Chapter 5

At that same moment, Father received a call from the Pack Council’s Security Division.

“Alpha Ashwood, we’ve reopened the investigation into the rogue attack seven years ago.”

The investigator continued.

“We found evidence that Rosalie’s father was not the warrior who saved you that night.”

“How can you be certain?” Father asked.

His voice was steady, but his grip on the phone had turned his knuckles white.

“We restored the damaged security records from the eastern watchtower,” the investigator said. “The footage shows another warrior pulling you to safety. Garrick Vale wasn’t anywhere near you when it happened.”

“What about his wound?”

“He was attacked on the western border several minutes later. His injury had nothing to do with saving you.”

“Then why did the original report name him as my rescuer?”

“That report was altered.”

Father’s wolf stirred beneath his skin.

“By whom?”

“We’re still investigating. But that isn’t all we found.”

The investigator paused before continuing.

“The attack wasn’t caused by a failure in your border defenses. Someone inside the pack gave the rogues your patrol route.”

Father went still.

“There was a traitor in my pack?”

“Yes, Alpha. The rogues could only have entered that night with help from one of your own wolves.”

Father gripped the edge of the desk to keep himself upright.

For seven years, he had believed Garrick Vale sacrificed his wolf to save his life. He had blamed himself, convinced that his failure at the border had forced Garrick to pay the price.

Now the Council was telling him that the debt he had spent seven years repaying had never existed.

“Dad?”

Callum stepped out of Rosalie’s new art studio and stopped when he saw Father’s face.

“Who was that?”

“The Pack Council.”

Father lowered the phone.

“They recovered the missing records from the rogue attack.” Father looked directly at Callum. “Rosalie’s father wasn’t the warrior who saved me that night. Someone else was.”

Callum went still.

“What?”

“And the attack wasn’t caused by a failure in my defenses. Someone inside the pack gave the rogues our patrol route.”

Mother emerged from the dressing room with several fabric samples in her hands.

“Why are you both standing here? The designer needs us to choose the drapes for Rosalie’s bedroom.”

Callum turned to her.

“Rosalie’s father didn’t save Father. Another warrior did.”

The fabric samples slipped from Mother’s fingers.

“What do you mean?”

“Garrick was nowhere near me when the other warrior pulled me to safety,” Father said. “They also found evidence that someone inside the pack gave the rogues our patrol route.”

Mother stared at him.

“But the original report said Garrick took the blade meant for you.”

“The report was altered.”

For a moment, no one spoke.

Then Father looked around the penthouse.

“Where is Aria? Wasn’t she supposed to have arrived by now?”

Mother frowned. “The airline notified me that she never boarded. I sent her several messages, but she hasn’t answered.”

Father pulled out his phone and called me. The call went straight to voicemail.

Callum checked the family group.

“She left the chat.”

Mother’s face drained of color.

Father turned toward the elevator.

“We’re going home. Now.”

Rosalie appeared in the hallway, holding a portfolio case Julian had bought for her.

“What happened? The decorator is waiting for us to approve the studio.”

“Do it yourself,” Callum said. “Aria is missing.”

Rosalie froze. Then she lowered her eyes.

“Maybe she isn’t missing.”

Everyone looked at her.

Rosalie twisted her fingers around the handle of the case.

“I don’t want to say anything bad about Aria, but she gets upset when she thinks everyone is paying too much attention to me.”

Callum’s jaw tightened.

“She has shut herself away before,” Rosalie continued softly. “Maybe leaving the family chat is her way of making everyone worry.”

Mother looked uncertain.

“But she never boarded her flight.”

“She probably wants us to chase after her,” Rosalie said. “If we do, she’ll know this works.”

Callum was silent for a moment.

Then he nodded.

“Rosalie may be right. Aria has always needed time to calm down. If we make a scene, we’ll only encourage her.”

Mother looked at Father.

“But what if something happened to her?”

“She’s the Alpha’s daughter,” Callum said. “She can take care of herself. Isn’t that what she’s always telling us?”

Rosalie touched Mother’s arm.

“Give her a few days. Once she realizes no one is angry, she’ll come back on her own.”

Father remained beside the elevator, saying nothing.

The investigator’s words kept repeating in his mind.

Rosalie’s father was not the warrior who saved you.

For seven years, he had used his guilt to justify everything they gave Rosalie, and everything they took from me.

He had allowed his own daughter to be pushed out of the family wing and into a room above the stables.

He had ordered me to surrender Grandmother’s cuff.

He had expected me to abandon the most prestigious program in the northern territories and devote my future to Rosalie.

Father realized he had spent seven years paying off a debt that had never existed, only to end up owing his own daughter one he might never be able to repay.