I climbed out of the icy water as quickly as I could, my teeth chattering from the cold. With no other option, I slipped into the damp clothes, shivering as the wet fabric clung to my skin. The chill was uncomfortable, but I couldn’t afford to waste time drying off.
Grabbing what was left of the soap, I ran back to the cave, my heart pounding with a mixture of worry and hope. Maybe he’d returned while I was at the river. Maybe he was waiting for me, resting like he was supposed to.
But when I arrived, the cave was empty.
My stomach tightened. His absence didn’t make sense. With an injury like his, fresh blood could only mean trouble, and the thought of him wandering in his condition left me uneasy. Worse still, if he had gone hunting, it might mean he’d pushed himself beyond his limits—
