ERIC
As soon as we stepped out of the hearing hall, I jerked my arm free from Nelson's grip.
He glared at me, his jaw rigid with anger. "Your recklessness just cost us that many points!" he snapped.
"My recklessness is the reason this house even has points to lose!" I shot back.
Unlike the other house Alphas who sat back and enjoyed the privilege of watching their members earn glory for them, occasionally stepping into competitions only when it benefited them, I did everything.
Not because there weren't capable people in House Cassian. But because of my father.
That constant need to prove myself to him—as his son, as someone worthy of existing—drove me into taking on every task, even the degrading ones no one else wanted.
And still, none of it mattered. To him, I was nothing more than an inconvenience.
A mistake. A son he never truly wanted.
