Echoes of Despair, A Vow of Unity

I woke to sunlight streaming through the curtains and the lingering scent of last night's candles. Stretching lazily, I reached for Kaelen, but my hand found only empty sheets. Still warm. He hadn't been gone long.

"Kae?" I called, sitting up and pulling the sheet around me.

No answer.

I slipped into a t-shirt and shorts, padding barefoot through our apartment. "Kaelen?"

The kitchen light was on, but instead of finding my stern, suit-wearing mate brewing coffee, I found Ronan and Silas huddled at the table, their faces drawn with worry. They looked up when I entered, and something in their expressions made my stomach drop.

"Where's Kaelen?" I asked, immediately sensing something was wrong.

Silas stood up, adjusting his glasses nervously. "Hazel, sit down for a minute."

"No, I don't want to sit down," I said, crossing my arms. "I want to know where Kaelen is."

Ronan's cheeks flushed pink, his usual tell when he was upset or hiding something. "He's... he had to go somewhere."