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The hunter is standing just inside the tree line, keeping himself covered in darkness the forest creates with its umbrella of branches and leaves.

Leo becomes curious too. He always is when it comes to what I’m staring at. His movement gets me to move, lifting each boot from the mud. I run as fast as I can, using my speed from my vampire. Glenn and Soren are right behind me, sensing the danger.

My sweet mate turns around, and right as I’m within jumping distance to pull him out of harm’s way, the arrow slices its way through his chest.

He struggles to breathe. His gasps and chokes break me. He sways on his feet, managing to turn around to look at me.

“Leo!” I roar as loud as I can. Until my throat hurts. Until I taste my own blood.

I wrap my arms around his waist, catching him as he falls.

“Leo? Leo, Honeybee. Can you hear me? Can you talk?”

Blood tints his mouth. The beautiful gap I love so much is poisoned in red.

He tries, but all that comes out is a struggled choke.

“Shh. Shh. Don’t talk. You’ll be okay. You’ll be fine. You have to be fine.” I push his hair out of his face, kissing his forehead. “No. No. No. Anyone but you. Anyone. I just got you. Please.”

Glenn and Soren don’t wait for me. They go on a hunt for the man who dared to try to kill my mate.

I don’t know what to do.

My hands shake. I can’t breathe.

A tear drips from his lower lash line, and that’s when I remember my own tears. My blood. I can heal him. I have that power.

I’m careful as I pick him up, tucking my arms under his body and lifting him. He’s limp. His heartbeat is slow. If I want to save him, I don’t have a lot of time.

“It’s okay, Beloved. I have you. I have you.” It isn’t safe out here. Not out in the open. The hunter can come back.

“Alas-ka.”

“Shhh. Honeybee, save your energy. You’ll be okay.” My mind races and my body moves on instinct.

I sprint to the cabin, my body weak and thirsty from how much energy I’ve spent in the last few hours. I need blood. I need his blood, and I can fucking smell it on his shirt, dripping onto his skin.

Naturally, my fangs lower, my eyes shift, but I’d never hurt him. Not while he’s like this. Not while he is dying.

I kick the door in, and it slams against the wall, wood splintering and flying through the air as the force rips the trim off.

“Honeybee? Leo, look at me, Beloved. Look at me.” God, he looks so fucking pale.

I only have a few more minutes until I lose my mate forever.

He groans, his eyes barely opening. His skin is clammy, blood soaks the front of his shirt, and I rip it off, tears flowing down my face, drip after drip. Those no hiding my panic. I can’t be calm under this pressure.

This is my fucking mate. My mate!

“Alaska.” Soren’s hand falls onto the shaking one.

I didn’t even hear them come in.

“Did you find him?” I yell, wrapping my hand around the arrow before I lay him down on the kitchen island.

“No. He disappeared,” Glenn reluctantly answers. “He left no trail. No scent. No evidence.”

“He shot my mate!” I roar. Soren helps me pull the arrow from Leo’s body because I can’t count on myself to be steady enough.