"Gabriel."
A deep, resonant baritone echoed from the open doorway, vibrating with a heavy, seasoned authority that instantly shattered my spiraling thoughts and pulled me back to reality.
I grabbed a towel, dried my face with a harsh rub, and stepped out to find my father, Victor Jakes, standing at the end of the long, dimly lit corridor. The current Sovereign Alpha of the Jakes Conglomerate was dressed in a casual, expensive charcoal cashmere sweater, but his physical presence was as dense, heavy, and suffocating as a localized mountain storm. His amber eyes, identical to my own in color but hardened by decades of corporate and pack warfare, held a sharp, calculating focus that missed absolutely nothing.
"Dinner is served," my father said, his voice dropping into that smooth, quiet fre
