“Um, y…yes. That’s okay. I really do need to see a doctor,” I stammer out. “I’m Emily, by the way,” I add, the words feeling too small, too soft.Too pathetic.
He holds out his hand to help me up, and when I place mine in his, a small tingle shoots from my palm straight up my arm. He must feel it too, because he drops my hand as soon as I stand up.
“Delta Jackson, Alpha Ryan, and Beta Luca of the Lunar Eclipse Pack.” He points at himself first and then towards the other men, who nod at me as he calls their names. Okay, not the talkative type.
He looks at the other men, and judging by the way their eyes cloud, they are speaking through mindlink. Part of me wants to at least attempt to get away. Goddess only knows how bad this could get. But I couldn’t fight off even one of these men on my best day. I don’t stand a chance against three of them, especially while injured.
“Are you alone?” Ryan asks after they finish their mindlink. I nod before responding. I’m not sure if I should be honest or not. Telling them I am alone makes me more vulnerable, but saying I’m part of a group is a lie I could get caught in.
“Yes. I… I’m alone. I left my pack. No one knows where I am.”
That seems to be the right answer. Ryan’s shoulder’s drop and Luca exhales slowly. I try to breathe too. But the tight coil in my chest refuses to loosen.
As I scan the surroundings, I take in the beauty of the woods and lake, illuminated by the full moon. The men’s faces bear hardened expressions, their eyes reflecting a mixture of suspicion and worry. The atmosphere remains tense, as if a storm is brewing.
My injured leg throbs with every movement, a constant reminder of my weakness, and I can’t stop myself from wobbling as I keep my weight on my uninjured leg. I’ve rarely been in my human form since my escape, feeling safer and warmer as my wolf.
I’m freezing and shivering, not just because of my nerves at being under the scrutiny of three unknown males who are all at least a foot taller than me and at least twice as wide.
Thankfully, the shirt Jackson handed me dwarfs my frame and falls to my knees, so I’m pretty covered up. It can’t hide the damage though. I’m sure I look awful. Twigs embedded in my tangled hair. Mud smeared over my skin. I’m sure they can see the weariness etched on my face, the dark circles under my eyes revealing the sleepless nights and journey I have taken.
Maybe that’s why these males are behaving so differently from the wolves in Blood Moon. They don't see me as an attractive female, just a broken shifter who needs to move on.
My good leg buckles, and Jackson moves fast—catching me in strong, sure arms. He lifts me easily into a bridal carry, careful not to jostle my injured leg too much.
Gentle. So gentle.
Aidan would have either let me fall or thrown me over his shoulder. Or twisted my leg to ensure that I felt as much pain as possible.
Jackson strides out of the woods until we reach a pathway. Ryan and Luca remain behind, leaving Jackson and me alone. I glance up at his face, noticing how his powerful jaw is clenched and how his gaze remains fixed ahead. He doesn’t look down at me, appearing focused on where we are going.
It takes a while for Jackson to carry me to the medical center. I’m too tired to ask about the distance. And as the minutes stretch on, the exhaustion seeps into my bones, dulling my senses and clouding my thoughts. Being held in his arms, I rest my head against his bare chest without meaning to.
He’s warm. Solid.
I need to stay alert, but my focus is obscured by a fog of weariness. I should fight this pull to let go. But the steady steps of his bare feet on the forest floor, the warmth of his skin, and his comforting scent that reminds me of the calmness after a thunderstorm relaxes me in a way I haven’t felt in a long time. The trees are a blur, as if I’m viewing them through a hazy lens.
I shouldn't rest, but the exhaustion is too deep, curling into every corner of me, dragging me into the depths of unconsciousness. As I am lulled into sleep, Idon’t think I'll ever want to wake from, the steady beat of Jackson’s heart against my cheek is the last thing I remember before the darkness pulls me under.
Chapter 5
Jackson
I walk up to the pack medical center carrying the now passed out girl in my arms. Since she’s asleep, I take a second to really look at her—to study her visible injuries. My wolf thrashes against me, restless, furious, wanting to tear the world apart to protect her.
It’s so unlike him. His heated reaction would be out of character, even when protecting the pack, making me wonder why he’s so attached to this girl. I suppose she has a kind of innocent aura that is hard to ignore. It’s harder to imagine an ulterior motive for her being here when I see how exhausted and hurt she is.
I had mindlinked ahead to inform Doc I was bringing Emily in, so he’s waiting inside the door with a gurney and his team when I arrive. The sharp sting of antiseptic hits my nose, mixing with Emily’s delicate scent—the sweet undercurrent of her somehow cutting through the sterile air.
“What do we know?” Doc asks as I gently lay her on the gurney. He examines her, his fingers deftly prodding and probing, while nurses hook her up to different machines. Their movements so in sync with each other that it’s like a choreographed dance—well-practiced, seamless.
“Not much. She fell asleep before telling us much. Her leg seems to be the worst injury. She seemed weak, barely able to stand. Her wolf's form was covered in cuts and scrapes. Seems like she’s been on her own a while.”
Urgency hangs heavily in the air of the emergency room. Doc and his nurses scurry about, their movements swift. The rhythmic beeping of the machines fills the air as I step back a little to give them more space.
Doc frowns, pressing two fingers against her throat, then lifting her eyelids with a touch that’s surprisingly gentle. “She’s not asleep. She’s unconscious,” he mutters grimly.
“The leg is severely infected, and she has the highest temperature I’ve ever seen in a shifter. She is in a serious state of sepsis. I need to get her into surgery. If we don’t act fast, we’ll lose the leg—and her.”
