Aaron hadn't left the clinic in three days. He sat in the same chair beside the table where Raven's body lay, refusing every request to eat, sleep or take care of himself.
The healers had wanted to prepare her body for burial, but Aaron wouldn't allow it.
Not yet.
He knew she was dead because the mate bond was gone. He knew there was no bringing her back because death didn't work that way, but leaving her alone in some cold room beneath the palace felt wrong. So he stayed.
Gerald had come by twice to check on him. Ava visited every few hours with food that Aaron never touched.
Even Kaden had stopped in once, though they didn't speak because there was nothing left to say. Everyone thought Aaron was losing his mind by sitting vigil over a corpse.
Maybe he was.
Aaron's clothes were s
