~ Isabella’s POV

The door creaked open, and a young man, visibly shaken, stepped inside. He looked nervous, no, terrified—as his eyes darted between Lucian and me. He swallowed hard before bowing his head. "Alpha," he said in a shaky voice.

Lucian's cold gaze flicked up from his papers and landed on the man. The warmth I had grown used to seeing in his eyes had disappeared. There was nothing but icy calculation now. I could feel the shift in the room, and it made me uncomfortable. This was a side of him I hadn’t yet seen.

“Do you know why you’re here?” Lucian asked, his voice calm but with...