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This time would be different. This time, she had evidence, allies, and, most importantly, someone worth fighting for.

The estate came into view just as Vessa finally spoke again. "We need to call an emergency meeting," she said, her voice steadier now but filled with determination. "The four Alphas need to know there's concrete evidence of a conspiracy against Raxen before this situation implodes any further."

Amara nodded, already mentally preparing for the confrontation ahead. They had the proof they needed to clear Raxen's name, but presenting it would require careful strategy. The wrong approach could backfire spectacularly, especially if Sori or Leon realized they'd been exposed.

Pax pulled up to the estate's front steps, and they quickly got out of his vehicle and through the estate's ornate doors into the grand foyer. Late-morning light streamed through the windows, casting everything in golden hues that should have felt peaceful but instead highlighted the tension crackling through the air. Almost immediately, Raxen appeared in the foyer, his imposing presence filling the space as his sharp blue gaze assessed the situation. His eyes moved from Vessa's pale face to Amara's grim expression to the evidence case Pax clutched protectively against his chest.

"What's wrong with Vessa?" he demanded, his Alpha instincts immediately zeroing in on his sister's distress.

"She's just upset by what Pax discovered," Amara said carefully. "Let's get her to her room first, and then we can discuss the matter further."

Without hesitation, Raxen moved to his sister's side, his massive frame radiating protective energy as he gently lifted Vessa into his arms. The careful way he cradled her against his chest, whispering soft reassurances about everything being alright now, sent something warm and powerful expanding through Amara's chest.

This is who he really is. Not the cold, ruthless Alpha his enemies are trying to paint him as.

She followed him up the grand staircase, watching the way his broad shoulders carried not just his sister's physical weight, but the emotional burden of her distress. Every gentle word, every careful step, every protective gesture reinforced what she'd already begun to suspect—Raxen Sol was probably the most caring, honorable man she'd ever encountered.

And someone has been destroying him from the inside.

The injustice of it made her blood boil with righteous fury. By the time they reached Vessa's room, Amara had made a silent promise to herself—she would expose this conspiracy and bring its architects to justice, no matter what it cost her.

Raxen carefully laid Vessa on her bed, his large hands smoothing her hair back from her face with infinite tenderness.

"I'm sorry to create such a fuss," Vessa murmured.

"You're not creating a fuss," Raxen said firmly. "Just rest right now. We can talk later. We'll figure it out."

He continued stroking her hair until her breathing evened out and some of the tension left her shoulders. Only then did he stand, his piercing gaze immediately finding Amara's face.

"What's going on?" he asked quietly, clearly not wanting to disturb his sister further. "What did Pax discover?"

Amara met his intense stare, seeing the barely contained worry and frustration simmering beneath his controlled exterior. In a few minutes, she would have to tell this powerful, protective man that his own cousin had been systematically betraying him. The knowledge would shatter something inside him, just as Logan and Tabitha's betrayal had shattered something inside her.

"I think we should go downstairs and let Pax tell you everything," she said softly, already dreading the conversation ahead.

FOURTEEN

RAXEN

Raxen's footsteps echoed through the estate's corridors as he strode toward the living room, his jaw clenched tight enough to crack stone. Behind him, Amara's lighter steps matched his pace, her presence both a comfort and a distraction as his lion paced beneath his skin.

Something's wrong. Catastrophically wrong.

The evidence was written across every face he'd encountered in the past fifteen minutes—Vessa's pale shock, Amara's restraint, Pax's exhausted determination, even Jalen's carefully controlled tension. Raxen knew that whatever his logistics analyst had discovered would shatter something fundamental about the world he thought he understood.

Raxen finally entered the spacious living room where Pax sat hunched over his evidence case, his sandy hair disheveled and dark circles shadowing his eyes, while Jalen stood near the fireplace, his large frame radiating protective alertness as his gaze tracked Raxen's entrance. Both men looked like soldiers preparing for war. Raxen's lion surged against his control, demanding action, demanding something to tear apart in response to the threat he could sense but not yet identify.

Maintain control.

"Why don't you sit beside me on the sofa while Pax explains what he found?” Amara said quietly, her voice cutting through the storm building in his mind.

Every Alpha instinct rebelled against the suggestion. He needed to pace, to prowl, to tower over whatever threat was about to be revealed. Sitting felt like vulnerability, like weakness.

Trust her.

The thought whispered through his consciousness with startling clarity. His mate had proven herself brilliant, capable, and fearless. If she believed he needed grounding right now, perhaps she understood something he didn't.

Raxen forced his feet toward the sofa, every step a battle against his lion's demands for dominance. He settled onto the cushions, his massive frame making the elegant furniture seem delicate by comparison. When Amara sat beside him and wrapped her fingers around his hand, the contact sent electricity shooting up his arm and somehow anchored him to sanity. Her touch was warm, steady, real.