~ CASIMIR ~
I sat in that frigid, dark chasm of my soul, my back to the side of the ravine walls, my knees drawn up to my chest. I was cold. Shaking.
It felt as if I fought simply to stay alive. As if, the moment I let go, my body would fly into a thousand pieces and be scattered by this arctic wind.
My mind ran loops- every word I'd said in anger, every action taken in cruelty or ruthless dominance. I was being flayed with my failure and couldn't get my mind to stop repeating the message.
Dark. Useless. Better off dead.
Failure as a King.
Failure as a Mate.
Failure as a male.
Failure as a father…
I felt like I was falling apart at the seams.
With a desperate groan, I let my head sink back against the cool stone, pleading with God to stop this, or end me. I couldn't stay here.
And just moments later the wind brought an impossible scent that made a lump rise in my throat.
