Malachi

It had been an eternity since I checked on the pups or spoken with my brothers; I had been far too consumed by my own circumstances and Kaida's fragile state.

A chasm had opened between us. Though we were never overly talkative, there had always been a silent, fraternal understanding—a bond that now felt entirely severed. I felt estranged, battling this crisis in isolation, trapped within the repercussions of my own defiance.

I had claimed I could handle it. I had been warned ...