Once he’d settled, Ethan motioned toward the door. “Let’s give him some quiet.”
We filed out into the hallway. The door clicked shut behind us.
Everyone looked concerned. I felt something completely different.
The relief was overwhelming, almost dizzying. He didn’t recognize me. My cover was intact.
Gino exhaled slowly. “Could still be a trap.”
Cooper nodded, jaw tight. “Leaving him out there alone in a cage… that doesn’t sit right.”
“Whatever the circumstances,” Ethan said, “I’m glad we found him in time.”
“They move around a lot,” I heard myself say. The words came too easily.
“The anti-shifter group. They probably used that spot temporarily. Sometimes they leave shifters behind if they’re tooweak.” I shrugged, trying to keep my tone casual. “Sometimes they just… leave them.”
I realized that I’d said too much a second too late.
But Ethan nodded slowly. “I’ve heard similar accounts from other healers. It happens more than people realize.”
Cooper’s expression darkened. “Damn it.” He turned to Gino. “Go back to the site. If they left him there, they might not be too far. See if you can pick up anything — tracks, scent, whatever’s left.”
Gino gave a sharp nod and was already moving. “On it.”
He disappeared down the hallway.
I drifted back toward the door and glanced through the small window. The shifter had already fallen asleep again, his breathing shallow but steady.
Levi followed my gaze to the small window. “We’ll do what we can,” he said quietly, mistaking the tightness in my chest for worry about the shifter. “He’s safe now. That’s what matters.”
Cooper nodded to me now. “And if you hear anything else… if you know of anyone who might need help, let us know. We’ll do what we can for them too.”
Ethan snorted softly. “You say that like we’re not already stretching our resources. Have you looked at the expense spreadsheet recently?”
Cooper froze. “I?—”
Ethan raised a brow.
Cooper cleared his throat. “Actually, I just remembered I need to… check on something.” He turned and walked off down the hallway a little too quickly.
Ethan shook his head, then looked back at me. “I’m joking. Mostly,” he added, softer. “We really will do what we can.”
I nodded, unsure what to say.
“You two should get some rest,” Ethan continued. “I’ll call if there’s any change.”
Levi murmured his thanks, and we headed out of the clinic together.
The early morning air hit cool against my face. The sky was just beginning to lighten, pale gold creeping along the horizon. We walked in silence toward Levi’s truck.
The pack didn’t even know him. Yet they’d risked everything to bring him back, to help him. To save someone who might have been a trap.
My chest tightened again.
“Hey.” Levi’s voice cut through my thoughts. “Thanks. For bringing that tip. And for trusting us with it.”
I blinked, caught off guard. “I—” I looked away quickly.
