Faded from the forest floor like smoke after a fire—still present in memory, but useless to track.
I stood at the edge of the woods, my wolf thrashing beneath my skin like a storm held barely in check. The earth beneath my boots was torn where she'd run—dragged, maybe. There had been a struggle. Wolf's paw prints circled the area, and blood—hers, faint but there—painted a trail that vanished into nothing.
I swore beneath my breath, eyes scanning the silent trees. Where the hell are you, Violet?
Selene was behind me, checking broken branches, nose tilted to the wind. Jade, finally free, had taken clothes and food from the supply pack and was strapping on boots with trembling fingers. Her bond to Rhys had snapped into place so violently I'd felt it in my chest—his growl of Mate still rang in my ears.
We didn't have time for mates right now. Not when mine had vanished.
"I should've told her," I muttered, my voice low.
Rhys looked over sharply. "What?"
