IVAN'S POV
I knew I shouldn't care as much as I did. But I did. I didn't know how not to care about this.
"Can we talk about something else?" I asked, my voice low and constrained. I capped the whiskey bottle, set it aside, and leaned against the edge of my desk. "Surely, you've got something else to report to me?"
It wasn't a question—it was a plea. A desperate need to change the subject.
Francis stayed put despite my mood, launching into an update about Ash Creek's newly imported military gear. The elders' council seemed to be handling the matter efficiently.
As he spoke, I listened keenly, grateful for the distraction.
At dinner, I sat flanked by my elders' council, while the rest of my pack members filled the other seats.
Unlike I'd planned earlier, I didn't send a letter to Maeve, nor did I invite her and Asha to join us. She had probably arranged for dinner to be brought up to her rooms anyway.
