Kael hadn’t slept in three nights.

His scar glowed faintly in the dark chamber, pulsing like a second heart. Every beat shook the bond between us. Every beat whispered of blood.

He sat on the edge of the bed, head in his hands, chest heaving. His claws dug deep grooves into his knees.

“I can smell them,” he rasped. His voice was hoarse, broken. “Every wolf in this fortress. Their throats. Their heat. It doesn’t stop, Ardyn. It doesn’t stop.”

I reached for him. He jerked away, ...