***Dustin’s POV***
The whiskey burned down his throat, but it didn’t dull the ache in his chest. Nothing did anymore. He sat slouched in the Alpha’s chair, the heavy oak desk before him littered with untouched reports. His wolf paced, restless, snarling at the walls closing in.
"She’s here. She’s ours. Go to her." Mav pleaded.
“No.” He slammed the glass down hard enough to crack its rim. The sound echoed in the study, sharp and hollow.
“You’re fighting too hard,” a voice purred from the shadows.
Dustin’s head snapped up. Katherine glided into the room, every movement fluid, deliberate. Her aura pressed soft and coaxing, like silk around his throat.
“Katherine,” he said, his tone sharp. Too sharp, considering the pack regarded her as nothing more than an advisor, a trusted healer, th
