Damien's point of view.
I knew my mother's voice before I saw her. It slices silently through the quiet of the fifth floor without difficulty and allows my body to react before my mind. My spine stiffened. My jaw clenched. This reaction had been instilled in me. It had been instilled in me well before I became Alpha. Before I knew how to control it.
She was not supposed to be here. I had been precise. I had been deliberate. This floor existed because I needed a place that was free from the influence of expectation, of meddling, of her influence. Guards were changed. Schedules were locked. Instructions were clear. I had made myself clear: I was not available.
Yet, she was right there. Before I answered her, I turned to Ava. She stood by the glass now, her shoulders contracted just a litt
