Somehow Esme managed another two days without leaving the palace. Einar and Marcus distracted her with training, making her too exhausted to worry about Gabriel. Yet, there was a moment that caught her off guard, and Marcus' clawed fist scratched her face. But Esme did not so much as flinch at the pain. What had caught her attention and was more important than a measly scratch was that her mate was injured.
At the time, Marcus and Einar floundered over her bloodied cheek, believing her shocked features to be over the claw mark. Esme waved them off, focusing on Gabriel's well-being, but within minutes, he was fine; all the while, he remained calm. She was hit with instant relief. But that moment where his injuries screamed through the mate bond, and her body felt the same pain he was in shook her to her core. Gabriel always seemed invincible, so what could he have possibly been doing to be injured in such a way?