The mate bond throbbed painfully. My wolf paced restlessly inside me, whining at the sight of our mate enduring the storm like a repentant sinner. I tried to turn away. Tried to focus on the reports in front of me.
I lasted ten minutes.
With a frustrated sigh, I pushed back from my desk. I walked out of the office, my star mark glowing softly as I summoned a faint, invisible canopy of lunar energy above my head, shielding me from the heavy rain.
The walk to the gate felt endless. Guards bowed as I passed, their whispers dying instantly. When I reached the reinforced gate, I stopped a few feet away from the bars.
“Open it,” I ordered quietly.
The guards hesitated only a second before obeying. The heavy metal gates creaked open.
Matteo lifted his head. Rain poured down his face, but h
