KAEL’S POV
I pace the length of my study, every step hard, muscles taut with a tension that's grown relentless.
My mind should be clear, focused on the future I've secured by taking Sabrina as my Luna. When she told me what she knew about Talia, I had no choice. I needed a mate who could give me a worthy heir.
And now, with Sabrina soon pregnant and the packs moving toward unification, I'll be the strongest contender to rule them all. But despite the logic, the strategy, a pull gnaws at me, a lingering restlessness that refuses to fade.
Deep down, I know the source.
Talia.
No matter how hard I try to banish her, she still clings to the edges of my mind, slipping into the cracks I'd rather keep sealed. The bond I tried to sever still pulses, faint and raw, like a wound that refuses to heal. And Fenrir, my wolf, doesn't make it any easier. He prowls within me, furious and unsettled, fighting every decision I've made.
"You chose wrong," his growl cuts through my thoughts, primal and accusing.