WILLOW'S POV.
I stood in front of Atlas’s office, trying not to let the knot in my stomach grow tighter. The morning had already been long—too many questions, too little rest, and now this. Taking a slow breath, I knocked twice.
“Come in,” came his deep, commanding voice from inside.
I pushed the door open and stepped in.
The office was quiet, sunlight spilling through the large windows and falling across his desk. Atlas sat behind it, shoulders straight, head slightly bent as he stared at something in his hands. His expression was unreadable—calm and focused, like the world outside didn’t exist.
For some reason, that look made me hesitate. I already knew what he’d called me for, but somehow he didn’t look angry or troubled. Nothing like what I expected.
“Alpha?” I said carefully, wa
