Jay's hand fell as I stared at her beautiful eyes dim.
Silence. She was gone. She was dead. But I didn't move. I was dreaming. I had to be dreaming. This couldn't be happening.
I pulled her closer, my fingers trembling as they tangled in her beautiful white hair, as if holding her tighter could will her back to life, back to me. I held her. My love. My mate. My other half.
The word mate felt like a curse on my tongue now. How many years had I hoped for her, and yet, I barely had her before the Goddess stole her back from me.
Zeke howled inside my skull, the sound sharp and feral, clawing at my synapses until my entire head was stinging in pain, as I started to hyperventilate as I stared down at her.
A floorboard creaked behind me, and my head snapped up, muscles tensing as I spun, i
