Meanwhile, at the stream.
"Roxy…" he mumbled, reaching out for her. His hand hit the space on the grassy ground, and his eyes snapped open.
The golden irises contracted instantly as reality crashed in.
The sky was dark, and the moon was high. The weight that had been on his chest was gone. His mate was gone.
"Roxy?"
He sat up and looked around wildly. The stream was empty save for her clothes that floated. The grass where they had mated was cold.
A bad feeling swelled in his chest.
"ROXY!!!"
He stood up and found her scent trail. It didn't lead back to the cave. It led North. Toward the forest, and his blood ran cold.
"No…" Zarek whispered, his heart hammering against his ribs. "No, no, no!"
She wouldn't leave. It didn't make sense.
Don't come looking for me. The memory of her whisper surfaced through the fog of the potion.
A roar ripped from his throat, shattering the night. It wasn't a human sound. It was the sound of a beast whose soul had just been torn out.
