~Xaphen~
Papers lay scattered across the desk, old maps, and letters that once belonged to my father. I ran my hand over the wooden desk, tracing the grain absently. How was I supposed to do this? How was I supposed to be the king my father was, or better yet, the king I needed to be?
And then there was Junia—always there, always nagging me with her attempts to help. It felt suffocating, her presence a constant reminder of everything I hadn’t asked for but now had to carry.
"Give her a chance," my wolf, Riley, spoke into my mind, his voice low and insistent.
Shaking my head, I whispered, “Unless she can give me a child, she’s more trouble than help.”
"Is that all she is to you?" Riley’s voice sharpened, disappointed. "You think a child will fill the emptiness inside you? Do you reall
