The moment Alaric's office door closed, the mask of controlled calm he had worn for Daphne shattered.
The pain in his chest was a cold, bitter weight.
He wasn't just angry; he felt betrayed.
The woman he had given his world to, the woman he had sworn to protect, withheld a fundamental piece of herself from him.
He slammed his hand against his desk, the carved oak groaning under the force.
He would not allow it to break him. He would channel this pain, this rage, into the only thing he knew: The hunt.
With a jerk of his head, he summoned his men. Marcus, Kael, Aidan, and Carlden appeared instantly.
Alaric looked at them. "I have a name. 'The Moon Shadows.'"
