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the important parts and only a shell remained.
Anger burned through his veins. How could Friln die on him? They were supposed to
be together for centuries. But no, Friln had to go and be the hero. Typical.
Trees surrounded him on all sides. The Great Forest of Nilre lay to the east just outside
the castle walls. The woods covered a good third of the planet s surface, an excellent haven
for a group of big cat shifters.
Nelrin had never been in the forest so deeply before. His family had been city Thresls
and rarely left the castle proper. Deciding to stop and take a break, Nelrin examined the tree
closest to him. Taking a good estimate of the distance, Nelrin leapt for the lower branch. He
dug in his claws to regain his balance. Large leaves provided cool shadowy pools of comfort
for his weary muscles. Unused to running on four legs instead of two, he shook with
exhaustion while his legs were like rubber bands. Choosing a fat tree limb, Nelrin settled on
the thick branch. With his mind blank and grappling with sorrow, he lay his head down on
his paws.
Could he truly live without a bond? Did he even want to? He d never suspected they
might not die at the same time. He d always planned to leave the world beside his mate.
Nelrin closed his eyes. Maybe when he woke up he would discover it had been nothing but a
horrible dream. After ten years, his paws were like foreign objects to him, as if they belonged
on another creature. His whiskers tickled and made him sneeze, and although he liked being
able to flick his tail, it caught on a branch and took a moment to unwind.
Friln.
By habit, he reached mentally for his lover only to hit a wall of nothingness. Nelrin
threw back his head and roared out his despair. He didn t care if other animals heard him.
Everyone should hear his cry and know his heart was gone.
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BONDED BROKEN Amber Kell
30
Eventually, he d have to go and claim Friln s body and make sure his lover received the
attention he deserved. Sometimes Nelrin had wondered if maybe Friln would ve chosen a
different path if he hadn t been mated with him. Friln had been an excellent soldier, but he d
never really enjoyed the hunt.
The wind rushed through the trees, a soothing concert by nature s music. No birds
sang, probably sensing a larger predator in their midst. His roar probably hadn t helped the
matter.
Soaked in sorrow, Nelrin slid into a half sleep. He was hovering on the verge of full
unconsciousness when a footstep broke through his reverie.
Strange. He hadn t expected any humans in this part of the forest. His sensitive nose
revealed they were full humans, not Thresl or half-Thresl. Peeking through the foliage,
Nelrin watched as a man and a woman traipsed through the greenery with the clumsiness of
people who had absolutely no idea how to hunt anything. They didn t even try to hide
their presence. Nelrin wondered why they were there. Neither human wore clothes
conducive to a forest tromp. The woman had on short heels and a dress, and the man wore
casual business attire. Either of them could ve stepped straight from an office environment
except for the lab coat draped over the woman s outfit and the long rifle the man clumsily
carried as if he wasn t used to the burden.
 I know what I heard, the woman snapped at her companion. She brushed back a
strand of blue-black hair that had escaped her bun. A scowl marred her sharp features as she
swept the area for something. Some might have called her pretty if they liked the skinny,
commanding type.
 I don t see anything, her companion replied. The guy had on a sun hat and all brown
clothing as if he thought he would blend in with the dirt and somehow become invisible.
Curious, Nelrin watched their stomping rampage through the brush.
 I m telling you a Thresl came this way, the woman insisted.
 Fine, then where did it go? The man s temper had apparently snapped. Nelrin
wondered how long they d been walking around. Where had they come from?
As far as he knew, this particular property belonged to the king and didn t have any
housing or offices nearby. Vohne would be interested to know about this pair, especially if
they were hunting Thresls.
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BONDED BROKEN Amber Kell
31
Nelrin wrapped his tail around the branch to keep his balance as he watched them
argue.
 It s around here somewhere. We have to find it. Since the king cracked down on [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]