“Alpha? Since when did you become interested in Father’s position?” Levine mocked, a sharp edge in his tone. “Or did you secretly yearn for his demise just to seize control of the pack?”

I forced myself to remain calm. His words were meant to provoke, to draw out anger, but I didn’t give him the satisfaction.

“They believed in me,” I said gently, my voice steady. “I had to intervene when hunters were decimating our kind like swarms of bees. The Oak Pack would have been ...