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She was in heat. She needed him.
That’s all his wolf understood. And so, his wolf laid down, staring, and waiting. When the wave of her heat reached him again, he made his way to the exit road, deciding to leave Tuisa and get to her another way. He couldn’t think, but he knew he would get through, some way or another.However, he hadn’t gotten far when the feeling disappeared. No, not like it did before. It was just gone. She was gone.
No heat, no pull, no Bailey.
He panicked, running harder for the Tuisa border. He searched for that link, that mate pull that had still been so strong all week, but nothing, like she didn’t exist, just an empty shell where she had filled him before. His mind went to the worst, and by the time he reached the gate, there were several warriors there to stop him, including Zhair.He shifted back into human form without missing a beat and walked straight up to his young cousin.
“I need to go. There’s a problem. I can’t feel her…something’s wrong. She’s gone.”
Zhair only shook his head sadly. “Don’t make me call my dad, Nas. He sent me to get you. Wants you to come back to the packhouse for the night. If you don’t come willingly, then we will lock you in the dungeons to keep you here.”
“You can’t do that.”
Fear pounded in his heart. Fear he had lost control, but mostly a fear that something was wrong with Bailey. She needed him, and he couldn’t get to her.
“Come on, man. I know you’re hurting, but don’t make this harder than it has to be.”
He looked around at all the warriors, every man he knew in some way, and he saw the pity in their eyes. Ignoring Zhair,he pushed past him, the need to shift back and run to Aisling overpowering.
Almost immediately, he was grabbed by several of the warriors, but he didn’t give up. He swung on the first shifter, rage and desperation fueling his fight. He had taken down at least four men when the others converged on him, and blackness took over.
____________________________________________________
The clang of metal bars rang in his ear, and he flinched. His head spun, and when he finally was able to open his eyes, darkness greeted him for only a second before the room was flooded with light.
“Nas? Hey, man. Come on. I’m getting you out of here.”
Makaii’s arm slid around his back, helping him up, and he frowned. Was he in the dungeon? And Makaii was here?
“Am I dreaming? What’s going on?”
Makaii chuckled. “No. I got back from my honeymoon to see my cousin beaten up and unconscious in the dungeon. I was hoping I was the one dreaming.”
Everything came rushing back to him, and he realized he still felt the emptiness where his mate bond used to be. He stopped when they reached the top of the dungeon stairs. “I can’t feel her. Something’s wrong. I need to find her. Zhair wouldn’t listen.”
“She’s okay, I promise. Kathleen took her to the other realm to get relief from her heat.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes. Ava went to stay with her. It was all I could do to keep her from coming over here and confronting my dad. I think he’s lost his mind. Let’s get out of here.”
Nassau rubbed his temples, following Makaii through the dungeon doors. “He was trying to help me. But I don’t even know how to help myself.”
Makaii snorted. “No, he’s trying to control things. That’s not going to work on Bailey. He should know better by now. You should too. Come on. My mom has food ready for you.”
When they walked into the kitchen, Nubia was sitting at the dining room table, talking to Lana, and holding Kuraii in her lap. His cousin’s son giggled, reaching for the food on the fork. While they were on their honeymoon, different sets of family had taken turns watching him, with Nubia taking him this past week, and that meant he would go back with his parents today.
If they had just gotten here, he was surprised Ava hadn’t already taken their son back. She must have been pulled in for updates from the past three weeks. For the first time, he thought of Bailey’s stalker, of the fact that without the threat, he might have never found out. She would never have come back to see him after the night of the party. He would be blissfully oblivious right now. That’s exactly what she wanted. Maybe she was right. Knowing was awful.
When Nubia saw him, she jumped up, handed Kuraii to Makaii, and then busied herself making a plate. “Baby, I’m so sorry. I would have brought you up myself this morning, but your uncle refused. Said it was better to keep you locked away from her for now.”
Numbly, he sat at the table, the emptiness in his chest scaring him. He couldn’t feel her, couldn’t feel the pull. The emptiness was worse than the broken bond. He’d only been able to feel her for a week, but it felt like a lifetime, and now it was gone. A piece of him was gone.
Makaii slid in beside him, setting Kuraii between them on the table. Nine months old, and he was a spitting image of his father, bright green eyes, and fluffy black curls. He couldn’t help butimagine a child of his own, a little girl who looked like Bailey giggling and laughing in his lap. For a long moment, he was transfixed, imagining what could never be, then he snapped out of it when Makaii spoke.
“It’s eerie when they disappear to the other realm. Like they were never here to begin with. She’s okay. I promise. Ava’s with her because I can’t feel her right now either.”
He only nodded, unsure of what to say. So, when the plate of eggs and bacon was slid in front of him, he ate unwillingly.
