Page 44 of Primal Call

Chapter eighteen

Kyral's heart pounded with joy as he ran.

He'd never felt anything like this before. It was like a fever, a madness that burned through his blood, filling him with a thrilling heat. The treasure was close, so close, and the promise of it sent his senses reeling.

Beside him, Jasper ran, his face alight with excitement. His wavy brown hair streamed out behind him, and his blue eyes were bright. He was so beautiful, so full of life.

For the first time, Kyral had a mate at his side.

A mate. The word echoed through Kyral's mind, sending shivers down his spine. He'd never thought that he would have one, not after he'd been cast out. He'd been resigned to a life of solitude, with only Zee for company.

But now… now he had something else. Something more.

Jasper.

Kyral's heart swelled with the need to claim his real treasure, to keep Jasper safe and happy by his side.

And then, afterwards…

Kyral's blood burned as he thought of the possibilities. A little dwelling for the two of them, far away from everyone else. Surrounded by nothing but nature, with no society to keep them apart.

A bed, big enough for two, with warm furs to roll around in…

Desire and joy and something else that Kyral didn't have a name for all raced through his veins, a heady mix that propelled him forward through the snowy landscape.

He was going to collect his treasure, and he was going to have his mate.

And nothing in the world could stand in his way.

Finally, they reached the spot where the treasure was marked on the map.

Kyral's heart raced with anticipation. But as he scanned the area, his excitement quickly turned to wariness. The valley seemed ordinary, with nothing but rocks, sparse vegetation, and a thin layer of snow covering the ground.

"This can't be right," Jasper murmured, his breath visible in the cold air. "There's nothing here…"

Kyral's eyes narrowed as he surveyed their surroundings. The map had led them here, but the landscape looked untouched by anything other than time and weather. He crouched down, running his fingers through the vegetation and examining the rocks scattered around.

"The treasure was hidden here years ago," Kyral said, more to himself than to Jasper. "It won't be in plain sight."

"But we don't have time to dig up the whole valley… Not with everyone else running around." Jasper narrowed his eyes. "So… how? How can we tell where it is?"

"We need to find something out of place. Something that doesn't belong."

The environment was a mix of jagged rocks and hardy vegetation that managed to cling to life in the cold climate. A few twisted trees dotted the landscape, their bare branches reaching towards the sky like skeletal fingers.

Kyral's eyes scanned for anything unusual — patterns in the rocks, disturbances in the soil — but nothing stood out at first glance. His frustration grew with each passing minute.

Maybe they were never going to find it.

Maybe it had never been here in the first place.

Maybe Kyral had staked all his hopes on a lie…

"Kyral," Jasper called softly.

Kyral looked over. Jasper was looking at a couple of lichen-crusted rocks.

And on one of them, the lichen was growing on the wrong side.

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