Chapter 33
**Ronan's POV**
The heavy oak door closes behind me with a sound like a coffin lid slamming shut. My father doesn't even let me take off my jacket before he's calling my name from his study.
"Ronan. Now."
His voice carries the weight of command that's been drilled into me since I could walk. The tone that says there's no room for argument, no space for delay. Just obedience.
I walk down the hallway, my footsteps echoing off the marble floors. The walls are lined with portraits of dead Alphas, all wearing the same cold expression my father perfected years ago. Their painted eyes follow me as I pass, like they're judging whether I'm worthy to carry on their legacy.
Most days, I'm not sure I am.
The study door is already open when I reach it. My father sits behind his massiv
