Thor

rty. My gaze was fixed on her and Ryker, standing so close, a united front of familial devotion. The p

. My heart had been a frantic bird in my chest, fluttering with a joy so pure

able to contain my excitement

then, "Good." Just that one word. He'd given a curt nod and then gest

'd told myself he was just stressed, that the weight of being

ine interest as Lyra described every little gurgle and hiccup her newborn son made. The pride i

ith annoyance, pulling me from my reverie

xive, protective gesture. I shook my head, a sma

owed. I was embarrassing him. I was

ra had been burning with fever, her little body limp and frighteningly hot.

ne dismissive. "Let Dr. Vance handle it. Don't both

, holding Cora's hand, feeling a loneliness so profound it

-year-old daughter, Freya, had tripped over a rug and fallen. I

her gently, his large hands surprisingly tender as he examined the minor injury. I watched, my breath caught in my throat, as he mur

e of his precious Alpha power... all for his niece's scraped knee. While our

mbled into dust. It wasn't about him being a bus

about p

children held the throne. We were just... obligations. A Luna to stand by his

pered, her voice laced with a cold, bitter certai

unt blade sawing through my soul. The love I'd held for him, a stubborn, resilient thing that had

er brother. "See, Ryker?" she cooed, her voice dripping w

flick of a match on

, and I felt the oppressive weight of his power settle over the room. His vo

ring you. Give he

mal response I couldn't control. But the hands

e no longer filled with love or hurt. They were

ch word a small, hard stone d

the room

ing the box with a child's greedy curiosity. Hear

is voice high and piercing. "

eaching, grabbing for the box in my arms. The innocent, childish action w