And now, of all times now, when everything was going to change Valentina had disappeared.
Tomorrow was the Red Moon, the day he was supposed to sleep.
Not an ordinary sleep a sacred rest. One that came only once in many seasons. A deep, spiritual slumber that his bloodline required to maintain balance within him. It was not a choice. It was a law. A curse. A survival mechanism written into his very nature.
And now? Now Valentina was missing.
How was he supposed to sleep peacefully for an entire day, knowing she was out there somewhere with someone he could no longer trust? How was he supposed to close his eyes and surrender himself to fate when the one person he swore to protect was possibly in danger, possibly betrayed by the very people he called family?
Raymond paced the room like a lion in a cage, every breath heavier than the last. His jaw clenched, his chest rising and falling with fury.
