson. My vision. My thoughts. The world itself.
Fenrir was howling. A constant, deafening roar that filled every corner of my mind.
*KILL HER. RIP HER APART. MAKE HER SUFFER.*
I wanted to.
God, I wanted to.
My hands were shaking with the effort of holding back. Of not shifting right here. Right now. Of not letting Fenrir take control and do what every instinct was screaming at me to do.
Rebecca had done this.
Rebecca had followed Aria that night. Had drugged her. Had stolen her wolf. Had left her broken and alone in an alley.
And for what?
Jealousy? Possessiveness? Some twisted sense of ownership?
I looked at Aria.
She was standing frozen. Her face completely pale. Her eyes wide and glassy like she was seeing something far away.
In shock.
Complete, absolute shock.
My chest tightened.
Three years.
Three years she’d lived with this. Not knowing who had attacked her. Not knowing why.
And now she knew.
Now we all knew.
The woman who’d just been standing in my office. Smiling. Touching my arm. Lying through her perfect teeth.
That same woman had destroyed the person I loved most in this world.
"Damon." My voice came out rough. Barely human.
"Yes, Alpha?"
I turned to face him. Saw him flinch when he met my eyes.
Good.
Let him see the monster I was becoming.
"Bring her back." Each word was deliberate. Controlled. "NOW."
Damon didn’t hesitate. Didn’t question. Just turned and ran.
The door slammed shut behind him.
Silence filled the office.
Heavy. Suffocating.
I could hear Aria’s breathing. Fast. Shallow. The sound of someone barely holding themselves together.
I wanted to go to her. Wanted to pull her into my arms. Wanted to promise her that everything would be okay.
But I couldn’t move.
Couldn’t trust myself not to lose control completely if I tried.
The red in my vision was getting darker. Spreading. Consuming everything.
Minutes passed. Or maybe hours. Time had lost all meaning.
Then I heard it.
Footsteps in the hallway. Fast. Heavy. Multiple people.
The door burst open.
Damon appeared first. His face flushed. His eyes bright with... satisfaction?
Behind him, two of my security wolves. Massive. Intimidating. The kind you called when you needed someone handled.
And between them...
Rebecca.
She looked different now.
The polished exterior was cracking. Her hair was messy. Her makeup smudged. Her dress wrinkled where they’d grabbed her.
But her eyes...
Her eyes were still defiant. Still angry.
Like she had every right to be furious about being dragged back here.
The wolves pushed her forward. Not gently.
She stumbled. Caught herself on the edge of my desk.
"What the HELL, Kael?" Her voice was shrill. Panicked. "You can’t just have your goons manhandle me like some kind of criminal!"
I didn’t respond.
Just stared at her.
Those red eyes boring into hers.
She faltered. The defiance flickering.
"Kael?" Her voice got smaller. Uncertain. "What’s going on? Why did you—"
"Did you do it?"
The question cut through her words like a blade.
My vision went completely red.
"Why?" The question ripped from my throat. "Why would you do that?"
"WHY?" Rebecca’s voice pitched higher. Hysterical now. "Because she STOLE you from me! We were supposed to be together! You and me! It was PERFECT!"
Her eyes found Aria. Narrowed into slits.
"It should have been ME. I deserved you more than she ever could. I was perfect for you. Beautiful. Powerful. Connected. Everything an Alpha needs in a Luna."
"But no." Her voice turned bitter. Venomous. "You chose HER. This pathetic, wolfless nothing. This—"
"ENOUGH."
The word exploded from me.
The entire room shook with the force of it.
Rebecca’s mouth snapped shut.
I took a step toward her. Then another.
She backed up. Fear creeping back into her eyes.
"You want to blame someone?" My voice was deadly calm now. More dangerous than any shout. "Blame ME. I’m the one who rejected you. I’m the one who chose someone else."
Another step.
"But you didn’t come after me, did you? You went after her. An innocent person who had nothing to do with our history. Who didn’t deserve your hatred."
Rebecca’s back hit the wall.
Trapped.
"She deserved it!" Rebecca spat back. Desperate now. "She was in my way! I had to—"
"Our pack has one rule above all others." My voice dropped to a whisper. More terrifying than any scream. "We protect our own. We don’t harm our own. No matter what."
I leaned closer.
"You broke that rule. You hurt someone under my protection."
I stopped. Swallowed the words.
"You’re a traitor." The sentence came out flat. Final. "To me. To this pack. To everything we stand for."
Rebecca’s face crumpled. Tears started streaming down her cheeks.
"Kael, please." Her voice broke. "I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I was jealous and stupid and I made a terrible mistake. But you have to understand—"
"I understand perfectly." I stepped back. Put distance between us. "You’re exactly who I thought you were. Selfish. Cruel. Willing to destroy anyone who gets in your way."
I turned to Damon.
"Damon." My voice was steady now. Controlled. The Alpha giving orders. "Summon everyone. Every key member of the pack. I don’t care what they’re doing. I don’t care where they are."
I walked to my desk. Placed both palms on the surface.
"I have an announcement to make."

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