TWENTY-TWO

*VALENS*

“Why are you here?” It wasn’t like Clover to disrespect me.

She had been my good friend since my teenage years, second only to Jabari who was born to be my best friend and beta. She didn’t disrespect me or disregard my orders ever and I explicitly told her to stay at the Black Valley pack after a group of men thought she looked weak and easy enough to target. She took them all down without help but she’d sustained life-threatening injuries after that.

She was the kind of woman I expected to spend the rest of my life with. The kind of woman that everyone thought would make a fine princess and a powerful queen. She was beautiful both inside and outside but she wasn’t my curse breaker.

“Valens, you know I get itchy when I’m far from you.” She wrapped her hands around me.

“I didn’t plan to stay long here.” Which was the truth but it had changed now. I may have to start all over from here since I’d found my mate here. It only meant this land would break my curse totally.

“How do y