Chapter 131

Damon

The scent of cedarwood and ink lingered in the air, mixing with the soft hum of sunlight seeping through the windows behind my desk. Papers lay untouched in front of me, the reports Ethan had dropped off hours ago forgotten as I sat across from the one man whose silence always came with weight.

My father.

Alpha Kael Lockwood.

No matter how hard I wanted to deny it, his presence often held more weight than I wanted to carry when he was in my office, when he was as quiet as he was, when he sat as sharp as he was.

He sat with his arms crossed, eyes fixed on me, though he pretended to glance over the paperwork in his hand. His fingers drummed slowly against the armrest, like a quiet countdown to something I knew was coming. And I knew that I wouldn’t have to wait for long. He did not like to linger about, but I also did not know what to expect.

“You did well,” he said finally, breaking the silence. “Announcing her. Marking her as your own