His hands shook as he gathered her into his arms, pulling her close as if he could will warmth back into her body.
"Mother… please…" The words cracked out of him like a dying flame. His shoulders heaved, his cries tearing through the room, raw and unrestrained.
He stood there helpless, watching his Alpha and friend break apart in front of him, clutching his mother's body as his sobs echoed against the stone.
And for the first time, he feared Kael would never come back from this—that a part of him had died right there with her.
The walls were closing in on them.
He could hear the growls and the bloodthirsty fight that was going on outside to hunt them down, and he knew they didn't have much time.
Her father's warriors were everywhere, circling, waiting for the signal to strike them down. He knew if they stayed another heartbeat, they would all die there. And yet Kael did not move.
