|| Alaric’s POV ||

The days blurred together, each one indistinguishable from the last. I sat in my study, the dim light of a single lamp casting long shadows across the room. Papers were strewn across my desk—reports, patrol schedules, and requests from pack members—but I couldn’t bring myself to focus on any of them. My mind was elsewhere, trapped in a haze of sorrow and regret.

The bottle of whiskey on my desk was nearly empty, the amber liquid offering a fleeting ...