The news was spreading like wildfire through the Nightwood Pack territory. Alpha Cassian's face had turned ashen when we first heard about the breach of the Secrecy Pact. Orion's father, normally stoic and composed, looked like he'd aged a decade in minutes.
And me? I felt like the ground beneath my feet had disappeared.
"Alpha Thorne, there's an urgent call for you," a young beta announced, bursting into our strategy meeting without knocking. "It's King Gareth Solstice."
My heart leaped into my throat. Seraphina was with Gareth at my father's residence. My worry for my mate had been a constant undercurrent since we'd been separated, but now it threatened to overwhelm me.
"I'll take it in Alpha Cassian's office," I said, nodding thanks to our host.
The moment the door closed behind me, I connected the call. The screen displayed not just Gareth, but several faces: my father Harrison, Finnian, my brother Ronan, and—
