Chapter 109

Draven’s POV

I hunched over my desk, pressing the quill into the parchment with fierce determination, the nib scratching out words almost faster than my hand could move. In my office, surrounded by stacks of documents and ledgers, I poured every ounce of focus into pack business. I’ve never been more grateful for an overwhelming workload. Every form I filed, every petition I logged, kept my mind and spirit from fracturing under the weight of my thoughts.

Exhaustion and sleepless nights were nothing compared to the things I wanted to purge from my memory—like the entire fiasco with Thea. And yet there were other things I could never bear to lose, chief among them Maeve.

It had been two days since she left the pack, and she still hadn’t returned. I hadn’t heard a word from her, though Dorian somehow managed to remain in contact. Being shut out was agonizing, especially when it involved my mate. Physically and psychically, I couldn’t feel her presence. It was