Caleb's POV
I watch as Riley collapses to her knees, her agonized cries tearing through the evening air like shattered glass.
Each scream pierces straight through my chest, ripping at something deep inside me. Mason and I circle her, desperate to offer comfort, but nothing we do reaches her. This resembles her previous breakdown, yet something feels fundamentally different. The pain consuming her seems magnified, more devastating than before.
Theo approaches, clearly intending to help, and a vicious snarl erupts from my throat. "Don't you dare touch her!" The command explodes from me with such force that he stumbles backward, though worry still creases his features as he stares at Riley.
Mate or not, Mason's newfound partner endangered my family. I catch the conflict warring across Mason's expression. He's always been fiercely protective of Riley, and now his own mate has placed her directly in harm's way under the guise of protection.
