Calvin's POV
Orion turned toward the door, his steps slow but final, his posture screaming of a man who had already made up his mind.
But I couldn't let him leave. Not yet.
"Wait," I said, my voice firm despite the turmoil inside me. "You can't send me away. Not yet."
Orion didn't turn back. His hand rested on the door handle, fingers curling around the polished metal. "And why not?" His tone was flat, cold.
"Because Kamrynn has my children."
The words came out more desperate than I intended, my chest tightening at the mere thought of being permanently shut out of their lives.
Orion's grip on the handle tightened, the muscles in his back tensing beneath his shirt. But he didn't turn. He didn't even acknowledge my words in the way I had hoped. Instead, he responded with quiet, brutal finality.
"They ceased to be your children the moment you crucified their mother."
My breath hitched. The weight of his words settled over me like an unbearable burden, crushing what little remained of my composure.
I closed my eyes for a brief moment, swallowing down the shame that threatened to suffocate me. "You're right," I admitted. "I deserve to be punished. What I did to Kamrynn is unforgivable." I took a slow step forward, fists clenched at my sides. "But keeping me away from my children isn't the answer."
Orion exhaled through his nose, but he still didn't turn. "And why the hell not?"
"Because I know what it's like to grow up without a father," I said, my voice raw with emotion. "I lost my father when I was young. I had no one to teach me how to be a man, no one to guide me when I needed it the most." My throat tightened. "I swore to myself that if I ever had children, I'd never let them go through that kind of loneliness. I would give them everything I never had."
Orion remained silent, but I could tell he was listening.
"I'm not asking for another chance with Kamrynn," I continued. "I know I don't deserve it. But I'm begging you to give me tonight-just tonight-to plead my case. To at least ask Kamrynn to let me be in their lives. Even if it's only from a distance. Even if I only get to see them once in a while."
Orion finally turned, his expression unreadable. "And what if she refuses?"
I inhaled deeply. "Then I'll leave. And I won't come back."
His eyes narrowed, studying me, searching for deception.
"Please, Orion," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "You're a father, aren't you?"
His expression darkened, his entire body going rigid.
I pressed forward. "Your Luna is pregnant, isn't she?" I asked. "You're going to be a father soon."
Orion's hands curled into fists.
I took another step. "Tell me, Orion-if she left and kept your child from you, would you be able to live with that?"
The shift was instant.
Orion moved.
Before I could even react, he had grabbed me by the collar and slammed me against the wall, the force knocking the breath from my lungs.
His eyes glowed a deadly red, his wolf simmering just beneath the surface, barely restrained.
"Watch your damn mouth," he growled, his voice rough, dangerous.
His grip on my collar was ironclad, his fingers digging into my skin, his body tense with the barely restrained urge to hurt me. And truthfully, I wouldn't have blamed him if he did.
But I didn't fight back.
I didn't resist.
I just looked him in the eyes, unflinching. "You know I'm right."
Orion's breathing was heavy, his entire frame shaking with barely controlled rage.
"Just give me one chance," I pleaded. "Just one night. That's all I ask."
A low growl rumbled in his chest.
Seconds stretched between us, thick with tension, before Orion finally exhaled sharply. His grip loosened.
Then, with a small shove, he let me go.
I stumbled slightly but didn't break eye contact.
Orion turned away, shaking his head in clear frustration before running a hand down his face. "You try anything funny with Kamrynn, and I'll castrate you myself."
I straightened my shoulders, nodding. "Understood."
He turned his head just slightly, not fully facing me. "Prepare to leave in the morning." His voice was flat, final. "You're a disgraceful Alpha, so don't expect a farewell."
The words stung, but I had no right to argue.
"I won't," I murmured.
Orion scoffed and waved a hand toward the door. "Get the hell out of my office."
Fenrir grumbled in my mind, his pride wounded.
"We should have challenged him," he muttered.
I ignored him.
There was no point in arguing.
Because right now, none of that mattered.
I had been given a chance-one single opportunity to fix something.
And I wasn't about to waste it.