ROMAN
My office felt emptier than usual today. Larger. Colder. Like everything else in my life since Vanessa walked away.
I set down my phone, Fabian's innocent voice still echoing in my head. "When are you coming over again, Uncle Roman?" he'd asked, unaware that his mother had closed that door.
The irony was brutal. I finally knew the truth—that Fabian was my son—but could do nothing with that knowledge. The boy called me "uncle" while his mother wanted nothing to do with me.
I ran my hand through my hair, pushing back against the wave of despair threatening to drown me. I couldn't accept this ending. Not after everything we'd been through.
My desk phone buzzed. "Alpha, your meeting with the Forestry Commission has been moved to three."
"Thank you, Sarah," I responded automatically, though I couldn't focus on anything as mundane as territorial permits right now.