Caleb trembled like a dry leaf. He leaned against the wall and pressed his forearm to his head. How could fate be so cruel to him? Was there no respite for him?

"No, not possible," he choked and buried his face in his hands. He was torn between his ache for his love and for the crazy attraction he felt for the girl inside. He watched his reflection in the glass wall on the opposite side and found himself riled with fierce emotion. His wolf wanted to rip out of his body and run in the jungles. His sadness consumed him.

​​

Mates wither away and die… One follows the other…

He hadn't even talked to her, hadn't even felt her, hadn't even savored her… His life was so complicated.

It started raining outside. To cool down his flushed body, Caleb walked out and then sprinted across the fields to reach the outskirts of Falshire forests. He was so repulsed by his situation. He kneeled on the ground and looked up at the sky. A growl that had choked in his chest came out as a roar and after a long time the dam that had formed inside, broke loose. Caleb cried and howled. Rain pelted on his face drowning the tears that streamed on his face. His pants became muddy.

An hour later Caleb was back in the hospital. He called Daryn.

"I am coming home with my mate. She is terminally ill."

He disconnected the call and now he had to think of a way to take her back with him to Bainsburgh. Worse come worse, he would abduct her and take her away. All he wanted to was to spend those last few months with her and then he would follow her in death.

---

"What are you going to do?" Dawn asked as she sat on the sofa. Her knees fell wobbly.

Daryn sat right next to her. "I don't know baby…" his voice trailed off as he tried to think of the repercussions of the news. He had a sweat line on his brows. They all knew what was the fate of the mates if any one of them died. Just a few days back they were all so happy when Caleb had informed them that he had found his mate and now… despair was there in the atmosphere.

"Ask him to get her here. If Caleb wants we can help her. Why don't you go over to Yorkshire and bring them here. I am sure he needs all the help in the world," Dawn suggested taking his hand in hers.

Daryn pressed his lips and turned his gaze away. He wanted to stay with Dawn but Caleb also needed his support. "Okay let me talk to him."

"We must form a plan as soon as possible Daryn," said Neal. "If you want to go, you should go within a few days. If you wish, I can also go."

He nodded. "Let me first talk to him. I don't want to rush things."

After they planned out a tentative plan, Neal left. Daryn and Dawn retired to their bedroom after having dinner. As Daryn settled in the bed, he said, "I feel terrible for Caleb. Is their no way we can save his mate?"

"If she is terminally ill, then how will you?" she asked, resting her head over his arm. She wrapped one arm over his chest.

He pinched the bridge of his nose with his finger and thumb. "I don't know. Let's see if Canton has an answer."

"What kind of disease does she have?" she asked.

"He didn't say." And that was odd. "Do you think I should ask him that?"

"No," she shook her head. "Because she is on the last stage of her life. How would mentioning her condition change it?" She looked up at her husband. "But who is the girl? Did he send her photo to you or what is her name?"

"Nothing! Caleb chooses to remain quiet."

"Hmm. why is he acting so weird?"

"Don't worry much darling," said Daryn. "Take care of your health." Suddenly he felt so protective and emotional about Dawn that he pulled her closer to him.

In the morning when she woke up, she found that he had already left for the office. There was a small note on the side.

[I will talk to you later.]

She understood that he must have been finding out about his brother, so she went alone to the office. She didn't call him else he would get distracted. As usual her meetings started and she didn't know how the time flew. It was towards the end of the day when she looked at her phone for the fiftieth time to see whether Daryn had called or not, when she got a message from her doctor. She had to go for a checkup the next day.

Everybody at the office was winding up and she thought she would call Daryn, when her phone buzzed. It was a call from the receptionist.

"Ma'am, there's a call from the Wyatt's Golf Course. There has been a fire over there and the firemen have already rushed over there to douse the fire."

"What?" Dawn's hands started trembling. "What are you saying?" The purse in her hand dropped on the floor as its contents scattered around. Her heart dropped to her stomach.

Just then the office door opened and Lily Wyatt entered. Her face was ashen white. "Did you hear the news?" she asked. She was trembling like a flickering flame of a candle. She sat on the nearest sofa.

Dawn opened the door and called her secretary inside. She went to sit with her Grandmother and stroked her back gently. "We have insurance covered for it."

Lily didn't answer. Her lips trembled.

"Do you suspect anyone?" she asked slowly.

Lily shook her head. "Luke had created the course with so much love for— for—" A sob escaped and she broke down. "For you and Cole."

Dawn's mouth fell open. She never knew that her father had created it for his two children.

"He had hoped that Cole and you would play but everything changed—" she wanted to add 'when he died'.

"I will see to it Grandmother," Dawn reassured her. Even though the place was insured, it was a huge loss. Who the hell could have done it?

Her phone buzzed again and Daryn was on the line. She picked it up and walked out of the office leaving Lily with her secretary, Cara. "Oh my God baby! I just heard about the golf course! How did it happen?"

"I don't know Daryn," she said. "I have to go there and investigate and over here Lily has suddenly fallen ill. I am scared because she had recently had an attack."

"I will be there in fifteen minutes and we will go together, okay?" he instructed her.

"Yes…" she said and Daryn disconnected the call.

David rushed into the office. He was looking pale. "We need to rush to the course now! I heard there could be some casualties!"

"Shit! Dawn said. She collected her purse. Before leaving she instructed Cara to take care of Lily.

Cara was the girl Dawn had met in the hospital when she had gone for one of her checkups.