Chapter 339: Chapter 339

Tears lined my cheeks as I watched him sleep, and I didn’t even know when I fell asleep.

*** ******

The pale dawn rays creeping through the curtains stirred me awake, my hand instinctively reaching for Dane’s warmth. My hand touched a cool, empty sheet, and that realization jolted met fully awake. “Dane?” I called softly, sitting up and scanning the room. The silence was unnerving.

Putting on my robe, I ran to the door, my heart racing. The packhouse was abuzz with energy, a chaotic mix of shouts and hurried steps. My unease only deepened as I entered the hall.

“Where’s Dane?” I asked the first guard I saw.

The guard, wide–eyed and tense, stuttered, “I don’t know, Luna. But something’s happening near the main gates.”

Before I could press for details, a loud voice boomed from below. “Luna! Get down here!”

I ran down the stairs, my mind racing with possibilities. At the bottom of the stairs, Rowan was waiting, his face pale but determined. “It’s Dane,” he said, his grip tight on my arm.

My stomach churned. “What do you mean? Where is he?”

He moved his head toward the gates, where a small crowd had gathered. “He’s not in the packhouse, and there’s been activity. The guards spotted something.”

I pushed my way past him, heart racing. Outside, the morning,

was clean, the type of crisp that should’ve cleared heads but only cemented the feeling of foreboding. Trajan met me halfway, his face somber.

“What’s happening?” I asked.

Trajan sighed deeply. “The gates were open with a crack this morning. One of the guards swore he saw Dane heading out before dawn, but…”

My breath caught. “But what?”

Rowan came forward with a small piece of crumpled paper in his hand. “We found this near the gate. It’s from him.”

I jerked it from his hand; my fingers were shaking as I unfolded it. The scrawled words froze my blood: I can’t let this go on. I’ll find a way for myself.

“What does he mean?” I whispered, clenching the note.

“He’s gone,” Trajan said in a low voice.

“No,” I said decisively, my head shaking. “He’s too weak, he won’t survive out there!”

Rowan set a steadying hand on my shoulder. “Luna, what are we going to do?”

My voice was barely above a whisper, yet it carried the weight of that resolution. “We find him. Now.”