“I saved her.” His voice stays calm, measured. “Something tried to take her. I stopped it.”
“Give her to me.” My claws dig into my palms, drawing blood. “Now.”
“We need to get her back to the palace.” Kieran moves forward slowly. “Quickly and quietly. She needs warmth. Safety. Can you controlyourself?”
The question should offend me. Instead, it forces clarity through my rage. He’s right. Selene needs me in control, not lost to violence.
I nod once, abruptly.
Kieran brings her to me, carefully transferring her weight into my arms. The moment she presses against my chest, the mate bond surges stronger. It’s still not normal, not right. But it’s enough that my wolf stops threatening to tear free.
I pull her close, bury my face in her hair, and breathe her in. She’s cold. Too cold. But she’s alive.
“What happened?” My voice shakes despite my attempts to control it.
“Not here.” Kieran’s eyes scan the darkness. “Get her to the palace. I’ll meet you there. I need to confirm something.”
He disappears into the shadows, and I head back to the festival. To the people I walk past, it must look like I’m carrying a drunk female home. But nobody is paying attention. Or maybe they are. I don’t care.
How did Selene get into the woods? What was she doing there? I told her to wait for me in the spot where I left her. So, what happened?
The return to the palace feels endless. Every second she remains cold and unconscious in my arms makes the terror tighten around my throat. The mate bond stays weak, flickering, wrong in ways I can’t explain.
I kiss her. Once. Twice. Desperately. But for the first time, my kiss doesn’t help.
Hold on, little wolf. Just hold on.
The entrance to the stables comes into view. I slow down, check for witnesses, then slip through the shadows toward the palace’s back corridors. A few servants glance up, startled, but I’m past them before they can ask questions.
I take the back stairs three at a time, Selene’s weight nothing compared to the terror clawing at my chest. The hallways are blessedly empty this time of night; everyone is either at the festival or already in bed.
I burst into my quarters and lay her on the bed as gently as mytrembling hands allow. Her skin is ice beneath my palms. I grab blankets and pile them on top of her, my mind racing with the need to fix this.
“Selene.” I cup her face, willing her eyes to open. “Come on, Selene, wake up.”
Nothing. Not even a flutter.
I cross to the door and yank it open. A guard stands at attention at the far end of the corridor.
“Get a healer to my quarters. Discreetly.” The command comes out harsh. “And find the Queen. Tell her it’s urgent, but don’t alarm anyone else.”
His eyes widen slightly at whatever he sees in my face, but he nods and takes off running.
I return to Selene’s side and pull her into my arms, trying to warm her with my own body heat. The mate bond pulses weakly between us, and I focus on it, pouring every ounce of strength I have through the connection.
Come back to me. Please.
Soon, there’s a soft knock, and the door opens quietly. A healer I recognize from the compound slips inside, bag in hand. Behind her, Astra and Daciana enter.
“What happened?” Astra’s voice is controlled, but I can hear the fear underneath.
“I don’t know.” The admission tastes like failure. “The bond went cold. Found her in the forest with Kieran.”
Daciana’s face drains of color. “With Kieran?”
“He says he saved her. Can you wake her up?” I ask the healer. I don’t move from Selene’s side as the woman works, but my eyes turn to the Queen, who is known for developing cures for rare illnesses. “Astra? Any ideas?”
Her brow furrows. “Did she ingest something?”
