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CHAPTER ONE

Drak

The longer Omaera put off our mating, the more and more painful the Mate’s Ache was going to get. Howar said as much, but even if he hadn’t, I was experiencing the agony firsthand.

Raver and I stepped outside to take a call with Howar and let him know what went down with Lerris. He didn’t seem nearly as shocked as I expected him to be.

Even though we all speculated that it was Lerris behind the killing of Delia Refera, Omaera’s aunt, I knew Omaera was still surprised that it was the truth. We’d all been surprised.

But Howar remained alarmingly calm.

Even Raver and I glanced at each other when the Vampire King simply said, “Hmm. Yes.”

“Any news on the vampire killings?” Raver asked. “I needed to get Drak and his mate into hiding, but I am at your disposal, Your Majesty.”

“Nothing new,” Howar said. “It has been quiet over the last few days—thankfully. I would still like you here though, Raver. With Drak on the West Coast and a mate to court, I need a new head of security.”

“Of course, Your Majesty.”

“How goes the courting, Drak?” Howar asked, directing his question to me. “Is she still bleeding?”

I cleared my throat. “It’s, uh … it’s a slow process. She is very … strongly opinionated and stubborn.”

“Have you told her about the Mate’s Ache?”

“I have not.”

The King scoffed. “You’re too noble for your own good. Tell her. Maybe then she’ll feel guilty about putting you in constant pain and agree to bond with you.”

The last thing I wanted was for Omaera to mate me because she pitied me. Our relationship was already contentious enough without adding a pity bond to it. Not to mention, the Fates wouldn’t allow such a mating to take place, anyway. If her heart wasn’t in it, we wouldn’t bond.

I clutched at my chest as a sharp pain speared between my ribs. Raver’s dark-blue eyes went wide with concern. I shook my head to dismiss him. Omaera was no longer in the house, and she was moving further away from me. Far enough away that my body didn’t like it.

“Talk some sense into him before you get here, Raver,” the King said blandly. “Or tell her about the Mate’s Ache yourself, if Drak has too much decency or whatever to do it. They need to mate or soon she won’t even be able to be in a different room before he’s writhing on the floor in agony.”

Raver’s brows rose as he appealed to me to heed the King.

I gritted my teeth and shook my head stiffly. Not going to happen.

“Let me know when you’re back in the city and I’ll organize a flight for you,” Howar said to Raver. “And send me the coordinates of the safe house they’re at so I can keep tabs on my stubborn cousin and our new queen.”

“I will,” Raver replied.

“Good, good. I’m glad all are well. It’s too bad Lerris got away, but we’ll put out a realm-wide BOLO for him. He won’t be able to hide for long.”

I could merely grunt now. The pain from Omaera’s growing distance was debilitating.

“Chat soon, Your Majesty,” Raver said.

“All right. Goodbye.”

Raver hung up his phone and turned to me. “What’s wrong?”

“She’s … she’s not in the house,” I said with a grimace, turning back toward the healer-mage. I could feel Omaera was no longer in Melissima’s house, which was where we were all staying.

Raver’s eyes went from concerned to panicked. He left me standing next to the box truck he brought us all there in and ran back into the house. I stumbled after him.

“Where is she?” he asked. “Where is the bear?”