Jack's POV
The hallway outside my mother's room was always too quiet now. It used to be a place of laughter, of her humming some old tune as she flirted with Dad. Now, it just felt hollow.
I went to check on her, to see if maybe, just maybe, she was humming today. But I didn't find her. I found him.
My father. The Lycan King. Sitting on the cold, hard floor, his back against her door. A thin blanket was pooled around his waist, and he was clutching a pillow like it was a life raft. He looked old. He must have aged in a week since we brought Kai home from the dive bar.
And he'd clearly spent another night there.
"How long are you going to keep this up, Dad?" I asked, my voice softer than I intended. "Wouldn't it be better to just go to a hotel? Get a proper night's sleep in a real bed?"
