Dominic’s POV


    I strode through the hospital corridor, my jaw clenched so tightly it ached. Every cell in my body rebelled against leaving Reba, her scent of fear and sadness still clinging to me. The wolf inside me growled in protest, urging me to return to her side, to stand guard until all threat had passed.


    The scent of antiseptic burned my sensitive nose, but beneath it, I could still detect Reba’s unique fragrance. It clung to my clothes, my skin, fueling both my protective instincts and the rage I’d barely managed to contain since finding her unconscious in that stairwell.


    “Sir, Marcus fell into step beside me, his expression grim. “Your father has called an emergency meeting. The Collins family left Sterling Manor an hour ago.”


    I nodded curtly, unsurprised. “And the media coverage?”


    “As expected. The footage is trending across all werewolf socialworks. Some human outlets picked up the story. as well, though they’re reporting it as a ‘heated altercation‘ at a charity event.”


    “Good.” I pushed through the hospital doors, the cool evening air washing over me. “Maintain the guard rotation for Ms. Brown. I want hourly updates on her condition.”


    The drive to Sterling Manor passed in tense silence. Raymond knew better than to attempt conversation when my wolf was this close to the surface. I stared out the window, watching the city lights blur together, my thoughts never straying far from Reba’s pale face and the tears in her eyes when I left. The memory made my hands clench into fists, nails digging into my palms.


    Sterling Manor loomed ahead, its stone fa?ade illuminated by strategic lighting that emphasized its imposing architecture. As I entered the grand hall, the scent of tension was immediate and overwhelming – my father’s anger, my mother’s anxiety, intermingling in the air like a toxic cloud.


    My father stood in the center of the room, his posture rigid with barely contained fury. My mother hovered nearby, her face drawn with anxiety. The Collins family had apparently departed, leaving my parents to deal with the


    aftermath of my actions<b>. </b>


    “Alpha,” my mother began, “The situation with the Collins family is unfortunate, but perhaps we should discuss this calmly. Dominic must have had his reasons.” Her eyes flicked nervously between my father and me, her bodynguage betraying years of navigating his vtile temper. “Ronald Collins has always been difficult to deal with, and Elizabeth’s behavior was inexcusable if the footage-”


    “Enough, Caroline!” My father’s voice cut through her words. His eyes, the same deep blue as mine, darkened with rising fury. The veins at his temples stood out prominently as he turned fully toward me, his shoulders squaring, his stance widening. I could smell the surge of dominance pheromones filling the room–a scent that had made pack members tremble since I was a child.


    “You deliberately undermined an alliance that took generations to build,” he growled. “You humiliated not just


    Elizabeth, but the entire Collins bloodline. And for what? A human?”


    ??)


    I remained silent, which only fueled his anger. The air between us grew thick with tension as his control slipped


    further.


    41


    “KNEEL!” My father’smand cut through the air, heavy with Alpha authority. The word seemed to physically m into the room, making the crystal decanters on the sideboard vibrate.


    My mother immediately lowered her head, her body responding instinctively to themand of her Alpha. Her knees bent without hesitation, shoulders hunching as thirty years of submission reasserted itself in her posture. A small, involuntary whimper escaped her throat–the sound of a wolf acknowledging its Alpha’s displeasure.


    I felt the weight of his order press against me like an invisible hand trying to force me down. My knees trembled slightly, my spine wanting to curve in submission. For a moment, the pressure built in my chest, making breathing difficult–the familiar sensation that once would have forced me to my knees without question.


    But something had changed. The pressure was there, ufortable but no longer irresistible. I focused on Reba’s face in my mind–her pale features in that hospital bed, the fear in her eyes when I left her. My resolve strengthened, my legs steadied. I remained standing, meeting my father’s gaze steadily, shoulders back, chin slightly


    raised.


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