DARIAN
I haven’t been able to stop thinking about her.
It’s pathetic, really. I tell myself it’s the mark, the bond is supposed to make me feel this way. Yearn. Ache. Hunger for someone I should’ve never touched. That’s all it is. A pull. A mistake I need to correct.
But the image of Iris storming out of the Haven, eyes full of hurt, spine stiff with pride, won’t leave me alone.
She didn’t say a word, but I felt everything.
My wolf has been restless ever since.
I try not to think of her.
Every time I do, it chips at the control I’ve spent years perfecting. But no matter how deep I bury myself in council work, training schedules, or the never-ending demands of the pack, Iris finds a way to surface.
And the worst part? I let it happen.
I pace the length of my study, trying to drown
