Chapter 340

DEREK’S POV She saw the hesitation instantly. Her eyes narrowed, sharp and searching. “You hesitated.” I looked down, the weight of all my choices catching up at once. “It’s… complicated.” Her jaw tightened. “Everything with you is complicated.” she wasn’t wrong. Every truth I’d buried, every decision I’d made to protect her — or maybe to protect myself — had tangled into this single, inevitable moment. “I had my reasons,” I said finally, keeping my voice low and steady, though even I could hear the crack beneath it. “Your father didn’t see me because he wasn’t meant to. Because I made sure he wouldn’t — and you too.” Her eyes widened, confusion flashing across her face. “You disguised yourself, I know that part, but how was he still not able to identify you when you’re an Alpha too?” I hesitated. This was the part I’d dreaded. The truth she wasn’t ready for — or maybe the truth I wasn’t ready to admit. So I took a deep breath, each word tasting heavier than the last. “Alphas identify