Beverly's POV

Luna's duties became my armor against the pain of Bruce's absence. I attended pack meetings alone, sitting in the chair that should have been beside his, making decisions that affected hundreds of people while pretending my personal life was not crumbling around me.

Territory disputes, resource allocation, and conflict mediation. I handled everything with the training Selene had drilled into me over months. The pack members respected me but I could see questions in their eyes ...