My fingers tighten around the phone 161

Ethan’s POV
I raced through the hospital corridors, my heart pounding in my chest with each hurried step. The antiseptic smell that
permeated every inch of the building brought back uncomfortable memories of Aria’s extended stay just months ago.
Now it was my father lying in a hospital bed, fighting for his life.
When I reached the intensive care unit, I spotted my mother standing outside the glass window of my father’s room. Her
typically perfect posture was slightly slumped, revealing a vulnerability she rarely displayed in public. Her fingers were
pressed against the glass, as if trying to reach through the barrier to touch him.
“Mom,” I called softly, placing my hand on her shoulder.
She turned, her eyes rimmed with red but dry—my mother had never been one for public displays of emotion. “He’s
stabilized for now,” she said, her voice remarkably steady. “The doctors managed to restart his heart, but…”
She didn’t need to finish the sentence. We both knew what “stabilized” meant at this stage of my father’s illness. It was a
temporary reprieve, nothing more.
Through the glass, I could see my father’s frail form. He looked so small in that hospital bed, tubes and wires connecting
him to various machines that beeped and hummed with artificial life. His once-powerful frame had been reduced to skin
stretched over bone, his chest rising and falling with shallow breaths that seemed to require tremendous effort.
“How long?” I asked, the question barely audible.
My mother’s fingers tightened around mine. “Hours, maybe days. The doctor doesn’t think he’ll last the week.”
The finality of those words hit me like a physical blow. Despite months of preparing for this moment, the reality of it was
still overwhelming. My father—the Alpha who had led our pack with strength and wisdom for decades—was truly at the
end of his journey.
“Ethan, darling.” My godmother Vicky’s voice broke through my thoughts as she approached from the end of the hallway,
her practical heels clicking against the linoleum floor. She pulled me into a tight embrace, the familiar scent of her
jasmine perfume momentarily grounding me. “I came as soon as I heard.”
When she released me, her shrewd eyes studied my face with the familiarity of someone who had known me since birth.
“You look just like him,” she said softly, glancing toward my father’s room. “So much his son.”
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My mother cleared her throat, drawing both our attention. “Perhaps it’s time, Ethan.” Her voice was quiet but firm. “To make the official announcement about your succession. The pack needs stability, especially now.”
I rubbed the back of my neck, the weight of her words settling heavily on my shoulders. The formal ceremony would
make my position as Alpha official in the eyes of all werewolf packs, not just a de facto leadership role while my father
was ill.
“I don’t know, Mom. Aria is so close to her due date and—”
“Aria is your destined mate,” Vicky interrupted, her tone leaving no room for argument. “I know what you’re thinking—
you want to wait until Aria has delivered the twins and everything has settled down. But there’s no need for that. Aria,
Lucas, and those little ones are stronger than you imagine. Especially Lucas.” Her expression softened as she mentioned
my son. “The first time I saw him in that supermarket, it was like looking at a miniature version of you. The resemblance is
uncanny.”
I turned to face her fully, studying the knowing look in her eyes. “You recognized him immediately, didn’t you? That day
in the market—you knew he was mine.”
A small smile played at the corner of her lips. “Of course I did. I’ve known you since you were in diapers, Ethan. I’d
recognize those eyes and that stubborn chin anywhere.” She reached up to pat my cheek affectionately. “I didn’t know
the whole story then, but I knew that boy had Shadow Fang blood running through his veins. Didn’t your father agree the
moment he met him?”
My gaze drifted back to the glass window, to my father’s still form. “Alright,” I conceded, straightening my shoulders as I made the decision. “But I need to discuss this with Aria and Lucas first. This affects them too.”
My mother nodded, approval warming her tired eyes. “Of course, dear.”
A nurse emerged from my father’s room, nodding respectfully in our direction before continuing down the hall. Through
the open door, I could see the steady rise and fall of my father’s chest, the monitors displaying his weakening vital signs.
1/2
The sudden vibration of my phone shattered the solemn moment. I pulled it from my pocket, expecting Aria’s name on
the screen, but instead saw David’s.
“Excuse me,” I murmured to my mother and godmother, stepping away to answer. “David, what is it?”
“Alpha.” His voice was tense, professional, but I could detect the underlying urgency. “We have a situation at the northern
border. Reports of rogue wolf attacks on one of our outlying settlements.Two injured, no fatalities. Our patrols responded
quickly.”
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