Page 41 of Blood, Shadow & Claw

Raylene wasn’t a good mother to the cub; I told her as much. I’d planned on asking Mazie if the child could come and stay with us. I didn’t know how she felt about children, but somehow, I couldn’t imagine someone with a heart as big as Mazie’s ever letting a child go through the things she’d survived.

Maybe I was too late? God, please don’t let it be too late.

"Kayla!" My growl tore from the depths of my throat, slicing through the silence of the woods. It wasn't just a call but a command that willed her to be okay, respond, and be strong enough.

There. A crumpled form at the base of a tree, mousy brown hair spilling over the forest floor like a dark halo in the moonlight. I dropped to my knees beside her, my heart thudding against my ribcage as if trying to escape the confines of my flesh.

"Kayla," I whispered, softer this time, as I gently turned her face towards me. Her eyes fluttered open, big and pain-filled, grounding me in their depth.

"Help... Mazie," she breathed out, her voice barely audible.

My heart stopped.

“What’s wrong with Mazie?” I demanded, louder than I’d intended.

“She’s gone,” Kayla rasped as I scooped her up, her slender frame light in my arms, yet her well-being heavy on my soul. I ran back to the pack house as quickly as my supernatural abilities would take me. As I carried her, I could feel the warmth of her breath against my neck, a silent reminder of the life that clung tenuously within her.

The packed house loomed into view. My mind raced with questions, none louder than the ones about Mazie, the woman who had crash-landed into my life with her innocent smile and haunted eyes. I couldn’t live without her. Why hadn’t I told her how much she meant to me? Had I ever told her I loved her?

Thoughts raced through my mind as several of the pack ran to greet us.

“What?” Eva cut off, her hand over her mouth. “Is she okay?”

I nodded and passed the child to her arms.

"Stay with her, Kayla," I murmured hurriedly. “Get Kyle to help you. I don’t know the extent of her injuries.”

Kyle met us at the door, his deep brown eyes widening with alarm.

"Ajax, what happened?"

"Take care of her," I said, ready to turn around and search for Mazie. A quick look at the drive told me she’d taken her car.

"Wait—" Eva called out. “Where is Mazie? What’s going on?”

“I don’t know,” I bit out. I raced to our room to see if her things were still where she’d left them. Her side of the closet was empty, a hollow echo of her absence. I scanned the space, my eyes landing on a folded paper on the pillow. Unfolding it, I read the words scrawled in haste, each letter igniting a spark of dread within me.

Each word was a dagger to my heart. Mazie thought we’d been growing apart… that I didn’t trust her…, that I didn’t need her. She couldn’t have been further from the truth. I’d been trying to spare her all the ugly details, and in doing so, I’d inadvertently shut her out. That had never been my intention. I was a fool.

"I can't stay and put everyone in danger. I'm sorry. -Mazie"

"Damn it, Mazie," I cursed under my breath. She didn't understand. It wasn't her presence that endangered us—it was her absence that would tear us apart.

"Kyle, Eva," I barked, already moving with purpose. "Watch over Kayla. I have to go after her."

"Be careful," Kyle said, his healer's hands steady but his eyes revealing his concern for us all.

I nodded, stepping into the darkness again, the cool air wrapping around me like a cloak. The loneliness of the night mirrored the hollow ache inside me. The realization that every second wasted widened the gap between Mazie and safety. The search for belonging, hers and mine, had led us down a path of thorns and uncertainty.

But if there were even the slightest chance I could bring her back to where she belonged—with us—I would face any peril becauseMazie Green had stolen my heart, soul, and reason for living somewhere along the line without my permission.

She had become a vital part of me.

The wind howled against the mountainside, a mournful echo of my turmoil. I kept moving through the dense forest, my senses on high alert. Since the moment I'd found that damned note, a piece of my soul had splintered away, lost in the wilderness along with Mazie. The night was a blur of shadows and whispered fears, but my determination burned fierce and unyielding.

The icy grip of terror clawed at my chest. The stark image of her captured, scared, and alone flooded my mind. She was not just a pack member. I should have told her. I should have made sure she understood. Mazie made all of us better. She was the missing piece we never knew we needed. Her laughter, warmth, strength of vulnerability... she had changed us all. And I had failed her by trying to protect her from the truth, from the horror lurking beneath the surface of our lives.

The trees rustled as if whispering secrets while I pushed forward, driven by a relentless force. Mazie has nowhere to go. She’d let the lease go in with her little cottage, and I knew she had little money in the bank.

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