Darien
I stood at the window of the meeting room, staring out at the snow-covered landscape without really seeing it. We had chosen a neutral area to meet at so that one side didn’t feel uncomfortable. My chest ached with a hollow emptiness that made it hard to breathe. The mate bond that was once so strong was now stretched thin, barely more than a whisper now.
But it was still there. Still connecting me to Leah.
I missed her. Gods, I missed her so badly it felt like I was missing a limb. Every instinct I had screamed at me to go after her. To show up at her pack and refuse to leave without her. To choose her over everything else.
But I was a king. And kings didn't have the luxury of following their hearts.
"Darien." Cain's voice pulled me from my thoughts. "They're here."
I tur
