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The next morning, the whole Pack knew.

Emergency meeting. Someone said Cade had lost his mind — it was a promotion review period, he couldn't be doing this.

But Cade had already gone somewhere else.

He stood in front of the Pack Assembly in his Alpha's jacket. He looked like he hadn't slept in days.

He stepped to the front. He faced the crowd.

"I'm only going to say one thing today."

"Three years ago, I had my Bonded mate, Mara Fairfax, locked in the Pack dungeons."

The room went silent.

"For those three years, she was starved. She was beaten. She was tortured. Our son died at six years old in the Pack disciplinary quarters from untreated injuries — at my hand. That is the truth."

His jaw was tight. His eyes were burning but he didn't let it fall.

"I didn't know the full truth until after she was gone."

He faced the Pack and bowed his head. A long, low bow.

"I failed her. I destroyed her. I destroyed our family."