Chapter 3: Shipping Everything Will Only Ruin You

"No! Leo wants... Daddy!"

The usually quiet and obedient pup suddenly fought back against her touch with intense resistance.

He threw his entire weight into breaking away from her grasp, his slender little arms wrapping tightly around Dominic's neck.

At his words, the expressions of everyone present shifted dramatically.

Several rogue wolves passing through the terminal pricked up their ears, their eyes instantly gleaming with gossipy curiosity.

Gamma Logan's heart skipped a beat.

Seriously, if you looked closer, you really couldn't deny it.

How did this pup look so much like the Alpha King when you examined his features?

In reality, even though Leo hadn't fully grown yet, he already shared a striking thirty percent resemblance with Dominic.

Unfortunately, Dominic had always maintained absolute restraint, never allowing any female close to his private quarters, except for that chaotic night four years ago...

As a result, his primal instincts had never even steered him toward the possibility that he already possessed a true heir.

"Sir, I am incredibly sorry. He is still a very young pup, he's just speaking nonsense," Clara said, her heart hammering violently against her ribs. Suffocating beneath her own guilt, she tried to pull Leo away with a firmer grip.

But Leo began to cry, thick, heavy tears cascading down his flushed cheeks.

His small hands clutched Dominic's custom collar, refusing to let go.

Dominic felt his own heart tighten painfully along with the little pup's tears, an overwhelming ache swelling deep inside his chest.

Without a second thought, his commanding voice broke the silence. "Where are you heading? My pack guards will escort you."

Since the little pup was so deeply attached to him, even spending a few more minutes together inside the vehicle would be worth it.

Hearing his offer, every fiber of Clara's being screamed in refusal.

However, considering they were still in a highly secure public terminal and she had just received the Alpha King's protection, she had no choice but to stiffly accept.

While walking toward the heavily armored fleet, she seized a brief moment to fire a quick telepathic alert to her trusted friend, Hazel Brooks.

"I'm bringing Leo to your territory first!"

She had actually booked a luxury suite in the human district beforehand, but survival instincts dictated that she could not lead Dominic there. The residential coordinates she provided to his driver actually belonged to Hazel's pack boundary.

Inside the quiet, darkened interior of the luxury vehicle, it didn't take long for Leo to succumb to pure exhaustion and fall fast asleep.

Only then did Clara manage to gently untangle his small grip from Dominic's powerful form.

"Thank you for your assistance, Alpha."

Dominic gave a solemn nod. He cast a lingering, heavy gaze at the sleeping pup, and finally, unable to suppress his wolf's protective nature, he spoke coldly. "For a pup with his unique condition, you should exercise far greater vigilance."

His tone was detached and icy, causing Clara to freeze, briefly wondering if she had misheard the depth of his judgment.

It wasn't until his towering form turned back toward his elite guard detail that the full weight of his words registered.

Was that arrogant man actually criticizing her, claiming she failed her duties as a mother?

Who exactly was the completely incompetent father here?

A furious fire ignited within Clara's chest, making her feel that her past decision to give birth to Leo in absolute secrecy was the most flawless choice she had ever made.

A supreme entity like Dominic Vance, born with a silver throne and absolute power, knew absolutely nothing about the primal sacrifice of nurturing a pup.

During this exact first encounter, he was already projecting his cold judgment onto Leo.

Thank the ancient gods he had no inkling that Leo carried his very own dominant bloodline.

With a mask of icy indifference, Clara stepped out of the vehicle, securely cradling Leo in her arms as she walked into the residential pack perimeter.

Just as she crossed the main security gates, her closest ally, Hazel Brooks, rushed forward to receive them.

"Oh gods, he is infinitely more adorable than he looks through the crystal screen!"

Hazel was dressed in a soft, light-blue silk gown, her thick chestnut waves cascading elegantly over her shoulders, radiating a gentle and deeply intelligent aura.

"Hurry inside. Welcome home, my beautiful big and little treasures!"

Clara gently transferred the sleeping Leo to the secondary bedroom. The moment she stepped back into the main living quarters, she collapsed directly onto the velvet sofa, utterly drained.

"Hazel, you will never guess who intercepted us at the border terminal."

Having shared a deep bond of friendship with Clara for over a decade, Hazel possessed an infallible intuition.

With just a single glance at Clara's pale expression, Hazel's eyes widened in profound shock.

"By the ancestors... no way. You ran into Dominic Vance?"

Clara offered a defeated, exhausted nod.

Instead of panic, a sudden, romantic gleam ignited within Hazel's eyes. "The two of you look exactly like the fated protagonists of an epic bard's tale. A true destiny written in the stars!"

Clara rolled her emerald eyes, her voice completely deadpan. "Shipping everything will only ruin your sanity, Hazel."