And when he had finally found a little happiness—a small, precious sliver of joy in the form of a red-haired medical student who saw him for who he truly was—they wanted to snatch it away.
*No more.*
The thought crystallized in his mind, sharp and unyielding.
*Never again.*
He felt Lori beside him—devastated, fragile, innocent. The Council had painted her as a seductress, an immoral woman who had trapped an unsuspecting Alpha. They had twisted the truth, weaponized her love, turned her into something dark and ugly.
But he knew the truth.
She was none of those things.
She was brave. Loyal. Fierce. She had stood by him when everyone else had abandoned him. She had loved him without conditions, without expectations.
And he would not let them destroy her.
Attia opened his mouth, his v
