A Mother's Last Hope

I stood in Adrian's grand kitchen the next morning, sipping coffee and watching him move around with easy confidence. Last night had been... intense. After our conversation about the Bennett family barbecue, he'd taken me to his bedroom and shown me exactly how much he disliked the idea of me going anywhere near Julian.

"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?" Adrian asked, breaking the comfortable silence as he refilled my mug.

I shook my head. "We've been through this. I need to do this on my own."

"I don't like it." His jaw tightened, that muscle in his cheek twitching the way it did when he was holding back his Alpha instincts. "Julian will be there. His entire family will be there."

"And so will Camille," I reminded him gently. "Your daughter, remember? The one who specifically asked me to be there for her?"

Adrian sighed, running a hand through his dark hair. "I know. But after what happened in the forest—"