Kael's POV
I hesitated to call this an official inquiry, though it felt closer to an interrogation than anything else. Whatever the Alphas wanted to name it, I could not refuse their summons. Every pack leader in the region had gathered, and they were waiting for me. I exhaled slowly, adjusting the silk tie at my throat, then settled my dark beret carefully over the half-healed gash on my scalp. The wound still throbbed beneath the fabric, a constant reminder that the ones who had taken me remained free. I had joked about suspecting Aria, but the thought was absurd. She could never betray me. Her scent still lingered on my skin from the night before, warm and reassuring. Someone close to had orchestrated the kidnapping, yes, but not her. Never her.
The bedroom door opened softly, and
