Gerald stepped closer, his presence filling the quiet space beside his son. For a brief moment he allowed himself to look at Ethan not as a strategist or a future asset in shifting alliances, but simply as his child. His gaze softened, just slightly. "He is stronger than you think," Gerald said. "He will survive this."
Liam gave a faint, humorless huff. "Surviving is not the problem."
No. It was not. Survival was instinct for any wolf. But acceptance? That was something else entirely.
Silence settled over the room again, deeper this time. Outside, the faint sound of rain continued, softer now and almost distant, as if the world beyond these walls had slowed to match the fragile stillness inside the room.
