Soren's Pov
My movements came to a sudden stop just inside the bedroom doorway. The bed was empty, the covers thrown back in a tangled mess. But I could still hear her crying, louder than ever. The pillow Catherine had used as a barrier was gone, and my throat went instantly dry at the implication. Whatever had happened, it wasn't good.
I rushed into the room, my eyes scanning frantically over every surface until my gaze dropped to the floor beside the massive bed. My breath hitched simultaneously in my chest, catching like a hook.
There was Esme on the hard, marble-tiled floor.
She was crying, a raw, pained sound. Her tiny hands were grasping at the empty air, her eyes shut tightly against the world, her face a very red, scrunched-up mask of anger. Seeing her like that, small and vulnerable on the cold floor, caused my heart to shatter. I crossed the room in two strides and scooped her up, cradling her against my chest, rubbing her back gently as she kept trembling against me.
