Page 91 of Healer’s Betrayal

I watch her go, lost in thought. “Are there more to your pack?” Garrett asks.

I force myself not to correct him; it’s habit when someone calls them pack to correct them. I refrain for now. “They all came. There are twenty-four of us in total.”

He takes that in. “Do you see it growing?”

If he would have asked me a few months ago, I would have said no. But we seem to be attracting rogue wolves, even though we’re not trying to. Last month alone, three rogue wolves joined our group. “Maybe,” I finally settle on.

Somebody knocks on the door. I sniff the air and know it’s the beta, Liam. “It’s Liam,” Garrett says for Emma’s benefit.

“I’ll grab it,” she says when I make a move to go open the door.

I’m not watching her, so when Garrett lunges forward, I’m surprised. I look over to see Emma stumble a moment. Garret’s there a moment later. “Hey.” His tone is so different than what he uses when he’s speaking to literally anyone else but her.

“Sorry. I just got dizzy a moment. I’m good.” He stares down at her in concern but lets her go. He’s right behind her when she opens the door to the beta.

Liam gives them both an easy smile before he looks over at me. He steps inside and closes the door behind him. “Heard you needed some convincing.”

I resist the urge to growl. Garrett’s phone rings, and he pulls it out. “Give me a second,” he says and steps over to the window.

“Emma, you okay?” I hear Liam’s voice and turn around in time to see her just drop. One second she’s standing there, the next she collapses. Liam catches her, and Garrett’s there a second later. He sweeps her up into his arms.

“Emma?” I hear the worry in his voice and step back; now’s not the time to draw his attention. “Get Paul,” he orders. I look over to the sofa bed to check on Noah and see him lying down, still.

“Noah.” My heart’s in my throat as I close the distance to the sofa bed and drop next to him and listen to his heartbeat. He’s breathing, but he’s out cold. I look over at the bathroom, and my heart climbs into my throat. I’m at the door a heartbeat later. “Kayla?” No answer. “Kayla?” Nothing. I open the door, and a growl rips from my chest at the sight of my mate lying on the floor.

I pick her up and carry her out of the bathroom. “Get out of the building!” Garrett orders and disappears out the door, carrying Emma.

Ransom, I need you in my room. Now. Kayla and Noah are both unconscious. The alpha’s mate is as well.

On my way.

I look down at Kayla and listen to her breathing. Her face is so pale; it terrifies me. “Hang on, Baby.” I sniff the air, but I don’t smell anything out of the ordinary. Precious seconds later, the door opens, and Ransom strides inside. He takes one look at Kayla and then runs for Noah. “We’re getting out of the building,” I tell him, knowing he’ll be right behind me. My heart races as I try to figure out what I missed. I sniff the air repeatedly as we race down the stairs and out the side door. I see the alpha and head that way. Dread pools in my stomach when I see the beta carrying his pregnant wife. But it drops to my toes when I see Max and Paul are both carrying their mates as well.

“What the—” Ransom starts.

Lucien appears out of nowhere. “The humans are all dropping.”

“What?” I growl.

“Any humans in the building are out cold.”

Icy tendrils work their way up my spine. “What are we dealing with?” My voice is mostly a growl.

“I don’t know; I don’t smell anything,” Lucien says in response.

Martin falls into step with us. “What’s happening?”

“All the humans are down,” Lucien says.

I reach the area where the other males are standing. “All the humans are down in the building,” I interrupt their heated conversation.

“I don’t know what it is,” Paul says from the grass where he leans over his mate, checking all her vitals.

“Be alert,” Max growls. “They got us out of the building.”

I turn to Martin. “Get everybody over here.” He’s gone a second later.

“Put the females in the middle,” Paul says. More than one growl meets his words. “I need to check them,” he growls right back. “We also need to form a circle around them.”