Alaric’s POV
The incessant buzzing of my phone had me rolling around on the bed, a frown on my face as my eyes opened. I wasn’t sure if I’d even had up to five hours of sleep because I had been working late Into the midnight with Allesio and the rest of my men. I pushed myself out of bed, rubbing my eyes as I scanned through the messages. Allesio had left updates about the upcoming meeting, a few concerning newl shipments, and the usual. I knew better than to expect a smooth day; with this line of work, nothing stayed simple for long.
I walked into the conference room, already half-prepared for the arguments I’d have to defuse or silence. The men were gathered around the table, waiting for me to start. A few of them were regulars in my inner circle; the others were just here because the
