LOGINLyon’s POVI was walking toward the training grounds, trying to clear my head, when Kendra stepped out from the shadows of the stone archway. She wasn't wearing her training gear. She was dressed in formal pack leathers, looking every bit like the daughter of a high-ranking elder."We need to talk, Lyon," she said, her voice devoid of its usual mockery. "I’m offering a truce."I stopped and looked at her. "I don't have time for your games, Kendra.""This isn't a game," she replied, stepping closer. "I know about the DNA results. I also know that the seal was broken before the envelope ever reached your desk. I know who did it, and I know that Raynka isn't nearly as innocent as she’s pretending to be in front of your mother."My pulse quickened. I reached out and grabbed her arm. "Tell me what you know. Now."Kendra pulled her arm back, a slow, calculating smile spreading across her face. "Information has a price, Lyon.
Christie’s POVI spent my entire shift at the lab burying myself in paperwork and blood panels. I didn't take a lunch break. I didn't stop to chat with the other doctors. I thought that if I kept my brain busy enough, I could drown out the silence coming from my phone. It sat in my locker, a cold piece of plastic that held the wreckage of my personal life. During a quick coffee break, I made the mistake of opening a browser on the lab computer. A gossip blog that tracked the high-profile families of the North was the first thing to pop up. My heart stopped. There was a grainy, zoomed-in photo of Lyon’s estate. The headline was bold and cruel: "The Secret Heir of the North: Alpha Lyon’s Hidden Son Returns."I stared at the image until my eyes burned. The reality hit me like a physical punch to the stomach. While I was sitting here in a white coat, Lyon’s world had moved on. He was surrounded by his people, his history, and now, his son.
Lyon’s POVRen and I retreated to the private vault behind my study. It was the only room in the entire estate where the walls were reinforced against prying ears and the locks required my own biometric scan. Once the heavy steel door hissed shut, I threw the envelope onto the central table. The broken wax seal stared back at me. "Who had access to the courier?" I asked. My voice was a low, dangerous growl.Ren stood at attention, his face pale. "Only the medical team and the inner gate guards, Alpha. I personally took the envelope from the courier the moment he arrived. But there was a three-minute window when I was called away to handle a dispute at the servant’s entrance.""Three minutes," I muttered. "Three minutes is all it takes to ruin a life."I pulled the documents out. My eyes blurred for a second before they locked onto the numbers. The probability of paternity was 99.9%. Callum was my son. There was no longer any doubt, no more room for hope that this was all a mistake.
Lyon’s POVThe dining hall was set for what was supposed to be a private dinner. I had given strict orders for only the family to be present. I needed a quiet space to confront Raynka and Nima without the eyes of the pack watching our every move. But as I walked into the room, my blood turned cold.Three of the most senior pack elders were already seated at the long oak table. They were dressed in their formal robes, their faces stern and expectant. Raynka was standing near the head of the table, wearing a modest cream-colored dress that made her look like a grieving saint."What is this?" I asked, my voice low and dangerous.Raynka jumped slightly, clutching her chest. "Oh, Lyon! I am so sorry. I mentioned to Elder Silas that we were having a family gathering, and they insisted on coming to pay their respects to the boy. I didn't know how to say no without being rude.""You didn't know how to follow orders," I snapped."Lyon, si
Lyon’s POVThe halls of the estate felt smaller every day. My mother’s attachment to Callum had moved beyond simple affection; it had become an obsession with the pack’s legacy. Every time I looked for her, I found her with the boy. She wasn't just playing with him anymore. She was preparing him.I walked past the open doors of the grand gallery and stopped. Nima was sitting on a low bench, Callum tucked under her arm. They were looking at the massive portraits of the Alphas who came before me. "This was your great-grandfather," Nima told the boy, her voice thick with pride. "He held the mountains against the southern clans. You have his chin, Callum. You have the look of a leader."Callum reached out a small hand, touching the gilded frame. "I be a leader too, Grandma?""Yes, little wolf," she whispered, kissing the top of his head. "You will be the greatest of them all."I felt a cold shiver run down my spine. She was already
Lyon’s POVI stood on the balcony of my study, looking down at the manicured lawns of the inner courtyard. I expected to see Kendra and Raynka at each other’s throats. Kendra was ambitious and had spent years positioning herself to be my Luna. Raynka had just arrived with a biological heir. By all pack logic, they should have been enemies.Instead, I saw them walking side by side near the rose bushes. They were talking in low, hushed tones, their heads bent together like old friends. Raynka was gesturing toward the garden where Callum was playing, and Kendra was nodding, a small, calculating smile on her face. It was a united front that chilled me to the bone. They weren't fighting for the same piece of the pie; they were dividing it up.I turned away from the balcony and stormed down the stairs. I found them a few minutes later near the stone fountain. Raynka looked up and gave me a sweet, empty smile, while Kendra didn't even flinch."
Christie's POVI didn't hear him come out.One second I was alone on the steps talking to myself like an idiot, and the next Lyon was sitting beside me, close enough that I could feel the warmth coming off him in the cool evening air.I straightened up quickly."How long have you been standing ther
Lyon's POVThe elders were already seated when I walked in.Seven of them around the long table, all wearing the same expression. I sat down at the head of the table and looked at each of them without speaking.Elder Cass started."The human girl has been inside this house for over twenty four hour
Christie's POVI didn't sleep well.I kept reading that text over and over in my head even with the phone face down on the nightstand. *We know where you are.* Every time I closed my eyes it was right there waiting for me.At some point past midnight, there was a knock on my door.I sat up. "Yes?"
Christie's POVLyon didn't answer my question.He just looked at me across the kitchen table with a steady expression that gave nothing away, and then he stood up and took both our plates to the sink. I let it go. For now.I went back upstairs to check on Nima. She was still sleeping, her vitals h







