Kai POV
The amber liquid swirled in my glass as I stared out the window of my office, watching the late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the pack grounds. Three days. It had been three days since I'd seen Lily, since I'd held her in my arms by the lake, since I'd nearly killed the woman I loved more than life itself.
I lifted the whiskey to my lips, savoring the burn as it slid down my throat. The alcohol did nothing to numb the ache in my chest or quiet the relentless demands of my wolf, but it was the only coping mechanism I had left that didn't involve destroying everything in reach.
The pain was indescribable—a constant, gnawing emptiness that felt like part of my soul had been ripped away. But worse than the pain was the longing, the desperate need that clawed at me every waking moment. Hud paced restlessly beneath my skin, whining and snarling by turns, unable to understand why we were denying ourselves our mate.
