Sebastian POV
He had not slept.
Not one hour. Not one minute.
He had sat in the chair by the window in his room and watched the estate grounds go from night to the particular blue-black before dawn to the first pale grey of morning and he had not moved from that chair except once, to go downstairs and stand at the front steps when he heard the bike coming through the gates.
He had needed to see her with his own eyes.
That was what he told himself.
Just needed to confirm she was back safely. That was all. That was the only reason he had been sitting in that chair all night counting the minutes and feeling Rhen press against the inside of his chest like a caged thing.
He was lying to himself and he knew it.
Rhen knew it too.
She has been gone all night, Rhen said. Not for the first time. He had been saying variations of this since the bike disappeared through the gates the evening before. Our mate. Gone all night. With Nicholas.
I know, Sebastian said.
