Kael paced like a wolf with a broken lead. For days he had searched every road and ruin in the region and Elena was nowhere. He had not slept. He had not eaten. Worry sat on him like an iron cloak.
“Take it easy, Kael,” I said, keeping my voice soft. “You will find her.”
He looked at me, eyes raw with a fear he tried to hide. “For days now, Aria. No trace. I am afraid.”
I breathed slow. He did not know the truth. Rizzo had told me where they had left her. I felt the plan coil in my chest the way a wolf smells rain. I wanted the moment he found her to burn brighter than any revelation.
The phone on the table rang and Kael let it go dark. He answered on the next ring. “What?” he said, voice clipped.
“We found her, Alpha,” the voice said. “Please come to the gate. We
