Page 69 of Griffin

Proud of him. Proud of us. Proud that he was mine.

My wolf stirred again, not with the usual restlessness but with a deep sense of contentment. This was right. This was exactly how it was supposed to be.

Michael glanced at me, his eyes filled with something I could only describe as hope.

“Do you think he heard me?” he asked quietly.

I swallowed hard, nodding. “I think he did,” I said, my voice thick with emotion. “And even if he didn’t… I did.”

Michael’s expression softened, and he reached for my hand, squeezing it gently.

We talked to Dad for a while longer, but eventually, Michael's phone beeped. He glanced at the screen and sighed.

"I hate to leave. I’ve got a stream coming up,” he said, sounding reluctant.

Was it Todd again, reminding him he had to stream? I bit back the question, knowing it would sound snarky.

We were having such a good moment, and I didn’t want to ruin it, so I let it go. I nodded, brushing my fingers over his arm.

“Go. I’ll be here when you’re done,” I told him.

He hesitated, leaning in to kiss me quickly before stepping back.

“See you later,” he whispered, then slipped out the door.

As the door clicked shut behind him, the silence in the room grew heavier. I turned back to Dad, staring at the man who had always been larger than life to me.

The man who had taught me how to stand my ground, who’d been there through every scraped knee, every mistake, every victory.

He wasn’t coming back.

The realization hit me harder than I thought it would.

I’d been clinging to hope, telling myself that one day, he’d wake up, and everything would go back to the way it was.

But deep down, I knew better. Noah and I were keeping him here for us, not for him.

A knock on the door broke through my thoughts. I looked up to see Noah standing there, his expression guarded but familiar.

“Where’s Michael?” he asked as he stepped inside.

“He had to head back for a bit. Work stuff,” I said.

Noah nodded, his gaze drifting to Dad. He stood there for a moment, his arms crossed, before letting out a small laugh.

“Dad would’ve liked him,” Noah said, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

“Yeah,” I agreed, a grin breaking through despite the ache in my chest. “He would’ve.”

The silence stretched between us, heavy with everything we weren’t saying.

“Noah...” My voice came out quieter than I intended. “It’s time.”

Noah’s jaw tightened, his gaze still fixed on Dad.

“I’m not ready,” he said, his voice cracking just enough to break my heart a little.

I walked over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. He didn’t resist when I pulled him into a hug, something neither of us did often. But right now, it felt right.

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