*Day 2*
Another sunrise came without her scent in the pack. Another day began with the empty space in his chest where she should have been. And with every dawn that passed, Aldus grew colder.
The pack had begun to notice the shift almost immediately — the once steady and composed Lycan King was now a force they moved cautiously around.
Every step he took radiated dominance, every glance carried enough pressure to make lesser wolves lower their heads and bare their necks without thinking.
In its place was a sharp, cutting presence — a king forged of steel and silence. If he couldn't have her near him, then he would bury himself in duty. And he did.
The council room had become his cage now — stacks of documents, war reports, and alliance letters piled high on the long obsidian table.
