The Shadow's Inheritance

Chapter 22: The First Morning

Chapter 22: The First Morning

The digital clock on the bedside table read 5:00 AM. Jungkook was already awake, not by choice, but by the relentless ticking of Taehyung's meticulously constructed schedule. The Alpha King, who usually slept until eight or nine and operated on sheer adrenaline, was struggling with the discipline of domesticity.

He rolled onto his back, immediately aware of the cool, empty space beside him. Taehyung had adhered to Rule Three, the Alpha's Access protocol. Jungkook had successfully completed his staff task—ensuring the pantry stocked Luca's preferred organic cereal—but the emotional distance remained. Taehyung was sleeping in a separate wing of the master suite, guarded by the faint, non-committal scent of reserved lemon and salt.

Jungkook was restless. His powerful cedarwood scent was contained, a low, frustrated thrum in the sterile environment. He craved the immediate, total reclamation of his mate, but he had promised compliance.

At precisely 5:30 AM, an automated system in the penthouse gently raised the lighting in Luca's room. This was Luca's time.

Jungkook got up, pulling on a simple cashmere robe. He walked down the corridor, his footsteps almost silent on the imported stone. He hesitated outside Luca's door, inhaling deeply. The air was thick with the beautiful, potent scent of cinnamon and pine—Luca's signature, mixed with the soothing, protective overlay of Taehyung's presence.

Jungkook tapped lightly, a deliberate, non-threatening Beta gesture, rather than the Alpha command he was accustomed to. "Luca, it's Papa. May the King enter?"

"Yes, Hunnie," Luca's cheerful voice replied, already a mimicry of his Papa's intimate terms.

Jungkook entered. Luca was sitting up in his custom-built bed, rubbing the sleep from his piercing, dark eyes—eyes that mirrored Jungkook's own. The first, raw surge of paternal love and possessiveness hit the Alpha King, forcing him to keep his cedarwood scent muted.

"Good morning, Alpha," Jungkook said, kneeling by the bed. He used the title instinctively, honoring the powerful blood in the child.

Luca giggled. "Morning, King. Papa says I'm not a King yet, I'm an engineer."

"The best kind of King starts as an engineer," Jungkook agreed, the stiffness in his Alpha posture finally easing. This wasn't about the company; it was about connecting. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes. My bed here is bigger than the ship. But Papa says we have to learn the schedule. We have ten minutes for 'gentle awakening and low-stimulus conversation' before the morning shake." Luca pointed to a laminated card on his bedside table—Taehyung's Schedule is Law in action.

Jungkook smiled, genuinely. The Omega's thoroughness was astounding. "Understood. Low-stimulus conversation it is. Tell me, Engineer, what is the best strategy for building a stable tower of biscotti?"

Luca launched into a detailed explanation involving structural integrity, base-to-height ratio, and the superior adhesive properties of hazelnut spread versus plain chocolate. Jungkook listened, nodding seriously, his Alpha mind—which handled global mergers daily—dedicated entirely to the physics of cookies. He didn't interrupt, he didn't offer a quick solution, and he didn't check his phone.

Just as the ten minutes were up, the door opened silently, and Taehyung entered. He was dressed in a soft training shirt and shorts, his hair slightly damp. His lemon and salt scent was protective and cool, a silent supervisor. He carried two protein shakes: one large, one small.

He handed the small one, exactly the right hydration level, to Luca. "Time for fuel, tesoro."

Taehyung then turned to Jungkook, his expression softening slightly as he saw the Alpha King still kneeling patiently by the bed.

"The Deluca King is on schedule," Taehyung noted, a trace of approval in his voice. He handed the large, icy shake to Jungkook. "Rule One observed. Now, Rule Two: The Scent Protocol."

Taehyung stepped closer, forcing the Alpha to inhale his clean, controlling scent. "His scent is already responding to yours, Jungkook. You are too powerful to hide. You must learn to share."

He looked directly into Jungkook's eyes, the unspoken history of betrayal and the intense future of their bond hanging in the air. "You must give him the pieces of your Alpha identity, not the whole thing at once. You are not just his King; you are his Darling father."

Jungkook gripped the shake, his fingers whitening on the plastic cup. He understood the command: Share your power, not dominate with it.

He nodded, a gesture of submission that had once been impossible. "I will share it, My Love. Every piece you allow."

Taehyung gave him a brief, almost imperceptible contact—a brush of their arms—a reward. "Good. Now, you have thirty minutes of 'Alpha play' before breakfast and studies. Luca requires you to help him build the asymmetrical sail ship with the plastic blocks. Use gentle hands, Hunnie. No smashing the assets."

Jungkook watched the Omega retreat, his heart heavy with the cost of this reconciliation, but impossibly light with the joy of the fragile connection. He turned back to his son, who was already pulling a heavy chest of building blocks toward the center of the room.

The Alpha King knelt on the carpet. His kingdom could wait; the foundation of his family could not.