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Then she heard a determined and purposeful rustling in the surrounding bushes. This sound could not be mistaken. Something very big was moving swiftly through the forest.
And it was coming right at her.
Grux strode away from the gardeners in a panic. He couldn’t believe Scarlett had wandered away into the wilderness of Lorr. At first, he ran around the main grounds looking for some sign of her, but soon, he had to admit she was no longer in the palace gardens or anywhere inside its walls.
Grux jogged along the main paths, hoping Scarlett would have taken the most obvious routes. He kept his ears perked, and his eyes searched for footprints anywhere.
When he left the orchard behind, the sun was getting very low. He’d been wondering why Scarlett would leave the well-tended gardens to wander into the savage forest, but as he reached the boundary, his heart sank in dismay.
The rock walls that separated the orchards from the forest had fallen into disrepair. They didn’t look like walls anymore but were piles of loose rubble. No one looking at it would think it was a barrier of any kind. The meadow just beyond was fairly neat with short grass and pretty flowers. It looked like an extension of the gardens.
Grux groaned softly and jogged across the meadow. The sun was almost below the horizon now, and he had little hope of finding Scarlett before the sun disappeared entirely.
As he moved into the forest itself, Grux tried to push away his worst fears. Some of the more vicious creatures probably wouldn’t be in this section of forest, but he couldn’t be sure. Guaranteed, some dangerous animals would be in this part of the woods.
He was especially worried about the boarst—a thick beast with short legs. They were very fast and agile and could maul a full-grown Lorr warrior to death with their tusks or claws. They were adaptable and lived in almost every section of forest on Lorr.
Grux kept jogging even as the sun sank behind him. Eventually, even his quick eyes began to fail as the sun’s rays were blocked out by trees. The faintest, dusky glow was left, only suitable for silvering the purple leaves of the trees with beauty—no good at all to see by.
After running for some time, Grux hit a wide river. Its current was too fast, and it was too wide for Scarlett to have crossed. He would have to turn back, knowing she wasn’t on the main path.
Fear rose in his heart as he thought about his beloved mate passed out and helpless somewhere on the trail, or worse, dead at the claws of some creature.
As he turned around, Grux tried to keep the terror from rising in his chest. He wanted to call out to her, but he knew it would only draw unwanted attention to himself. Instead of running straight down the main paths, Grux began to sweep from side to side, checking all the undergrowth in case Scarlett was unconscious in the thick cover.
When the sky began to shimmer with the first stars, Grux’s heart seemed to stop in his chest. He felt like his blood had turned to ice, and his heart was so hard and cold it would never beat again.
The harsh change in temperature had barely affected him. The chill inside him was fear, not a reaction to the air. His skin had grown cold, though, even while he ran, and now he was afraid of his mate spending a full night exposed to the elements.
Grux was becoming desperate as the moon peeked above the horizon, lighting the trees with an incredibly beautiful amethyst glow. He paused for a moment, orienting himself on the horizon to make sure he was going the right way.
Then, he caught a hint of Scarlett’s scent. Grux didn’t dare call out in case he brought predators to them, but he ran toward the warm smell of her as quickly as he could. The stronger it became, the faster he ran until he was crashing through branches like an out-of-control, raging beast.
As he forced his way through the branches, he saw a very large tree up ahead. When Scarlett’s head popped up above one of the massive roots, relief flooded through his bones, and his legs felt weak.
“Scarlett!” he cried.
She stood up and held out her hands to him. “Grux! Oh, thank God it’s you!”
He crossed the last few steps between them at a flat-out run and threw his arms around her, holding her close to his chest. She was crying with relief, clinging to him with every inch of her body.
Grux closed his eyes and buried his nose in her hair. He immersed himself in her scent, the warm rush of her breath, and the steady beat of her heart. He held her like that until he began to calm down, quieting all of his fears.
I found her. She’s safe.
Grux knew how she felt about being confined, but right now, he didn’t care. He never wanted to let her out of his sight ever again.
Chapter 17
Scarlettwassorelievedto be safe and comfortable again that she didn’t mind being trapped in her royal suite. After a warm bath, a change of clothes, and some good food, she curled up in the big bed and slept through the entire night and part of the next day.
When she woke, the mood of her attendants seemed strained. Scarlett didn’t think much about it, figuring it was most likely because she had put herself in danger, and now everyone was overly worried.
However, as the day wore on and she still did not see Grux, she began to feel anxious. When Nyla arrived with extra guards, Scarlett demanded to know what was going on.
“I am not supposed to cause you any stress.” Nyla tried a soothing tone of voice. “Just accept that we are acting in your best interests.”
“But I am already stressed!” snapped Scarlett. “Why are extra guards in my room, and why does it sound like the entire palace is rushing around on high alert?”
