The Boy on the Line

ROMAN

I stared at my phone, turning it over in my hands. Calling the Moonstone estate directly was a risk—one that could backfire spectacularly. But after yesterday's humiliating rejection at their border, I needed a different approach.

The main line would bypass Wesley's interference. It was a simple plan, but sometimes simple worked best.

I dialed before I could talk myself out of it.

One ring. Two rings. Three.

My heart hammered against my ribs. Would anyone answer? Would it be her?

"Hello? Moonstone residence."

The voice that answered wasn't Vanessa's. It wasn't Leo's or Alpha Hawthorne's either. It was small, bright, and unmistakably young.

My son. My breath caught.

"Hello?" Fabian repeated, impatience creeping into his tone.

I cleared my throat. "Hi there."

"Who's this?" he asked directly.

"This is..." I hesitated. What could I say? I'm your father? The man your mother has been hiding from for six years? "A friend of the pack," I finished lamely.