KAEL'S POV
I tore the tent flap open so hard the canvas ripped along the seam. The empty space stared back at me. No heartbeat. No lingering scent on the furs. No warmth on the cot.
Gone.
Riley was gone.
The bond in my chest snapped tight, then went dull. Muted. Fading fast. She was moving away. Running. Toward him.
My own Key. My mate. The woman I dragged out of her world, protected, held while she sobbed against my chest. She chose Kain. She took his vial. She came back only to get close enough to slide a blade between my ribs.
Betrayal burned hotter than silver in my veins. I felt the wolf surge behind my eyes. Gold flared. Claws pushed against my nails. My teeth ached with the need to shift, to hunt, to tear.
I had not felt this pain since my father looked at me and said "You are weak" then smiled at Kain like he was the only son worth having.
