Kaden I’m sitting in my study, surrounded by the leather scent of old books and the muted light filtering through the heavy drapes. The room, once a sanctuary where I buried myself in work and pack matters, now feels like a cage. A trap. I flip through some documents on my desk but don’t really register what they say. My mind is a mess, a whirlwind of thoughts I can’t, and won’t, share with anyone. Especially not Roman. God, Roman. My brother, my closest friend. He seems so happy these days, so settled with Aella and their son. His life has taken a turn for the absolute best, and it stings. Not out of jealousy, I’m thrilled for him, but out of the sharp contrast it creates with my own concealed turmoil. I think about Elena, my wife. She’s beautiful, loving, and loyal to our pack. But she doesn’t know. She can’t know. The secret I’m holding is too damaging, too explosive. It would tear us apart, tear the pack apart. And so, I’ve distanced myself. Retreated into a shell to protect e