Alvar stopped the instant he saw him.For several long seconds, neither of them moved.The forest seemed to hold its breath.Caierre stood at the edge of the clearing, his massive black form tense beneath the fading evening light. Fresh blood still stained parts of his fur, though much of it had long since dried. His crimson eyes remained fixed on Alvar, but unlike their last encounter, there was no immediate lunge. No savage charge. No murderous snarl.Only conflict.The mate bond pulsed between them, stronger than it had been since the day Alvar rejected it. It carried confusion, relief, fear, and something far heavier that neither of them could put into words.Grant emerged from the trees a heartbeat later, sword already in hand. His eyes found Caierre immediately before sweeping over the surrounding forest.Something wasn't right.He could feel it."So this is where you've been," Grant muttered, though his attention never left the trees around them.Alvar barely heard him.His gaz
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