(Audrey’s POV)

    My hands trembled as I stared at the message on my pack device. The words blurred together as tears of frustration and confusion filled my eyes.

    “He says he knows who was behind everything,” I told Yvette, turning the device so she could read Nathan’s text. “He ims he has documentation about my kidnapping.”

    Yvette’s expression immediately darkened. Her maternal instincts, so newly awakened toward me, were clearly screaming warnings.

    “Something feels wrong about this timing,” she said, her voice sharp with concern. “Why would he contact you now, just hours after you’ve reunited with your family?”

    I looked between her and Florian, seeing identical expressions of suspicion on their faces. But the desperate need for answers was wing at my chest like a physical pain.

    “Nathan has always protected me,” I said quietly. “When Arthur hurt me, when I feltpletely alone, he was there.”

    Florian’s golden eyes shed dangerously. “Audrey, we just discovered evidence that he orchestrated my supposed death. How can you still trust him?”

    “Because I need to know!” The words burst out of me with more force than I’d intended. “I can’t move forward until I understand what really happened to me.”

    Yvette reached out and took my hands in hers. Her touch was warm andforting, but I could feel her fear through our newly discovered bond.

    “If you must go, then take backup,” she pleaded. “Don’t meet him alone.”

    I shook my head stubbornly. “He specifically said toe alone. If I bring others, he might not tell me anything.”

    “Then at least stay in contact,” Florian demanded, his voice tight with barely controlled anxiety. “Keep your pack device open. Send me your location.”

    I nodded, understanding their concerns but unable to ignore the pull I felt toward finally learning the truth. “I’ll be careful. I promise.”

    The location Nathan had specified was an elegant territory restaurant in the neutral district. It seemed public and safe enough. What could happen in a crowded establishment?

    “I need to close this chapter of my life,” I exined to Florian as I gathered my things. “I can’t build a future with you or anyone else while my past is still a mystery.”

    His expression softened slightly, though the worry never left his eyes. “Then I’ll be waiting for you. Just… please be smart about this.”

    I kissed him gently, tasting the fear on his lips. “I will.”

    The drive to the restaurant felt endless. My wolf was restless, pacing nervously in my mind. Something felt off, but I couldn’t pinpoint exactly what.

    When I arrived at the specified address, a well-dressed Beta wolf approached my vehicle immediately. His smile seemed friendly enough, but there was something cold in his eyes.

    “Miss Winter?” he asked politely. “I’m Beta Marcus. Alpha Snowfang had to change the location at thest minute for security reasons.”

    My stomach clenched with the first real stab of unease. “Change the location?”

    “Yes, miss. Some suspicious wolves were spotted near the restaurant. For your safety, he’s moved the meeting to a private territory den.”

    I hesitated, my hand hovering over my pack device. I should call Florian. I should tell him about the change.

    But Beta Marcus was already opening my passenger door with practiced efficiency. “Please, miss. Alpha Snowfang is very concerned about your safety.”

    Against my better judgment, I allowed him to guide me to a different vehicle. The territory den he drove me to was isted, surrounded by tall pines that blocked most of the moonlight.

    By the time I realized the true nature of my situation, I was already inside the lodge with no immediate escape route. Nathan stood waiting for me in the main room. But this wasn’t the warm, protective Nathan I remembered. His expression was cold and calcting. His blue eyes held a predatory gleam that made my skin crawl.

    “I’m sorry for the deception,” he said, though his tone suggested he wasn’t sorry at all. “But I needed to ensure we wouldn’t be interrupted for this conversation.”

    My wolf immediately went on high alert. Every instinct screamed that I was in danger. I forced myself to remain calm as I scanned the room, noting the exits and searching for anything that could be used as a weapon.

    “Nathan, what’s going on?” I asked, keeping my voice steady despite the fear rising in my throat. “What information did you want to share?”

    Heughed, but the sound was harsh and bitter. Nothing like the gentle chuckles I remembered from our time in the Sunstone Territories.

    “The information was just bait,” he admitted with a sneer. “Though I suppose you deserve to know some truths after all this time.”

    My blood turned to ice. “What do you mean?”

    Nathan began pacing across the room, his movements predatory and threatening. “I thought you should know the truth about the Florian bombing, after all, I set it up.”

    The words hit me like a physical blow. I stumbled backward, my mind reeling as the implications crashed over me.

    “You what?” I whispered, hardly able to believe what I was hearing.

    “The explosion that nearly killed your precious Florian,” Nathan continued conversationally. “That was my handiwork. Quite impressive, really. I almost managed to eliminate my biggest rival permanently.”

    My protector. My savior. The wolf I’d trusted more than anyone else in the world. He was revealing himself to be my worst enemy.

    “But why?” The question was torn from my throat. “Why would you do something so horrible?”

    Nathan’s expression shifted, showing me a glimpse of the obsession that had been lurking beneath his helpful facade all along. “Because I’ve been in love with you since we were at the Inter-Pack Academy,” he said, his voice taking on an almost reverent tone. “You were so beautiful, so kind. You deserved so much better than the wolves who surrounded you.”

    I felt sick. How had I never seen this side of him?

    “Everything I did was to get you,” Nathan continued, his eyes gleaming with a fanatical light. “Every rescue, every moment offort I provided, every bit of protection-it was all to make you depend on me.”

    “That’s insane,” I breathed, backing toward what I hoped was an exit.

    Nathan’s expression darkened immediately. “Don’t you dare judge me. You don’t understand what real devotion looks like.” “This isn’t devotion,” I snapped, finding some courage in my anger. “This is obsession. This is maniption.”

    “Call it whatever you want,” he said with a shrug. “But you can’t deny that I’ve been the most constant presence in your life. When Arthur broke your heart, who was there? When you needed a ce to heal, who provided it?”

    “You only had to rescue me from situations you probably created!” The realization hit me like lightning. “How many of my problems were caused by you in the first ce?”

    Nathan’s smile was confirmation enough. “You’re beginning to understand. Very good.”

    I was trapped. Completely and utterly trapped by someone I’d trusted implicitly.

    “And just when you were finally about to leave Arthur,” Nathan continued, his voice growing more agitated, “this nasty man Florian showed up to ruin everything.”

    His casual mention of attempted murder made my stomach turn. “You tried to kill him because you were jealous?”

    “I tried to eliminate an obstacle,” Nathan corrected coldly. “Unfortunately, the stubborn wolf survived. But that won’t happen again.”

    The threat in his voice was unmistakable. I had to get out of here. I had to warn Florian.

    “Nathan, please,” I tried, hoping to appeal to whatever humanity might be left in him. “This isn’t who you are. You’re better than this.”

    Heughed again, the sound echoing harshly in the isted lodge. “Oh, but this is exactly who I am. This is who I’ve always been. You just never bothered to look beneath the surface.”

    My heart was pounding so hard I could barely think. But I had to find a way out of this nightmare. “What do you want from me?” I asked, stalling for time while I continued to assess my options.

    Nathan’s expression softened into something that might have been tender if it weren’t so terrifying.

    “I want what I’ve always wanted,” he said simply. “I want you to choose me. To see that we belong together.” “And if I refuse?”

    His smile turned predatory again. “Then I’ll have to be more persuasive.”

    The cold finality in his voice told me everything I needed to know. Nathan Snowfang had no intention of letting me leave this ce unless I agreed to his demands.