Chapter 021
DARIUS
I was exhausted.
The meeting with the council members had dragged on for hours, and the matter of finding a mate had escalated to levels I had not anticipated. They were no longer making suggestions—they were making demands.
"The pack needs an heir," Elder Marcus had said, his voice hard. "Without a mate, without an heir, your position becomes questionable."
"My position is not questionable," I had replied coldly. "I have led this pack successfully for ten years."
"Ten years without a mate," Elder Helena had interjected. "Ten years without producing an heir. The moon goddess has not blessed you with a bond, Alpha. Perhaps it is time to consider that she is trying to tell you something."
The implication had been clear. They thought I was unworthy. That my wolf was
