Kaelen's pov

The hunt should have been exhilarating.

Running through the forest with my pack, feeling the wolf surge beneath my skin, hearing the terrified heartbeats of prey scattered through the trees—this was what I was made for. What my ancestors had done for millennia. The thrill of the chase, the sweet satisfaction of the kill.

But all I could think about was her.

Elara.

Her voice, breaking as she begged. Her tears, hot against my chest when I'd pulled her close before ...