The storm raged outside, but the real disaster was inside. In the space between Parker and me, where partnership had turned to silence and all the things I couldn't say sat like a heavy weight on my chest.
I'd saved his life and couldn't even tell him it was me. And that made everything worse.
SIX
PARKER
I couldn't stop shaking.
The blankets helped, so did the dry clothes and the cup of tea someone had pressed into my hands. But I couldn't stop replaying the moment when the safety line snapped and I'd hit the cold, churning water and it pulled me under.
And then, there was the wolf. A wolf that had appeared out of nowhere and dragged me to safety.
Isla had insisted I get checked out and we had a medic on staff. Physically I was fine. But the emotional turmoil would be my companion for a while.
"Parker, we need a statement." Isla stood in the doorway of the break room where I'd been sequestered. "Just thirty seconds, to let people know you're okay. But if you can't do it, I will."
I nodded, setting down the tea. My hands were steadier now. I could do this because I was a professional.
The statement took two minutes. I assured viewers I was fine, thanked the mysterious wolf that had saved my life and urged everyone to stay inside and stay safe. Then I was done, and the adrenaline that had been holding me together finally crashed.
Someone told me animal control was searching for the wolf. I hoped it was all right and I could one day put a medal around its neck. But that was ridiculous. It'd probably returned to the forest where it belonged.
Dawson was in the weather center. I could see him through the glass, hunched over his screens and deliberately not looking my way.
The fury hit me afresh. He'd torn into me minutes after I'd nearly died. He hadn't even asked if I was okay before launching into a lecture about how foolish I'd been.
Maybe that was true and the live shot had been a mistake. But I'd been trying to help people understand the danger, and instead of checking if I was hurt, Dawson had made sure I knew exactly how ridiculous he thought I was.
"Hey." Zara appeared beside me. "You doing okay? That was scary."
"I'm fine." The lie was automatic.
"He was worried about you. That's why he reacted like that though what he said and how he said it was inappropriate."
I didn't want to hear excuses for Dawson's behavior. "He has a funny way of showing concern."
"Yeah, well." Zara squeezed my shoulder. "People do silly things when they're scared, including alphas."
I went to my dressing room and tried to pull myself together. We still had hours of coverage ahead. The storm was making landfall now, and people needed information. I couldn't fall apart just because I'd had a close call and my bad-tempered meteorologist had decided to be even grumpier than usual.
Twenty minutes later, there was a knock on my door.
"Come in."
Dawson stood in the doorway, looking uncomfortable. "Can we talk?"
"We're in the middle of hurricane coverage. Unless it's about the storm, I don't think now is the time."
"Parker, please."
"I need to get back on set." I moved past him, making sure not to get too close.
The next few hours were professional torture. We did joint updates every thirty minutes, standing side by side, translating data and answering viewer questions. To anyone watching, we probably looked like the seamless team we'd been building toward.
But up close, the tension was suffocating.
Dawson tried twice more to talk to me. Both times, I found reasons to be somewhere else.
