ADAM

It had been four days since I last saw my mate.

Four days since Sage’s presence had filled my senses—her scent, her warmth, her sharp, stubborn energy that always felt like a storm wrapped in silk.

Four days of restraint that felt like torture.

Every hour stretched thin. Every night carved another layer of impatience into my bones. I missed her.

Not in the casual, distant way people missed acquaintances—but in the raw, animal way a bonded soul ached when the other was out of reach.

I wanted her near. Wanted to see her breathing. Wanted to touch her and confirm she was alive, whole, still here.

And the...