Phoebe’s POV
I walked beside my mother through the quiet hallways of the pack house, my steps light against the polished wooden floors. The air carried the scent of burning wood and freshly brewed tea, but I barely noticed. My thoughts were elsewhere, focused entirely on what lay ahead.
Everything depended on this meeting. If we failed to convince my father, Alpha Darius, all our efforts would be for nothing. Our plans would crumble before they could even begin. We had rehearsed our words repeatedly, ensuring that we sounded as genuine as possible. If there was even a hint of dishonesty, Alpha Darius would catch it. He was sharp, and he was not easily deceived.
But then, I trusted my mother. Over the years, I'd seen how she easily manipulated him. Sometimes it was glaring that she was
