GARRICK'S POV
I stared out the rain-streaked window of the Alpha study, rubbing my temples. My head was absolutely pounding. I had been the Alpha of the Moonblood pack for less than two weeks, and already, the weight of the title felt like it was crushing me alive. The elders wouldn't stop breathing down my neck about border security, the fighters were getting edgy, and the entire pack just felt completely unsettled.
And then there was Cynthia.
I looked down at the mountain of paperwork on my desk, completely unable to focus. I could feel the mate bond with Cynthia humming in my veins, but it didn't feel right. It was nothing like the wild, consuming fire the old stories talked about. It felt thin. Shallow and freezing cold, like a cheap imitation. Every time I held her or looked at her
