Page 143

R osana woke in time to hear the outside door shut. She blinked groggily—then sprang out of bed, snatching up her clothes.

Everybody leaves.

But Adric hadn’t just left, he’d cut the connection to her. She’d felt the mate bond last night—a few fragile, delicate strands—but now it was gone.

Pain slashed her. She curled into herself, arms wrapped around her waist.

She was six again, begging her mama and papai to take her with them.

Ula had taken Rosana’s face between her hands. “I’m sorry, love. We’re traveling as our dolphins. You’re too young—you couldn’t keep up with us.”

Her lower lip had trembled. “Please, Mama. I’m fast. I swear I am. I’m the fastest girl in the creche. See?” She dashed from one side of the sala to the other, then grinned up at her mom, triumphant.

“Oh, alanna . I love you. But not this time.” Ula’s eyes swam with tears.

“No!” Rosana hollered and clamped onto her mom’s leg like a limpet.

Her father had had to pry her off. “Hey, now, bonita . We need you to be a brave girl, okay? No crying. I want your promise.”

He waited until Rosana gave a tearful nod, then handed her to a grim-faced Isa, ignoring her panicked attempts to scramble out of the nurse’s arms back to Ula.

“Keep her here,” he commanded.

“ Sim , Senhor Nisio.” Isa held the sobbing girl in a gentle but unbreakable grip. Ula cast her a last, sorrowful look, and then the door shut behind the alpha couple.

“Mama!” Rosana let out a heartbroken wail and then shoved her fist in her mouth, because she’d promised not to cry. It had been months before she’d spoken again.

Now she hugged herself harder. Biting her lip so hard it bled.

She’d been left behind. Again.

She dragged the amethyst pendant off her head. Goddess, she was an idiot. She’d actually thought it was Adric’s way of saying he loved her. Or at least, that he wanted her, wished things were different.

Hot tears stung her eyes. She went to fling the pendant across the bedroom—and then hesitated, unable to do it.

Everybody leaves.

Her fingers tightened around the chunk of purple quartz. Not this time.

Dropping the pendant back over her head, she hurriedly donned a fresh shirt and pants and shoved everything else into her backpack before sprinting barefoot up the stairs.

A wet snow covered the grass with more flakes drifting down. She peered around the side of the house as Adric wheeled a black motorcycle down the short driveway.

She dashed to the shed, jerked on the quartz handle.

Locked.

With a muttered curse, she dragged a boot from her backpack and hammered the handle with the heel.

Adric sent a startled glance over his shoulder. For a long moment, they stared at each other.

She took a step toward him. “Take me. Please .”

He shook his head, donned his helmet. “The lock will open for you in an hour.” He snapped down a dark visor.

She gave the handle one last thump before looking around for a better tool. Her gaze lit on a rock. She dropped her stuff and lunged for it, but it was larger than it appeared, the bottom two-thirds lodged in the semi-frozen ground.

Adric zoomed off.

Her breath sobbed in. “No, no, no. You can’t leave without me.”

She was never going to catch him, but she clawed at the dirt until the rock loosened. She snatched it up and started to her feet.

Something slammed into her from behind, knocking her to her knees on the snow-covered grass. The rock flew out of her hands.

A man’s rough fingers closed around her throat. A knee shoved into her spine.

She tried to buck him off, but he was bigger, heavier. He easily controlled her.

The blunt fingers tightened. She scrabbled frantically at them but the steady pressure didn’t let up. Squeezing the breath from her.

Black edged her vision. Her hands felt strangely numb.

“ Adric ,” she rasped.

A small, broken sound.

But in her head, it was a scream.

The fingers squeezed harder. The blackness rose up like a rogue wave and sucked her under.