A thunderclap exploded in his mind. Even without full memories, the fragments painted a damning picture. That voice belonged to the she-wolf from the hospital. In five years, he'd fallen for a she-wolf who looked like Clara, sired a pup with her, and betrayed Clara—over and over.
Blood surged to his throat, and he spat it onto the blackened ruins. The mix of ash and crimson seared his eyes. "Julian, you fool," he laughed, broken. "How could you hurt her like this?"
He collapsed to his knees, his proud spine buckling. From noon to dusk, he clawed at the ruins, a trembling figure in a sea of ash. Clara, I was wrong. Please come back.
As night fell, he crumpled, exhaustion overtaking him. Regret and pain drowned him like a tidal wave. He slammed his head against the rough ground, blood str
