Kael could not shake the ghost of Jasmine from his bones. She haunted every corner of his mind, every beat of his heart, every breath he took.
Cleopatra had gone to visit her parents, and he used the empty hours to bury himself in work, helping Corvine and Damon ensure the pack remained peaceful, that no one lingered where they should not.
It was better than sitting alone with his thoughts. Better than drowning in the memory of Jasmine's tear-streaked face as she walked away from everything she had ever wanted.
He even waited in the shadows, hidden and silent, watching as Voren and Seraphine marked each other beneath the blood moon. He waited until they retired to bed, until the pack grounds fell quiet, before he finally allowed himself to move.
His feet carried him to Jasmine's door before his mind could catch up, before reason could stop him.
