He paused, choosing his words with the careful precision of a wolf navigating contested ground littered with hidden traps. "If we want peace, real peace, then we need to find a way to communicate, to mend what's already been broken instead of tearing it wider with every move we make." Because he understood something the rest of their family refused to acknowledge in their hunger for control: Kade Nightshade was not an alpha who struck without reason, and Dakota was no longer just their wayward sibling lost in the night. She was protected, claimed, Luna in every sense that mattered, and anything, or anyone, that threatened her would be met with the full, merciless force of the Nightshade pack's claws and influence.
"Maya…" he added, even quieter now, the name carrying a gentle plea wrapped in the rumble of concern. "This doesn't have to keep escalating into something none of us can take back."
