Phil’s POV
The guilt weighed heavily on me after Claudia confessed her dreams about Drew. I listened…damn it, I listened, when I should’ve walked away. Every word she spoke only deepened the gnawing feeling that I had something to do with Drew’s death.
I stared at the wine bar, the amber liquid inside the decanter glinting like a trap. Just one drink, a voice whispered. But I knew better. I wasn’t myself when I drank—and now wasn’t the time to fall apart.
My eyes flickered back to the paperwork on my desk. The pack didn’t need a broken man; they needed an Alpha. Not a drunk.
I almost chuckled. Those were Vera’s words. She always had a way of saying what I needed to hear, even when I didn’t want to.
The door creaked open. Lucy stepped in quietly.
“Hey,” she said.
I didn’t look up. “Y
