**Marcus POV**
Days turned into weeks, and weeks into months, yet here I stood, a mere shadow of my former self. Denial was a comforting cloak, but it all shattered the moment Cassandra's body was laid to rest. The weight of grief crushed me, and I couldn't escape the relentless blame that swirled within. If only I had been more patient, if only I had let her go when she pleaded for freedom—none of this tragedy would have unfolded. I pressed my eyes shut, leaning against the couch, the only solace I found in the depths of a whiskey bottle.
“Alpha Marcus, your attention is needed…”
I cut Damien off before he could finish his statement, waving him away. “I don’t want to hear a word,” I declared firmly, taking a sip from my glass of whiskey.
Damien looked at my disheveled state and shook
