Tanner stands up abruptly, snatching his phone with a tense grip. Pacing swiftly around the room, he dials a number with shaking fingers, his jaw clenched tight.
The call barely rings twice before the line connects.
"Alpha Hale," comes a shaky voice from the other end.
"Principal Flinn," Tanner begins, his voice already sharp with frustration, "why am I just now getting a report that my son hasn't been at school since morning? And the report isn't even coming from his teachers, but from other people?!"
His tone is no longer calm, every word carries a crackling edge of fury, dread, and disbelief.
"Alpha Hale, I truly apologize," Principal Flinn says, voice laden with guilt. "We assumed Alpha Greensley simply didn't attend school today."
"Oh?" Tanner snaps, eyes narrowed with disbelief. "And it never occurred to anyone to call me to confirm? If he was not to attend school, I would have made it known beforehand!"
