Some lines are drawn in the sand, easily washed away by the tide. Others are carved into the bone, permanent and lethal.Julian’s father was the latter.To the rest of the pack, Arthur Vance was an untouchable titan—an older, impossibly dominant Alpha who commanded rooms with a single glance and broke lesser men with a word. To Julian, he was just a strict, distant father. But to me?He was the forbidden obsession pulling me toward a cliff edge, and I was entirely desperate to jump."You shouldn't be in here, Ethan," a deep, gravelly voice cut through the dim light of the study.I froze, my hand still resting on the back of Julian’s leather armchair. The scent of dark cedar, rain, and pure, suffocating Alpha authority hit me before I even turned around. Arthur stood in the doorway, his broad frame casting a long shadow across the room. He had just returned from a council meeting; his tailored suit jacket was unbuttoned, his tie slightly loosened, exposing the sharp line of his jaw."Julian... Julian told me to wait for him here," I stammered, my voice betraying the frantic hammering in my chest. I hated how small I felt under his gaze, yet my body flushed hot, craving the weight of it. "He said he’d be back from the training grounds in ten minutes."Arthur didn’t answer right away. He stepped into the room, the heavy click of his dress shoes echoing like a countdown. Every instinct in my body screamed to run, to preserve the friendship I had with his son, to remember my place. I was Julian's best friend. I was a guest in this house.But as Arthur closed the distance, the space between us evaporated until I was trapped between the desk and the sheer physical presence of a man who could ruin me with a gesture."Ten minutes is a long time," Arthur murmured. His dark eyes locked onto mine, stripping away every defense I had. "A lot can happen in ten minutes, Ethan."He raised his hand. For a terrifying, breathless second, I thought he was going to push me away, to banish me for the pathetic, silent longing I knew I couldn't entirely hide. Instead, his rough, calloused thumb brushed against my chin, tilting my face upward before tracing the trembling line of my lower lip.The touch was electric, a dark promise that sent a shiver straight down my spine. It was wrong. It was a betrayal of the highest order. If Julian walked through that door right now, my life would shatter.Yet, as Arthur’s shadow completely enveloped me, I didn't pull back. I gripped the edge of the desk behind me, terrified, breathless, and utterly ruined.