IRONCLAW'S CLANS
Darius’s Pov
I couldn’t shake the unease that clung to me like a second skin. The scent of damp earth and faint pine filtered through the open windows of my father’s chamber, but it did little to ground me. My thoughts were a mess—a storm without end.
“Father, I’m confused,” I began, my voice low, almost hesitant, though I hated showing weakness. “I’ve been thinking about why the Lycan King showed up after all this time… and then… purchased Alera. My rejected mate.”
I didn’t mean to let that last part slip out so harshly, but the words burned on my tongue. Alera. Even her name stirred something bitter and unwanted inside me.
Father didn’t flinch. He didn’t even pause, his icy gaze locked on the stack of documents before him. His nonchalance only made the pit in my st
