Chapter 70
Logan
My father arrived without ceremony and strode in like he owned the place. He moved through the entry like a man checking his investment, not visiting his son.
We settled into the study. He declined tea. Declined whiskey. He wasn’t here for pleasantries.
“I’ve reviewed the most recent polling data,” he began, already thumbing through his tablet. “Public support in the northeast territories has softened. Your last visit there didn’t land the way you hoped.”
I nodded once. “The West Ridge Alphas are split. But we’re working on it.”
“Are you?” he asked, without looking up. “Or are you playing house with a Blackwood girl who still doesn’t have control of her Pack or her wolf?”
The words were sharp, but not new. My father rarely wasted time with subtlety when it came to his legacy.
I didn’t rise to it. “Emily has contributed significantly to
our internal operations. She’s well–respected and fully competent.”
“You don’t need her competent,” he said, finally meeting my eyes. “You need her quiet.”
“I don’t want her to be quiet,” I replied, voice even.
He sighed, setting the tablet aside. “Son, listen carefully. Your mother made the mistake of letting sentiment soften her judgment. You’re not the only option for Alpha of Titanfang. This girl–whatever she is to you–she’s a liability.”
“She’s a partner.”
“She’s practically human,” he reminded
Ime. “I’ve yet t
to be convinced she’s Luna material. Don’t let a pretty face and tight pu
“Father.” I’d spent my life under this man’s regret what came out of my mouth.
knew what it meant to flinch, and I knew if he finished that sentence I’d
to
—
So, I said nothing more. Not at first. The words I wanted say about Emily’s fire, her sharp eyes, the way she held such care for others even when the world was cruel to her in ways we would never understand–they caught behind my teeth.
“She’s helping,” I said finally, though it sounded hollow.
My father stood. “You don’t get to be Alpha King by hoping a liability becomes an asset. You get there by eliminating doubt. I suggest you decide which path she’s on.”
Footsteps. A pause.
Emily stood just outside the threshold, eyes wide with surprise. How long had she been there?
She didn’t speak. Just gave me the smallest of nods and turned back the way she came, the ends of her loose hair brushing the doorframe.
My father didn’t acknowledge her at all. He simply straightened his coat. “I’ll have Reid review the remaining campaign funds. Make sure sentimentality hasn’t touched the budget.”
The door closed behind him with a soft click and the silence he left behind pulsed. I stood by the window, watching my father’s sleek black car disappear down the tree–lined road.
Emily had heard enough. Not all the words, maybe. But the tone.
And that, somehow, was worse.
I didn’t want to ask what all his father said. I had heard enough to get the point.
The air in that room had been heavy enough to bend steel. Cold, clipped, like Logan was thirteen again and trying not to disappoint his daddy.
It wasn’t the first time I’d heard someone speak of me as a liability But something about hearing it from a man who shared Logan’s blood made my hackles rise.
Maybe because I wanted Logan to defend me. Maybe because he hadn’t said my name. Or maybe I was just tired of pretending I didn’t care.
I stayed out of sight for the rest of the day. There were always documents to review–supply chain updates, Pack communications, trade projections. I let them pile around me like fortress, nestled in the sitting room just off the main hall.
It was quiet there. Not private exactly, but quiet enough to think. Or at least try not to.