My fingers tighten around the phone 35

Ethan’s POV
The fluorescent lights hummed softly overhead as I led this kid through the facility’s corridors. As Shadow Fang’s heir, I
had a mountain of crisis reports waiting on my desk, emergency meetings to attend, and wild wolf attacks to coordinate
responses for. Escorting a child to the bathroom was hardly an appropriate use of an alpha heir’s time.
Yet I couldn’t bring myself to delegate the task. My wolf, Felix, remained unusually alert, tracking every movement of the
small figure beside me with an intensity that was both puzzling and compelling. Something about the boy’s presence
stirred protective instincts I’d never experienced before – a warmth in my chest, an inexplicable desire to stay close, to
ensure his safety personally.
It made no sense. I’d encountered plenty of pack children before, had always maintained the appropriate distance that
my position required. But watching his small form navigate the hallway ahead of me, occasionally glancing back as if to make sure I was still there, awakened something profound and unsettling in my soul.
“Your eyes are just like mine,” he observed suddenly, pausing to study our reflections in a glass partition. The similarity was startling – the same forest-green shade that marked Shadow Fang bloodlines. Felix whined softly in my mind,
pushing against my consciousness with growing insistence.
“They are, aren’t they?” I found myself kneeling to his level, an inexplicable need to connect with this child overwhelming
my usual reserved demeanor. “That’s quite unusual.”
He tilted his head, regarding me with a directness that felt both familiar and unsettling. “I’m Lucas Reynolds,” he offered
without prompting. “Mom says it’s polite to introduce yourself properly.”
The surname hit me like a physical force. Reynolds – Aria’s son. I’d seen his photo in the background checks, of course,
but those grainy surveillance images hadn’t captured the startling similarities between us. Now, face to face, the
resemblance was undeniable. The same forest-green eyes, the particular angle of his jaw, even that characteristic head tilt
that I’d seen in countless family photographs.
“Do you have a girlfriend, Mr. Alpha Sir?” he asked, the question catching me off guard.
The question caught me off guard. “Not exactly,” I answered carefully, thinking of Emma and all the complications
surrounding that situation. “Why do you ask?”
“Because my mom needs someone to take care of her.” His voice carried such earnest concern that it made my chest
tight. “She works really hard, you know. Sometimes she looks sad when she thinks I’m not watching.”
Felix’s reaction was immediate and intense – a surge of protectiveness that nearly took my breath away. “Your mom
seems very strong,” I managed, struggling to maintain my composure against my wolf’s unexpected response.
“She is!” Lucas’s face lit up with pride. “She’s the strongest person ever. But…” his expression turned serious again,
“everyone needs someone, right? That’s what she always tells me when I’m scared at night.”
Before I could respond, voices carried from around the corner. A group of young she-wolves stopped short at the sight of
us, their whispers barely contained.
“Look at them…”
“Those eyes…”
“Could he be…?”
I straightened, letting a hint of alpha authority seep into my stance. The gossiping wolves scattered, but their words
lingered in the air like smoke. Looking down at Lucas, I couldn’t deny the similarities that had caught their attention. The
shape of his jaw, the way he held himself – it all felt hauntingly familiar.
“Mom says people talk too much,” Lucas commented sagely, seemingly unaffected by the attention. “She says actions matter more than words.”
A smile tugged at my lips despite myself. “Your mom sounds very wise.”
“She is.” He beamed up at me. “So, will you think about it? About taking care of her?”
The innocent question carried weight far beyond its simple words. Felix surged forward again, his response more visceral
than any I’d experienced in years. “That would be up to your mom,” I said carefully, though something deep inside me
resonated with the idea.
“I should get back,” Lucas announced suddenly. “Mom worries if she can’t find me right away.”
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“Of course.” I gestured toward the administrative wing. “Do you need help finding your way?”
He shook his head, that familiar determined expression crossing his features. “I remember now. Mom says always retrace
your steps if you get lost.”
Aria’s POV
The strategy meeting had dragged on for over an hour, maps and reports spread across the conference table as we
analyzed the disturbing pattern of wild wolf attacks. Something about their timing felt wrong – too coordinated, too
precise.
“The attacks always occur just after shift changes,” I pointed out, tracing the timeline we’d constructed. “As if they know
exactly when we’re most vulnerable.”
Before anyone could respond, a young trainee burst into the room, her face flushed with excitement. “Instructor
Reynolds! Your son – he’s with the alpha heir!”
“Excuse me,” I managed, my voice remarkably steady despite the panic clawing at my chest. I didn’t know what I’m afraid
of, maybe concerning about Lucas being alone and encountering something dangerous. Or maybe scaring of Ethan
believing the rumor, considering me as a real slut who has a no-father kid. “We’ll continue this discussion later.”