Total pages in book: 144
Estimated words: 137871 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 689(@200wpm)___ 551(@250wpm)___ 460(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 137871 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 689(@200wpm)___ 551(@250wpm)___ 460(@300wpm)
“She didn’t.” He held out a small piece of paper. “Here. I think this is for you. I found it on the pillow.”
Her heart stopped. Nothing inside of her wanted to read what that letter said. Her head shook, refusing to take it from his hand.
“Read it, Juniper.”
The way he said that made her fear it all the more. That cold little letter could only mean one thing. She was leaving her.
“I don’t want to.”
He grabbed her hand and stuffed the note into her palm. “You have to.”
Snatching her arm back, she growled at him. He was right, of course, but that didn’t make this any easier.
Her fingers shook as she uncrumpled the paper. Sorrow morphed into anger, as the words blurred across the page.
June,
Please do not hate me. My heart simply could not bear the thought of anything happening to you or Dane.
You asked me to have faith in you, and I do. I have faith that you will recover from this and forget me. I have faith that you will one day love again. I have faith that you will find true happiness because that is everything you deserve.
You showed me what love means, and I love you enough to let you go. It’s my turn to protect you. My turn to love you the way you deserve. If you love me back, as you say, you must do the same and let me go. Do not try to locate me. I do not wish to be found. You need to make a beautiful life for yourself. I’m sorry I could not give it to you. Do not waste your heart on someone like me.
With all of my love,
Adriel
The letter fluttered to the floor, and Juniper’s heart crumbled with it. She was gone.
CHAPTER 25
Bitter wind cut through the stone passageway as Darius pushed open the door. The night air smelled of snow. He predicted several inches by morning. If he wanted to leave, he had to go before his brothers could track him.
Adjusting his pack, he checked his gear one last time. Traveling in wolf form would be easier, but there could be no shape-shifting on this journey. When they were lupine, they were one, and if he shifted, his brothers would track him through their shared mental link. They might even find his mate first.
He couldn’t let that happen.
Since the first ripple of awareness, he sensed her sorrow. She was alone and frightened. He tried to connect but something blocked his efforts. It was as if her mind was locked, not just from him, but the world. If he desired to speak to her, to fully understand what had weighed so heavily on her heart, he needed to do so face-to-face.
Looking back one last time, he sighed. His pack might never welcome him back after this. He was knowingly disobeying his alpha’s orders to do what he, in his heart, felt was right. It was a choice he needed to make.
Was he compromising his loyalty to the pack? Probably. As brothers, they shared unbreakable vows, but what choice did they leave him?
Once Evander forbade Darius to look for her, he left no other option but to gamble the pack’s trust. Darius would simply have to repent and prove his loyalty once he returned, which he had every intention of doing as soon as he claimed his mate.
Crossing the threshold, he entered the dark night and began his long journey. The Scandinavian forest stood still under the cold, piercing gaze of the moon. The branches of the ancient trees twisted like the fingers of forgotten gods, looming over the landscape and casting elongated shadows on the frost-covered ground.
The wind howled through the night, a mournful symphony that echoed the despair in Darius’s heart. It had been several days since he’d caught a glimpse of his mate’s mind. It was as if all the visions were deliberately cut off to purposely hide herself from him.
He tried not to lose his temper to assumptions that fed into distrust. She would explain her secrecy once he found her, and they would address her concerns together, as one.
He trudged through the dense forest, his senses sharp, his muscles taut with determination and desperation. After miles of trekking through the cold, damp night, he began to panic, never feeling any closer to his cause. His steps were aimless as he wandered like a lost drifter, unsure where to go.
Finding his mate was not just a matter of survival. It was a sacred duty, a bond that would ensure the continuation of their line. Yet, despite his efforts, she remained hidden, her mind blocked to him like a ghostly presence he could neither see nor touch.
Shadow-wolves had once thrived, their powerful bloodlines allowing them to live for millennia. But now, they were endangered, their numbers dwindling due to their mates’ elusiveness.