Calvin's POV
The rhythmic ticking of the clock on the far wall grated on my nerves as I sifted through the endless paperwork littering my desk. Numbers, trade routes, inventory lists—all of it blurred together into meaningless scribbles. My mind wasn’t here, couldn’t be here, not when Kamrynn was still out there, somewhere. The gnawing frustration and helplessness had become a constant ache in my chest, and no amount of work could drown it out.
A sharp knock on the door pulled me from my thoughts. I straightened in my chair, my voice sharp and unwelcoming. “What?”
Franklin stepped in, his expression carefully neutral. He always wore that mask when dealing with me these days, likely to avoid triggering one of my outbursts. “Alpha,” he greeted me with a respectful nod.
I wasted no time.
