GABRIEL’S POV
The Ridge Canopy Pavilion was supposed to be a standard exercise in pack compliance. As the future Alpha of the Garrison Heights structure, my presence alone was usually enough to anchor the room. The moment I stepped across the threshold, the ambient noise dropped by half. Legacy heirs and junior tier wolves alike seamlessly stepped aside, their shoulders dropping, their gazes instinctively targeting the marble floorboards to signal their submission. It was a predictable, exhausting baseline. I stood on the high council platform, surrounded by executive faculty, utterly detached from the social chatter as I reviewed the family conglomerate’s real estate holdings on my terminal.
Then, the heavy glass doors glided open again.
The shift wasn't visual at first. It hit me on a
