~Caleb~
His eyes—unnaturally bright amber, almost glowing even in daylight—fixed on Elara. "My flesh and blood. The Alpha Algorithm made flesh." A smile spread across his face, revealing teeth too sharp to be human. "Thought you'd slip through the cracks, didn't you, kid?" He flicked a glance at me. "Guess I connected the dots after your little mating announcement."
Elara stiffened, a statue carved from Pacific Northwest granite. "Dad, knock it off. What’s this crap? You loved us. You loved Mom. You said you did."
"Loved her?" Paul's laugh was a dry, rasping thing. "Honey, I funded her. Guided her. Until she developed an unfortunate attack of conscience."
Rage boiled through me. "You had her killed."
Paul's expression darkened. "She stole something from me. Something irreplaceable." H
