Page 119 of Crave Me

“Show me where he is,” I demanded. “Paint me a picture with stars.”

Not even five minutes had passed from when I’d left Fallon’s side, but it was enough for me to worry about where Vesperus had been taken. I could no longer feel him, my ire too great to sense anything other thanrage.

This concept was new to me, this need to slaughter, to make everyone bleed. But I would destroy this world if it meant finding my mate.

You’ve taken what is mine, Klas. You’ve hurt these people who should be mine, too. You will pay in blood.

“Get your hands off me,” a female voice snapped, drawing my focus to a fuming Fallon. She appeared to be holding her arm but otherwise seemed fine.

I guess that healing spell still works. Or maybe she’s just really hard to kill.

“Glad you’re alive,” I said.

She snorted and hooked her thumb at Nolan. “This idiot shot me in the shoulder.”

“Because I wasn’t trying to kill you,” he muttered.

“And the impact knocked me out,” she added. “Because my night hasn’t been hell enough.”

“You were dragging Nyx along beside you,” Nox told her. “And our orders were to take you down.”

“Actually, they had permission to shoot to kill,” Kaspian clarified flatly. “You’re lucky to be alive.”

Fallon did not appear impressed or amused by their responses. “Fuck all of you.” Her eyes flickered toward me. “Except you.”

I returned my focus to the sky, waiting on my moon to draw me a path. I could feel the energy gathering, obeying my call as I held my moon captive in the sky via my link to its iron core.

It could move subtly to maintain its position along its path, but I refused to allow it to move forward until I was done. Until I found my other half.

“Show me,” I said again. “Where is your new king?” Because that was who Vesperus had become as my mate—a God of Night. Perhaps not with all the same perks and abilities that I maintained, but given the abilities he’d already inherited, I suspected he would only continue to grow.

Because I will find you.

I will save you.

And I will claim you as mine again.

My other half. My fated mate. My future.

Energy hummed in the air, the moon answering my demand with a flurry of stardust. I lifted my hand to catch the essence, allowing it to seep into my skin and fuel my being as I began the process of following the path.

“Should we…?” a male asked. Nolan, maybe. I didn’t glance at him to check.

“Yes,” Kaspian replied.

I assumed they were talking about coming with me. Since they’d obeyed my request tofix Fallon, I didn’t stop them from trailing along behind me.

But if they stepped into my path, I would remove them from it.

Stardust continued to fall, the power soaking into my veins and revitalizing my spirit. I could feel it pulsing through my bond to Vesperus as well, ensuring he had energy tofight.

My mate. Mine.

“Slater,” Kaspian called.

A flurry of feathers whispered through the air, the black wings blending in with the night as the raven shifter touched down a few feet away from us—and fortunately not in front of me. He stood off to the side, his slate-gray eyes observing the stardust as I collected it in my hand.

Vesperus was fond of this mercenary, stating he was his best tracker.