Chapter 64: Failure (3)
Was Atia hunting for her? Did Aiyana not guard Nova as he instructed?
Even if he was not their guardian, Yoa trusted Aiyana to push aside her dislike for Nova and do this for him. He’d been there for her when she pursued another beast, even when he could tell the Apatka was trouble. Yoa shook his head, disregarding that negative thought process. Aiyana may have been opposed to Nova from the moment she laid eyes on her, but she wasn’t spiteful or cruel.
It wasn’t the way of the warrior.
Yoa stopped pacing. He took a deep, steadying breath, slowly retracting his claws from the earth. He focused on Nova’s scent again and followed it to a tree, leaping onto a branch. His nose dropped to the bark, eyes closing as he inhaled deeply, letting her scent wind through his senses like smoke, calming the wild edge of his thoughts momentarily.
Nova had rested here. Gone was the warmth her body had provided the wood. Then he caught it. Another scent. Twisted into hers like a stain.
His eyes snapped open, molten gold swirling with red as the beast awakened and surged forward with a taste to spill blood. A guttural snarl tore from his throat, building into a thunderous roar that shook the trees and scattered sleeping birds into the sky. The jungle fell still. The beast didn’t just rage—it claimed. Possessively. Primally.
Vulcan had taken his girl.
In the midst of his outrage, his ire whipped to the side at the sound of others daring to approach this area. His shoulders straightened at the two jaguars bursting through the bushes, eyes wide in panic. Their eyes snapped up to meet Yoa’s, still feeling the earth vibrating beneath their paws from his outburst that had chilled the jungle into an eerie hush.
Atia and Aiyana felt small as Yoa’s imposing and striking black form stood tall on all fours, positioned above them, precisely where Nova had last been seen. His eyes seared into them, pinning them in place, dragging the seconds into something unbearable. The silence between them was suffocating, so heavy, it made the vast jungle feel like it was closing in around them, the trees shrinking, the air thickening under the weight of his impenetrable gaze.
Atia shifted into his human form on the spot, hands parting in apology, eyes remorseful as he stepped forward. But the words died on his tongue as Yoa turned his head away, silently dismissing them. He had no interest in hearing an apology, only in getting Nova back.