Lucy shot to her feet in an instant, unable to mask the shock and the fierce burst of joy lighting her face. Her plan had worked. Kyle was safe.

Kain, meanwhile, seemed rooted to the spot, his jaw too heavy to lift from the floor. Relief washed through his eyes so clearly that Lucy understood at once: he had never supported the fate his brother had been promised.

Falcon shifted back into human form with a snarl, rage blazing in his gaze hot enough to scald anyone in his path. This was not mere embarrassment, it was humiliation, delivered in front of his pack. His people. His subjects.

His first...