I stumbled forward, tears blurring my vision as I ran—or rather, waddled—toward the figure I'd thought I'd lost forever. My heart felt like it might explode in my chest.
"Kaelen," I sobbed, moving as fast as my pregnant body would allow.
He was a mess—clothes torn and filthy, dried blood caked on his skin, his usually immaculate hair wild and matted. But he was the most beautiful sight I'd ever seen. Alive. My mate was alive.
Kaelen's eyes blazed with Alpha green as he closed the distance between us in long, powerful strides. I noticed a slight limp, the way he favored his left side, but nothing was stopping him from reaching me.
"Seraphina," he breathed, his voice rough with emotion.
We collided in the middle of the street, his arms wrapping around me with desperate strength. I pressed my face against his chest, breathing in his scent—pine and winter air beneath the layers of dirt and blood. The bond between us flared brilliantly, confirming what my heart had known all along.
