Chapter 57

Aubrey's POV Jax's voice filled the dining room, each word chosen with surgical precision. "The war was a tragedy that touched all of us," he said, his expression a perfect mask of regret. "So many innocent lives were lost, so many bonds broken. Packs that once lived in harmony were torn apart by violence and misunderstanding." My hands trembled beneath the table as memories threatened to surface — the metallic scent of blood, the sound of my brother's last breath, the weight of his body growing cold in my arms. Knox's brothers nodded along with Jax's words, completely unaware of their father's role in my pack's destruction. "We must learn from these mistakes," Jax continued smoothly. "Understand that strength lies not in dominance, but in unity." Cold sweat beaded on my skin as his gaze swept over me, the brief contact feeling like ice down my spine. The double meaning in his words was clear — at least to me. Every carefully chosen phrase was another twist of the knife, another remind