While instinct has a hand in it, it’s more than that. The need to keep her in my life is so strong because it’s her. Even with the anger, the stubbornness, and all the ways she pushes against me…I can’t just let that go.
I want all of it, and I want her completely. Not some version of her that fits more easily into my life, reshaped to make things simpler. I want her exactly the way she is, both the girl who used to spill her guts to me just because I listened, and the woman who has had to be strong for far too long.
The bond hums faintly in response, letting me know it’s still there and very much real. So long as I can fix this, it won’t go anywhere.
A rush of something panicked and strained tugs inside my mind, startling me out of my thoughts. I sit up straighter and try to focus, feeling as it grabs at me in a way it never has before.
Then, I hear her in my mind.
Zane.
That’s it. Just my name.
Without warning, the bond goes perfectly still, like a connection dropping, and I freeze. What the hell was that?
My head tilts slightly, focus snapping inward as I search for any lingering trace.
Naia.
After a beat, I hear nothing, and I frown. That’s not right.
Even when she’s angry and trying to push me away, the bond is still there. Still present and alive in a way that I can feel constantly.
But this feels like a wall, as if that connection never existed.
I push up from my chair.Naia?
Reaching for her again, more deliberately this time, I cut through the silence, but there’s still nothing. Not even a flicker of recognition. It’s just blank and cold.
My chest tightens instantly, and I push harder, forcing it out of desperation. The tether strains and wavers from my end, but nothing responds from the other end.
It doesn’t connect.
Something’s wrong…very, very wrong.
Before the thought fully forms, I’m already moving for the door.
“Zeke!”
My voice carries loud and urgent across the yard, and before long, footsteps answer almost immediately.
Zeke appears first, followed by Hunter and Dominic, not far behind. “What’s going on?”
“Naia’s gone quiet,” I manage to get out, hurrying down the front steps. “Something happened.”
Zeke’s expression shifts instantly, since he knows my tells by now. “Quiet how?”
“The bond,” I snap, struggling to keep my urgency and worry in check. “She’s not responding. It’s like she’s gone dark.”
Dominic’s brows furrow. “That’s not good.”
“No,” I agree tightly. “It’s not. We need to find her.”
Hunter glances toward the tree line. “Where did she go when it happened?”
“She went for a walk, but she said she would be right back.”
Zeke exhales and seems to mentally get himself in gear. “Alright. Then we don’t waste time.”
