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Wolfaraine lay on his bed, but he wasn't sleeping. A good night's sleep has always been a luxury he was unable to afford for the past few years—you would think that it could never get worse but these past few days are proof that it can.

He does not miss it. His nightmares have only gotten worse.

Maybe he should go back to his study and continue working. It's better than lying around with nothing more than his thoughts for company.

He got up, slipped his legs into his flip-flops, and headed out of his bedroom. He wasn't going to his study, but he had no destination in mind.

The banging headache that has become his daily companion for days now was still there, threatening to split his head into two. It would be a relief if it does succeed.

He managed not to think of her for thirty minutes. That's a new record.

As usual, the thoughts of her were accompanied by an intense feeling of longing and agony that can never be overestimated. And, just as usual, he shoved everything down where they came out from. In a jar deep inside him. He locked the keys, again .

It had taken every ounce of strength and willpower he had in him not to tune in on her for the past few days. It was the most difficult thing he had ever done in a long time.

How is she doing now?

Probably raving mad at him and cursing him six ways to Sunday.

You deserve it. All of it.

Taking a deep breath, he walked through the balcony, the fresh breeze caressing his skin and raising the hair from his nap.

But, it was all for the best.

Keeping deaf ears to that annoying voice of reason and longing at the back of his mind, he started towards Nalaila's room. Recently, he finds himself spending most of his night outside the bars of his sister's room and eventually going to sleep there.

He just got off the stairs when he smelled Alphose from afar, the sound of running footsteps got closer with every passing second, and heard his name being called out in desperation.

His brows furrowed. I thought he'd already gone home? What is he still doing here?

Before he could think about the possible answers to those questions, Alphose was already close to him.

"What is the matter, I thought you went home?"

"Ismena is in danger! She needs your help! "

His face closed up instantly. For a moment, a gut-wrenching pain flickered in his eyes, but it was gone in the blink of an eye replaced by the blazing fires of anger.

"How dare you, Alphose? Do I look like I am in any mood to play that game with you? Get out of my sight and go back to your clan." The rage threaded his tone, giving it a touch of steel.

He turned to leave but a hand held his garment. His claw slipped out immediately, followed by a deep, feral, impulsive urge to go for the throat of the being whose hands touched him.

He twirled around sharply but it was a female holding his garment. A female who was almost unrecognizable with swollen, tear-filled eyes filled with deep sorrow and fear. She let go of him when he turned around and stepped back quickly.

"Kassandra? What are you doing here at this time of the night?" He tried to ask rationally but his voice came out harsh.

"Please, you have to h-help my b-best friend, Alpha King. You have to help Ismena, you have to help, you have to help..." She shook her head miserably, "Oh God, you have to help her..."

The urge came to him so strong like a tidal wave. He fisted his hands, gritted his teeth, and dug into his heels in an effort not to rush out of this hallway, out of the Tower, to the cougar clan.

Because then, all his effort these past few days will be in vain.

He hasn't gotten over her and he no longer thinks about her every five minutes and that is progress.

His chest still burns every damn time but it was no longer a massive throb of pain and that is progress.

His nights are still filled with the crawling need to wrap around her—in her, beside her, over her, and any other way he could get her but it was no longer a crippling need filled with burning pain that made his body fill itchy like he was at the worst stage of trying to get over an addiction and that is progress too.

Liar.

He turned away and continued walking towards Nalaila's room. "You wasted your time coming here, Kassandra. Alphose will lead you to Harhan's house."

"She went into Crave Shock." Alphose didn't shout but they were standing in a hallway and his voice echoed through it.

Alphose watched him stop. No, he didn't stop, he froze.

For a few seconds, silence surrounded them like a heavy, dark cloak filled with tension.

He turned and Alphose was met with deep, blue eyes filled with so much fury, he had a strong impulse to take a step back. But, he stood his ground. This is too important.

"What did you just say to me?"

"Your mate went into Crave Shock fifty-eight minutes ago, Wolfaraine.

" He was calmer than he felt, "I know you probably don't believe me and you want to give in to a part of you that wants to beat me up and tear me to pieces, but please reach into yourself and tune in to Ismena.

I really hope it's not true, I really hope Kassandra was wrong and she's just really sick and nothing else.

But she's convulsing and her skin turned red, and Eline sent her here in panic.

Ismena went into Crave Shock almost an hour ago, Wolfaraine. "

Wolfaraine was breathing hard by the time Alphose was done with his tirade. His first twelve thoughts are that it was impossible. There is no way Ismena will...

There is no way Ismena will go into.. .

Clenching his sweaty palm, he reached into himself, opened that door filled with emotional, crippling pain, and tuned into her. He gritted his teeth to bypass agonizing guilt, the gut-wrenching pain, and found... nothing.

Nothing at all.

No thread of thoughts. No sign of emotions. No indication of feelings. No cue of any sort of reaction. No hint of breathing.

No sign of life. At all.

Alphose had no idea what happened next because they all happened so fast. But knew that Wolfaraine roared.

A very loud roar shook the whole castle and vibrated the whole werewolf clan.

One moment, he'd been staring at the man, the next moment, he was staring at the massive, white wolf who threw its head to the sky and howled again.

The howl of a desperate Alpha. It was a cry of summoning.

His gut clenched and his body shook. All the other alphas all over Naturiah must have heard that cry too.

Kassandra practically turned and flew on top of him when Wolfaraine transformed. He caught her and held her close, patting her back in a reassuring way that he got her.

In wolf form, he ran of out the Castle towards the cougar clan. He howled again.

Alphose tried to keep up but he wasn't surprised that he was lagging behind. Wolfaraine was running at a speed he has never seen before—not even from him .

It was the first time Wolfaraine ever did a Summon Howl. Not even when his father died, he did not summon other Alphas through that howl that indicates the desperation/pain/suffering of an Alpha.

He loves her. Whether he knows it or not, Wolfaraine is in love with his mate.

"I've never seen anyone run l-like that, not man or changeling. Can we keep up with him?" Kassandra asked, worrying her bottom lip.

"Honey, even if I take the cougar form and a concoction herb that enhances agility from Harhan, I won't be able to catch up with him or run past him. Even I, haven't seen that fastness before in my life. But, then again, he is Wolfaraine." He said the last part like it explained everything.

He was worried and it showed. Kassandra was worried, panicked, scared and it showed.

Ismena went into Crave Shock an hour ago, also, for Wolfaraine to tune in to her and react like this, can only mean one thing...