I glance back at him, then to Paige. “She happened.”
He drags himself closer, still weak. “She saved us.”
“Yeah,” I say, my voice breaking. “But I don’t know what it cost her.”
Suddenly, branches snap behind us, heavy footsteps pounding through the underbrush. I’m halfway to shifting when familiar voices slice through the tension.
“Ryder!”
Callen bursts into the clearing first, mud streaked across his face, eyes wild with relief. Parker follows closely behind, half-shifted, his wolf’s glow still dimming beneath his skin. Both look battered and exhausted. They come to an abrupt halt when they see Paige.
“Oh, thank the Goddess,” Parker breathes, dropping to his knees beside me. His hand trembles as he checks her wrist for a pulse. “She’s alive?”
“She’s alive, but drained,” I reply.
Callen’s chest heaves as he takes in the scene. “We saw the light from the ridge-it looked like the whole forest was on fire. Then it threw us back.” His voice falters as his gaze lands on Remy. “You’re all alive. I thought…”
“We should be dead,” Remy says, disbelief thick in his voice. “But she… fixed it. Somehow.”
I nod once, unable to find words as a sudden thought crashes into me.
“Where’s Jaxon?”
Callen meets my gaze immediately. “Safe,” he says quickly. “Leo and Poppy took him. They’re heading with Jake and the first evac group toward the ridge. He was scared, but he’s okay. I swear it.”
The tightness in my chest loosens just enough for me to breathe again.
“Good,” I rasp. “Let’s keep it that way.”
Parker’s eyes flick between us. “We need to move. That blast stunned the hunters, but I heard them regrouping on the way here. They might be retreating-or coming back.”
Remy’s head snaps up, senses sharpening. “How many?”
“Too many,” Callen replies grimly.
I glance down at Paige again. The faint glow under her skin is fading, but she’s still warm. Still breathing.
“We can’t wait around to find out,” I say firmly. “We have to move her now.”
Callen kneels opposite me. “I’ll carry her-“
“No,” I growl. “I’ve got her.”
He opens his mouth to argue, but one look from me silences him. Carefully, I slide my arms beneath Paige and lift her fragile form against my chest. She feels weightless, delicate-more fragile than anything I’ve ever held-and that terrifies me more than any bullet ever could.
“Ryder…” Remy starts.
“I’m fine,” I cut him off, though my voice trembles. “You’re not. Stay close and cover us. If they get within sight, you run interference.”
Remy nods once. Parker shifts fully, fur bursting through his skin. Callen’s eyes flash gold as his wolf stirs beneath the surface.
The forest is no longer quiet. It pulses with distant shouts and the crunch of boots on leaves.
“Let’s go,” I say, and we break into a run.
The trees close in around us, their shadows twisting in the smoky air. My body moves on pure instinct-ducking under branches, leaping over roots-every sense focused on the heartbeat pressed against my chest. Paige’s heartbeat.
She’s still here. Still fighting.
Behind us, the others move as one: Parker flanking left, Callen leading ahead, Remy’s wolf silent and deadly on the right. The faint glow from the blast flickers in the distance behind us. How we’ll explain any of this is beyond me.
When the ridge finally comes into view, a wave of relief crashes over me. The scent of our pack lingers in the air-wolves, fear, blood. Survivors.
Callen slows, opening the link. “We’re incoming. Paige is unconscious but stable.”
Jake’s voice responds instantly-sharp but steady. “Understood. We’re almost at the meeting point with the Midnight Pack.”
“Good. We might still make it.”
The terrain levels into an open space where the rest of the pack has gathered. Wolves move everywhere-some limping, others carrying the wounded. I spot Poppy ahead, pale but determined, clutching a trembling Jaxon close to her chest. Murmurs ripple through the pack as they see us… as they see Paige.
The moment Jaxon’s eyes meet mine, his face lights up. “Daddy!”
I manage a weak smile as Callen jogs forward to take him. “He’s okay,” Callen murmurs, locking eyes with me. “Everyone’s okay.”
“Keep him close,” I say through the link. “Don’t let him see her like this.”
Callen nods, hugging Jaxon tightly and speaking softly as he guides him back to Poppy, updating her on Paige’s condition.
I lower myself to one knee beside Jake, gently laying Paige on the ground. The healer’s eyes widen as he takes in her presence.
“Holy hell,” he mutters, scanning the faint energy still clinging to her skin. “I’ve never seen patterns like this before.”
“She healed us,” Remy says hoarsely, collapsing beside her. “Completely. The poison, the bullet wounds… all gone.”
Jake doesn’t argue. He simply nods, checking her pulse. “Strong. Too strong. Her system’s overloaded.”
“Can she be moved?” I ask.
“Yes. Keep her close,” he replies. “The more contact she has with her mates, the faster she’ll recover.”
Suddenly, another gunshot rings out in the distance-closer this time. The pack tenses instantly.
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