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Which was how I got him to slip up and admit what was really bugging him.

“My eldest isn’t remotely ready to take over the pack and he thinks he is and I don’t know how to handle it,” he muttered absently. “Others want me to believe he is, but I’d be setting him up to fail. They know things would be more lax under him and maybe…” He blinked at his phone and slowly looked up at me with horror.

“Da, someone who loves you should know this, and I can help,” I said gently as I squatted down in front of him.

Tears burned in his eyes. “I’ve already failed you as a father. I always thought it was petty or a slip of madness when he was young. Seeing it so clearly with your visit when you hadn’t been home regularly was—we failed you as parents—I have and—”

I pulled him to stand and hugged him. “Da, ya did the best ya could. I never doubted that. This isthem. They should have done better.Heshould have.”

“I didn’t raise him right. My da told me I wasn’t ready and kicked me out to find my way and I did. He raised me right so when I slipped, that would work. It won’t work with your brother and—”

“Grandpa didn’t lead a pack out in the open,” I argued. “Even he has said your job—ourlivesare that much harder now being the Alpha family. It’s easier foreveryone elsebut us.”

And that was ridiculously apparent from the test results of my father’s physical. If he didn’t get a grip on his stress and health, he wasn’t going to be around as long as he should be.

So what I would do next wasn’t just for him, but our family.

Even if they didn’t deserve it from me.

7

Ellie

I didn’t need three guesses to figure out who it was when I felt a pissed-off Alpha that I didn’t know heading my way. It was all over the hospital that the Clarks were there for their annual physicals, and everyone was kissing their asses. I’d already texted Mrs. Clark promising I had everything in hand with what happened the day before and Ha-joon wasn’t in trouble.

Well, he was, but I would keep him safe. It would all get dismissed, and I’d even talked to the local wolf Alpha playing it up that Ha-joon had done well.

I’d also put out a fire there that I was pretty sure the Clarks didn’t know about because Atlanta’s Alpha was worried about Ha-joon coming to take over. I’d laughed so hard that it took me a bit to calm down.

And I hadn’t even been acting. I swore up and down that he had no desire to be Alpha. He wasn’t even one in the hospital and only cared about medicine. He hadn’t shown his face to the pack yet because if he seemed too eager it would worry people.

But now it had backfired and they felt dismissed.

I told the wolf honestly that things hadn’t been going well at the hospital and he’d been pulled into too much. Off the record, Ha-joon was anassetfor Atlanta and the Clarks were not looking to expand. They were worried about their son and were tryingnot to start trouble or flex on anyone. I told him how Mrs. Clark had even come with her hat in her hand asking to protect him.

I was pretty sure the fire was well put out, especially after I promised the new “board” was going to have meetings with all the local supe leaders and get their input on how things were going with their people. We employed most of Atlanta—even indirectly since our staff was who shopped or ate everywhere.

ASH was Atlanta, and people who didn’t get that were just deluding themselves.

He slipped onto the elevator with me and growled when I didn’t even look up to acknowledge him. “What are you doing to my son?”

I absolutely lost my mind for a moment because of how high everything was piled on me. I would admit that and have to apologize to Ha-joon later then. “Right now? Nothing. Later? Probably ride him like he loves and feed from him before he bends me over something and plows me.”

I flinched when his aura changed so rapidly that I saw it even out of the corner of my eye.

Oh shit.

I glanced up and his eyes were comically wide. “Well, clearly, you didn’t know we were involved and that wasn’t what you were talking about, so now I’m confused too.” I was going to say more, but I had a flash of the man before me but younger, and my magic sparked against his aura.

Fear filled me instead of sass and sarcasm. I had no reason to be afraid now, but given our past—it was instinct.

It took him a second longer, but recognition filled his eyes as well. “You.”

“You’re mistaken,” I whispered, grateful when the elevator doors opened. I stumbled getting out but then caught myself and hurried off. My phone was in my hand, and I was alreadytexting Ha-joon. I couldn’t hide this from him and have another misunderstanding blow up between us.

Especially because I hadn’t known. I’d seen Alpha Clark in the media in passing and never made the connection. Hell, I was pretty sure I’d been at events where he had been even.

But not this close. Not like this.