Riley's POV
The front door swings open and I pause in the entryway with the children pressed close to my sides. Mason strides ahead of us, tossing his keys carelessly onto the side table like he owns the place. Maybe he still does.
Before I can even catch my breath, I hear footsteps from upstairs. Either Mason sent some kind of mental message to Caleb, or Caleb's supernatural hearing picked up our arrival, because seconds later the office door opens with a soft click.
Caleb emerges mid-conversation, his voice carrying down the stairwell. "I just don't understand why we need to—"
His words die the moment his gaze finds mine.
Time seems to freeze as we stare at each other across the distance. The air feels thick and suffocating, like someone just sucked all the oxygen from the room. He looks different than I remember. Stronger. More commanding. The kind of presence that makes everyone in a room instinctively straighten their spines.
