r

n exhausted wraith looking back at me. I had dark, nearly black circle

ess. For every item I crossed off my list to build the pack in the way I envisioned, fresh, new hellish problems emerged that I had to deal with

and overseeing every other detail while running the pack, my

istraction from getting the real work done, but I coul

er the last five years in search of her. My lycan, Shawn, constantly pa

tood the need to find my mate, I didn't want to feel chained to someone for the

I was still young. Thirty is young for a lycan. It isn't until someone reaches ov

action and refocus on my work. I needed to

ed to the surface to confront me.

my annoying advisors or needy subjects, but I couldn't shut myself away from something that could boil up inside me. I coul

of the time, that

what Shawn had mentioned: t

a mate. Nothing ever serious, but at least a few months to find someone to choose as my luna, in case I neve

om like nothing I had ever seen before. If only there were more females like her, then I would be on the hunt daily to find mine. But alas, there is only one white lycan. Even Talo

ecame, and it led

a tavern during one of my trips to visit a pack. That woman must have bewitched me because I couldn't stop myself from taking her to my bed. I heard rumors that witches were wild in the bed

lycan. I couldn't mark

language I didn't understand. Whatever details there

Grating. Nothing about them made me want to bring them to my bed for some fun after realizing they weren't my

room. The growl ripped through me, as everyone in the pack knew I preferred my privacy. The outline of my beta's lean buil

you want,

s really messed with you. Maybe you should apologi

ded my fingers through my hair. "Annalise is long gone. Not sure if that hag is eve

his mate before I found mine, and I didn't have the power of all the lycans in the kingdom tied to me. Dominance equaled power. Power made lycans crave violence. Yet Gunner was the least violen

I just think you

makes every female repulsive to me. At leas

sed her feelings. It sounds like the perfect excuse for

etite, and I wanted nothing more than to take them to my bedroom and make them scream my name. However, the urge to actually act on these imp

t

anym

king!" I gripped my sink, and I heard the crack from the marble as my anger coursed through me. Th

stated that only the witch could remove any spell she had cast on you. It was her magic that needed undoing, and only hers could reverse it. Conside

asted curse, then the lore sai

nded incredible. Killing Annali

me out of my thoughts. Bloodlust had a scent, and I must have smelled like it for Gunner

eaned against the door frame when I calmed d

simple to do

kingdom. It would be good publicity for you as king to visit the packs

hing too lengthy because I didn't want to be away from the pack for long. It could

l. But there was the concern about leaving the pack without an alpha or a beta. I'd have to leave the kingdom and the pack in the hands of my th

ind of plan just because you don't wa

beta, and his gray

the kingdom to thrive, you

ng himself at the cage to be let loose to run. He didn't like the idea of not adventuring throug

t route through the ki

from the look on his face. "If that means I get to plan the trip because I'm coming along, I'm in.

. That's how it had been since we were kids, and it hadn't changed. I chuckled. This was why I needed Gunner as my beta.

nd then plan our way through the kingdom. Maybe d