Efrein lost all the fight in his body and sank heavily into the chair across from Michael’s desk. His shoulders, once proud and broad from years of command, seemed to sag under the invisible weight of guilt and age. For a long moment, he said nothing, his eyes distant as if haunted by ghosts of choices past. Finally, his voice broke the silence, rough and weary.
“I did what I did for the greater good of the pack,” he muttered, almost as though repeating a prayer he had told himself countless times. “You chose Kathy as your Luna, and she was already carrying your pup. Your heir. You know how unpredictable our wolves can be. If you had accepted and marked Elaine, there was a high chance her wolf would have turned possessive, dangerous even. She might have attacked Kathy. You know that.” Hi
