soon as she crossed the unseen boundary, her wolf began to move anxiously beneath her skin. The attraction was unmistakable. Lucian was nestled close to her, his tiny hand clutchin

easily surprised, yet when Tobias entered his office with her, the atmosphere in the room shifted. Selene. The companion he had turned down. The woman he had endeavored for five years to overlook. She faced him, as defiant as always, her violet eyes smoldering with unvoiced anger. And next to her- Kade's breath hitched. The young male. Her son. The space was quiet except for the sounds of the crackling fire. Kade's muscles tightened, his wolf rising within him, seeking dominance. He could perceive the reality in the boy's aroma-his blood. His successor. "Selene," he uttered, his tone ominously quiet. "What have you accomplished?" She raised her chin, facing his gaze unafraid. "I accomplished what was necessary." Kade tightened his fists, his whole body shaking with controlled fury. "You prevented me from seeing my son." Selene remained unperturbed. "You turned me down, Kade." What were your expectations of my actions? "Remain and plead for leftovers?" Heat ignited between them, heavy with unaddressed tension. The burden of years spent apart, of words left unsaid, of hidden truths-they all weighed on them like an unseen power. Tobias cleared his throat, feeling uneasy as he shifted. "Alpha, I believe-" "Go away." Kade's order was incisive, unequivocal. Tobias paused for just a moment before agreeing and leaving the room, closing the door after him. Kade advanced steadily, his eyes fixed on Selene. Clarify. At this moment. Selene clenched her jaw. "Only after you vow that Lucian is safeguarded by you." His gaze grew shadowy. "He belongs to me." "No one will lay a finger on him." The ownership in his tone drew a chill along her back, but she remained steadfast in her determination. "I'm not here for your sake, Kade." "I'm here due to Lucian being at risk." A muscle twitched in Kade's jaw. "From whom?" "Darius Alpha." His face became lethal. Selene inhaled deeply and explai