Daphne
The knock on the door made me flinch.
Gavin stood to answer it, and I tried to steady my breathing as voices murmured from the other side. I didn’t hear what they said—only the tone. Tense. Quiet. Controlled. The kind of quiet that never meant anything good.
When the door shut again, I was already on my feet.
“What happened?” My voice came out thinner than I wanted.
Taryn stepped forward slowly, like someone approaching a skittish animal. “Your father made a formal accusation to the Council.”
The world slowed.
“He’s accusing the Crescent Flame Pack of kidnapping you,” she continued, “and claims that Gavin manipulated you into faking the mate bond.”
I stared at her, unblinking. “He what?”
Caz’s jaw was clenched, his voice low and sharp. “The Council is launching an investiga
