A Primal Passion - A Night's Mate| Book One

Chapter Seventeen- The Unburdening of Snow

Not Edited

(Almost done with this novel, what species would you like to read about as a mate next?)

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Sinclair woke sometime late at night or early morning. He was disoriented at first, the lightening outside like a strobe light against the darkness. The thunder shook the ground and Sinclair felt it would frighten Josephine.

Reaching over to pull his mate towards him again he was met with the emptiness of a cold bed that had just the resonance of warmth from where a person once lay.

Springing up, Sinclair leaped from the bed in a frantic panic. Josephine was missing, slipped right from his arms. Had Maximus returned from the dead? Was there a new threat longing to get even with Sinclair? What a failure Sinclair was.

The slightest movement from outside the window caught his eye. A white, blue blur was moving through the darkness towards the trees. Sinclair recognized it as Josephine immediately. She was up and moving, through a storm. Her nightgown was billowing in the wind, her hair flailing out wickedly behind her. She seemed to be in a trance.

Sinclair wasted no time in hurdling down the steps in a hurry. Josie was nowhere to be seen when he got outside, but he could smell her. She was dangerously close, but the rain was washing her trail away frighteningly quick.

Using his nose, Sinclair raced the fading smell. He whipped through the trees, through the brush, over fallen logs and branches, he could tell she was close. Just around the corner.

Josephine stood on the edge of a steep cliff, below was a rock quarry a couple of hundred of feet down. She was standing, completely soaked and shivering. A gnarly scar raked over the cheek which Maximus had gashed. She looked distraught, the most emotion Sinclair had ever seen was embedded on her face. Sinclair felt his heart seize in his chest, she looked like the wind would push her over.

"Josephine..."

"I'm not going to jump," She said and looked back at the rock quarry in confusion. Her first words in almost three weeks. "I didn't even know this was here."

"Come away from the edge, little doe." He said and carefully edged closer to her, hand outstretched. She looked over her shoulder, eyes glossy, lips swollen from crying, the scar was pink against her pale flesh.

She stepped away from the ledge and Sinclair was able to breath once again. Wrapping his arms around her shoulder Sinclair led her to a dry patch on a log under an old Willow tree. Her shoulders caved in around her as she brought her chest down to her knees. So tiny and frail, she looked about ready to break.

"Josephine, what happened?" Was all Sinclair could think of asking. "Why are you out of bed?"

Josie leaned against him, her body was like ice as she shivered uncontrollably. Sinclair grabbed her, carrying her against his chest as he began to walk briskly back to the palace. He could feel her struggling to come up with words. What had happened?

"That's okay, little doe," He whispered and smoothed her hair. "That's okay now, no need to fret your head, my bonnie lass."

She hummed against his skin and mumbled, "You're so warm."

Sinclair smoothed the hair on the back of her head. Her skin was cold and clammy and she looked somewhat confused. Like she wasn't sure where she was or how she'd gotten there. Looking up, Josephine made hesitant eye contact with Sinclair. She kept her mouth and nuzzled back into his neck.

Sinclair ran a warm bath, all while clutching his mate to him like a child. After the bath was warm and filled with bubble, Sinclair carefully stripped Josie down to her underwear and sports bra, leaving the undergarments on for her modesty.