#Chapter 62: The Alpha's Burden

Richard I watched the hallway long after the door closed behind me, long after her scent faded and the quiet sounds of her breathing cracked into sobs she thought I wouldn’t hear. My wolf paced furiously inside me, restless and near feral, urging me to turn around, to break the door down if I had to, to fix it with words or touch or whatever it took. But I couldn’t. Because if I did, I wouldn’t be able to walk away again. I made it halfway down the corridor before I stopped, one hand pressed against the wall, bracing myself like the ground was shifting under me. My chest felt too tight. I couldn’t draw a clean breath. It was like coming off the battlefield, only worse. Because I didn’t get to count my wounds this time. I didn’t get to tally the damage. Because she was the damage. And I was the cause. The problem was never Amelia. It was everything around her. It was the weight of my crown and the bloodied expectations that came with it. And lately, it was also Jenny. The