"Because you never asked." Ethan Sr. rose from his chair, his wolf pressing close to the surface. "You called her a disappointment, Marianne. To her face. You made her feel worthless and then abandoned her. And now you want to play concerned mother?"
"She's still my daughter..."
"She's my daughter." The words came out sharp as a blade. "Mine. I'm the one who stayed. I'm the one who watched her grow, encouraged her art, and kept her secrets. You forfeited the right to claim her the day you walked out that door."
Silence stretched between them, heavy and suffocating.
Marianne's composure cracked further, something desperate flickering behind her carefully constructed mask. "Ethan, please. If something is happening with Magnus Gibson, if she's somehow gotten involved with the Alpha Heir..
