“Mara!”
The voice was closer now.
She stumbled into a pair of strong arms. Her forehead hit a warm chest, and she sagged with relief.
Vaelor.
He cupped her face, eyes blazing with fear and fury. She tried to speak, but the tape muffled her words.
He peeled it off gently.
“It was Blaine,” she gasped. “He snuck up on me—dragged me away from our campsite.”
Vaelor grabbed the rope binding her wrists and snapped it like thread. “Did he hurt you?”
“Other than hitting me, tying me up, and taping my mouth shut… I’m fine.”
He pulled her against him, holding her so tightly she could feel his heart pounding. “I am going to hunt him down.”
She clutched him, fingers digging into his back. “Don’t go. I think he wanted to lure you into a trap.”
His jaw clenched. “How did you get away?”
“He didn’t tie my feet. I knocked him down and ran.”
“You’re safe now,” he murmured, voice rough. “I’ve got you.”
She looked up into his eyes—full of concern, fury, and something deeper.
“I know I’m safe,” she whispered. “I’m with you.”
Chapter 40
Vaelor
The moment Vaelor opened his eyes, he knew something was wrong.
The tent was too quiet.
Too still.
Too empty.
The bedding beside him was cold.
A sharp, primal jolt shot through his chest, sudden and violent it stole his breath. Mara should have been back by now. She had said she would only be gone for a moment. He had closed his eyes for what felt like a heartbeat.
But she was gone.
His pulse spiked. His senses sharpened painfully, every instinct roaring awake. He sat up so fast the tent rustled around him. The fire outside had burned low, casting long shadows across the clearing.
“Mara?” he called softly.
No answer.
The silence hit him like a blow.
He stepped out of the tent, scanning the clearing. Her footprints were faint in the snow, leading toward the ice forest. But there were no returning tracks.
