Alex POV
By the time the sun dipped below the horizon, the McKinnley estate felt… wrong.
Too many guards on patrol.
Too many whispers carried through hallways.
Too many glances exchanged like something was lurking just out of sight.
The rogue’s attack had shaken more than just us — it had rattled Dad to the core.
Which is why, when he gathered us in the grand library, the tension was tangible. Books towered around us like silent witnesses, the fire casting long shadows across the floor.
Riley stood close enough that our shoulders touched, her pulse fluttering in her neck. Mason hovered behind us, posture rigid, wolf on edge.
Dad stepped behind the massive oak desk, bracing himself with both hands.
“There’s something you all need to hear,” he began, voice low, steady, too control
