Kellan POV
I stand at the edge of the forest, the cool night air cutting through the warmth of the gathered tension that coils around me. Anxiety pulses through my blood, turning every minute that passes into an agonizing eternity.
It's been hours since Ember stepped into the woods, and Lady Kaia assures me that everything is fine.
How can it be fine?
My mate is out there, in the woods, walking alone toward the land of the dead, delivering the offering for our ancestors. Every cell in my body screams for her, for the connection that has always been present between us. But now? It's a void. An aching, hollow place where the bond should be, and I can't feel her.
I clench my fists, my claws digging into the palm of my hand until I draw blood, the sting a small comfort. It helps clear my mind, but nothing calms the gnawing fear deep in my chest.
