Chapter 70. Betrayal Unveiled.

I pushed open the heavy oak door to my father's chambers, the creak of the hinges slicing through the silence like a blade. The sight that greeted me stopped me cold. The room was a disaster zone—furniture toppled and shattered, papers scattered like fallen leaves, and deep gouges marred the once-polished wooden floors. The rich scent of cedar mixed with the sharp tang of broken glass and the unmistakable aroma of my mother's fury. Jasmine and wildfire. She'd been here, and she hadn't been pleased.

Near the tall, arched window that overlooked the shadowed forest, my father stood with his back to us. Moonlight cast him in silhouette, a dark figure hunched over, whispering urgently with a male pack member. The man's posture was tense, his eyes darting nervously as my father spoke in hushed tones. Their conspiracy was evident, the secrecy palpable. Whatever they were discussing was meant to be hidden from prying eyes and ears.

As Adam and I stepped into the