DAMIAN POV
The northern territories were finally behind him.
Damian sat in the carriage as it rolled through the capital streets, watching his kingdom pass by the window. Two weeks of mediating disputes between rival packs, settling land disagreements, listening to endless petitions from wolves who couldn't solve their own problems.
Exhausting. All of it.
But necessary. A king couldn't rule from his throne room alone. He needed to be seen, to be present, to show that he cared about all his territories, not just the capital.
Even when all he wanted to do was stay home and continue the hopeless search for his mate.
Eight years. Eight years of that constant pull. That thread connecting him to someone he couldn't find. A ghost. A phantom. A dream that haunted his every waking moment.
The mate bond was supposed to be a blessing. The Moon Goddess's gift. Two souls perfectly matched, destined to complete each other.
Instead, it was torture.
