Chapter 76

DARIUS Five years ago... Heavy rain pounded the windshield of my car as I drove home from the meeting that had shattered everything. The Blue Ridge Pack council—the tribe I had inherited from my father—had just issued an ultimatum that made me feel as though my world had collapsed. “Alpha Darius,” Elder Richardson said in a cold, firm voice, “because of your failure to manage the alliance with the Moonwhisper Pack, because of the financial losses caused by your misguided trading strategy, and because of your inability to maintain a mate who should have strengthened our political position... the council has decided to revoke your leadership.” Seraphina. It all started with Seraphina. She left me six months earlier, claiming that I was “too controlling” and “manipulative.” But all I was doing was trying to protect her, ensuring she made the right decisions for the Pack, for our shared future. But she didn’t understand the responsibilities that came with being an Alpha’s mate. She didn’t