Ariana’s POV
I didn’t expect to see her here.
For a second, I just froze at the door, my mind scrambling to catch up.
Had she been here all night?
“Mother?” I blurted, blinking fast. “What are you doing here?”
She smiled—that knowing, deliberate smile that never failed to make me uneasy.
“Quite the opposite question, honey. Why shouldn’t I be here?”
My stomach knotted. Something was off. “Marco is supposed to be—”
“Alpha Marco,” she cut in sharp, her eyes narrowing in quiet correction.
The title rolled off her tongue like a warning, and my breath hitched. I was already making mistakes this early.
“Alpha Marco,” I repeated, swallowing hard, “is supposed to be here.”
“Well, yes,” she said, settling into his chair with an air of control, “but he had an outing he needed to attend.
