In moments like this, Voren felt less like a king and more like a father.
Not just any father, but the kind who carried the weight of every child in his care. The pack was his family. Every wolf, every warrior, every pup born in the Grimroot pack was his responsibility.
Corvine might wear the Alpha title now, might command the warriors and make the hard calls, but at the end of the day, he still answered to Voren. That was the burden of the crown.
The endless, sleepless weight of knowing that every decision rippled outward, touching lives in ways he could never fully predict.
As a father, he was deeply concerned about the future of his children.
But that didn't mean he would manipulate things to his advantage. No. He wanted them to choose wisely. To find happiness that would last a lifetime, even if it meant losing them to another pack. Even if it meant watching them walk away and never look back.
