I stumble through the dense underbrush, my heart pounding in my chest as sweat trickles down my back. The jungle is alive with noise: the cacophony of unseen creatures, the rustling of leaves, and the faint, distant roar of something I can't quite identify. The air is thick and humid, making it hard to breathe and even harder to focus.
The mate bond, which was so clear and strong before, now feels like a distant whisper, fading in and out as I move. It’s maddening—one moment I think I’m close, and the next, the connection weakens to almost nothing. The once comforting feeling of Ryder’s presence is now like a flickering flame in a storm.
I push through a curtain of vines, my fingers slipping over the slick, damp leaves. Each step is cautious, my senses straining to pick up any sign of h
