Vael could not concentrate. His eyes were fixed on the files spread across his desk, but the words blurred into meaningless shapes. He had read the same line three times. The numbers did not add up because he had not actually processed a single digit.
His wolf, Runn, paced back and forth inside his mind. The movement was constant, like a caged animal creating a path into concrete. It made Vael's skin prickle and his jaw clench.
"Can you stay still, Runn? You're distracting me."
Runn groaned. "Are you sure it's me?"
Vael slammed the file down. The papers were scattered slightly across the desk. He did not bother to straighten them. He reached for his phone. The screen lit up. He scrolled through his contacts, his thumb moving without conscious permission. He stopped at Vessara's name. He had saved it when they parted ways three weeks ago.
Twenty-one days since he had seen her face. Twenty-one days since he had heard her voice.
Runn pushed forward in his mind. "Call her."
