Three days.
It had been three days since Qing Lin had watched Xin Yi walk back toward wolf territory.
Three days of traveling back to Azure Scale with an emptiness in his chest that felt like it was eating him alive.
Kuan Tie walked beside him. Silent. Somber. His usual cheerful energy gone.
Huo Gen was in his tiger form, carrying supplies. Also silent.
Yue Ling brought up the rear. Her purple eyes sad. Guilty.
They were all quiet.
Because what was there to say?
They had failed.
They had gone to wolf territory for medicine. For a cure. For Xin Yi's survival.
And they were returning without her.
Qing Lin's hands clenched into fists. His claws extended slightly, cutting into his palms, but he did not care.
The wolves had taken her.
TAKEN her.
His female. His mate. His Xin Yi. And he had been powerless to stop it.
The rage that had been simmering in his chest for three days was reaching a boiling point. He wanted to destroy something. Burn something. Kill something.
