Ava’s POV

I jerked away from Blake, the moment shattered. “Damn. I have to go.”

His hands lingered on my waist before dropping reluctantly. Something flickered in those storm-gray eyes—disappointment, maybe frustration.

“Walk out that door, and this moment ends.” No question, no plea. Pure Alpha statement of fact.

My wolf actually whimpered, clawing to stay. The human part of me—the part that remembered every sacrifice my adoptive parents made—knew better.

“This is your only chance.” His voice went deeper, rumbling through my chest.

One chance. That was Blake Morgan’s notorious rule. The Alpha King never chased, never begged, never offered second helpings. Hell, women practically lined up for their single shot at him.

“I get it.” I stepped back, each inch between us physically painful. “But my dad needs me.”

Just like that, his face shut down. The man who’d kissed me vanished, replaced by the impenetrable mask of the Alpha King. “Then I wish you luck.”

I bolted before my wolf could convince me to stay, the taste of him still on my lips.

I practically kicked our front door off its hinges twenty minutes later. Mom’s scent led me straight to the kitchen. Our house—once the proud home of respected Delta William Rivers—now screamed neglect from every creaky floorboard.

Mom hunched at the kitchen table, gripping a mug of cold tea, her shoulders quivering.

“Mom?” My voice cracked. “What the hell happened?”

She looked up with puffy, red-rimmed eyes. “Shadow Creek guards took him. Right from his office.”

“On what grounds?” My claws slid out before I could stop them.

“Treason.” The word hung between us like poison. “They’re saying he betrayed our Alpha. Got him killed in that border clash last month.”

My claws dug into the counter. “That’s bullshit! Dad worshipped Alpha Carter! Where’s the evidence? The trial?”

Mom’s laugh was hollow. “Evidence? Trials?” She shook her head. “The Council just needs someone to blame. Your father was convenient.”

I paced the kitchen, my wolf thrashing beneath my skin. “This can’t be happening.”

“Unless someone with rank uses the Blood Protection Right…” Her voice trailed off. “His execution is set for the next full moon.”

Blood Protection Right. Our world’s version of a get-out-of-jail-free card. Only problem? You needed influence to use it. Something our family no longer had.

My phone buzzed. I glanced at the screen and nearly chucked it across the room.

Jackson.

I hovered my thumb over “decline,” then hesitated. If that asshole could help Dad…

“What?” I snapped, accepting the call.

“Heard about William.” His voice oozed fake concern. “I might have a solution. But not over the phone. Come outside.”

My wolf snarled, but I swallowed my pride. “Fine.”

I squeezed Mom’s shoulder. “I’ll fix this. Somehow.”

Jackson lounged against his shiny black SUV in our driveway, looking like a goddamn cologne ad. My stomach knotted. His scent hit me—expensive aftershave masking calculated ambition. Nothing like Blake’s raw thunderstorm-and-pine smell that had my wolf drooling.

The mate-mark on my neck pulsed, a constant reminder of Jackson’s betrayal. Two years of promises. Two years of “you’re my everything” and “we’re meant to be.” Then he traded me for a power play faster than most people change socks.

I stopped ten feet away, arms crossed. “What do you want?”

“Your father’s in trouble.” He stated the obvious, examining his manicured nails.

“No shit. Why are you here?”

Jackson’s practiced smile appeared—the one that used to make my knees weak. I looked away, focusing on a crack in the driveway.

“I can help.” He pushed off the car. “As future Alpha of Shadow Creek, I have the authority to use the Blood Protection Right. I could save William from execution.”

I snapped my gaze back to his. He looked so damn pleased with himself.

“And what would that cost us?” The bitter taste of suspicion filled my mouth.

His smile widened into something predatory. “Just one small condition.”