Lucian's POV
The sky outside the hospital window had deepened into darkness as I prepared to leave. The meeting tonight couldn't be postponed—not when the Eastern European acquisition was hanging in the balance. Before stepping out, I turned toward Lily's bed one last time.
”Call me immediately if there's any change in her condition,” I instructed, my voice steady despite the knot of reluctance in my chest. ”No matter how small.”
Allison didn't respond or even acknowledge my words. She simply continued adjusting Lily's blanket, her back a wall between us. Fenrir growled low in my mind, displeased with leaving our pup behind.
*We will return soon,* I promised, feeling his restless pacing beneath my skin.
The board meeting dragged on interminably. Directors arguing over profit margins a
