The situation weighed heavily on Carlisle, pressing down on him in ways he could not fully name. While all of his attention remained locked on Raquel and her condition, something else was unfolding across the pack without his knowledge.
Word of what had supposedly happened spread quickly through the territory. It started with Raquel’s omega attendant and grew with every retelling, each version more certain, more angry, more convinced that Victoria had done something unforgivable. By the time it reached most of the pack, it was no longer a question of what happened, but a declared truth.
In the cold, damp dungeon below, Victoria lay barely holding herself together. Fever had taken hold of her body, leaving her skin hot one moment and cold the next. Every part of her felt weak, her strengt
