Damien's POV:
As I walked out of our room, Leslie's quiet sobs still echoed in my ears, a sound that sliced through the thick fog of darkness swirling inside me. I'd tried to keep her safe by pushing her away, but I knew deep down it wasn't enough. Every day I was slipping further from her, further from myself, and no matter how much I wanted to stop it, I felt powerless to change my path.
The pack house was quiet as I moved through the halls. It was late, most of my warriors were either sleeping or on night patrol, and the silence felt like a heavy blanket smothering me. Midnight paced restlessly in the back of my mind, his agitation mirroring my own. He wanted out, wanted to run free and escape the weight of responsibility pressing down on us. But I couldn't afford that luxury.