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Elise gestures again, and I suck in a sharp breath, readying myself for the jolt as Zeke sets into motion. The tan wolf streaks ahead to the G-Wagon, her form lithe as she maneuvers around the few remaining cars without drawing anyone’s attention. Zeke pushes forward, following after her with Silas tight on our heel. He glances backward just as I lift my head, both of us spotting the approaching bears at the same moment.
“Zeke,” I groan, warning him to ready himself. There’s no point in staying quiet anymore, not when a few bears have shifted back to their human forms, rifles poised at the ready.
“Fuck,” he curses, ducking behind one of the armored vehicles. To my relief, gunfire opens up from the vehicle, our pack ready and waiting to guard us. Silas pops up from his spot behind us and fires off a few shots. They must hit their marks as cries erupt around the compound. A rush of doors grind open next, the metallic sound dropping my heart into my stomach. More bears are on their way, and we’re severely outnumbered now. The Langley’s bullets hit the car, spider webs spreading through the glass at the impact. We have to get out of here because I’m really not in the mood to test out just how well the Suburbans would hold up under a barrage of fire.
“Theta team, move out on my count,” Silas directs through his radio, his words sounding foggy and distant as my mind clings to my last vestiges of strength. Even adrenaline can’t do much to keep my eyes open now. I’ve lost too much blood, the wounds on my back too deep.
The headlights on the G-Wagon come to life at Silas’ words, and I numbly remember Zeke’s beta had made it back to the car. We might just be able to make it out of here. Relief washes over me in waves, stealing the last shreds of my energy, sucking it from me like the price of peace is life itself.
“Get ready,” Zeke says, his voice so close to my ear, yet it seems like it’s underwater as darkness creeps into my vision. I try desperately to blink, to stay conscious, to help them, but it’s no use.
“Three, two, one,” Silas counts, and Zeke moves as I lose control of my muscles, unable to keep my body pressed against him.
“Stay with me,” he begs, his voice a desperate plea. I try to cling to consciousness like a stray bit of debris in the middle of the ocean. But it’s no use, the darkness closes in, suffocating me. The last thing I can make out is the door of the car swinging open before I’m plunged into the depths of my mind, my body unable to keep me afloat any longer.
Chapter Thirteen
Skylar
Consciousnesscreepsin,likethe hands on a clock, ticking away to the beat of my eyelids cracking open. I groan at the sensation, my eyes so dry that my lids feel like sandpaper as I peel them open. My mind finally registers the incessant noise that brought me out of my deep slumber. The beeping seems to grow louder as my mind tries to place where I am. I’m propped up on my stomach, and satin sheets slide against my skin as I go to turn, unsure why I would be lying on my stomach. So uncomfortable.
“Don’t move,” a half frantic male voice says to my right, and I pause, his familiar voice is tinged with worry. My head whips around to see who it is, and I groan at the sudden movement, pain radiating down my spine.
“You’ll rip the stitches.” Zeke winces in sympathy, rising from his seat to inspect the wounds on my back. He pulls the soft satin sheet from my back, and a shudder moves over my body as cool air pierces through the warm cocoon. The pain has turned to more of a burn, the wound already partially healed.
“Stitches?” I ask, frowning at the tightness in my back. I’ve never had stitches before, there’s never been any need. As a shifter, we heal too quickly for them to be of any use most of the time. Our ability to heal decreases the longer we stay in our human forms, so thankfully, I shifted recently, otherwise I’m not sure if I would’ve been able to hold on. Just another reason why I need to reconnect with her.
He takes his seat after gently placing the cover over me again, apparently satisfied that I hadn’t ripped any of the stitches. He doesn’t answer my question immediately though. Instead, he scans my face, his brows knitted in concern, as though he’s trying to reassure himself that I’m truly awake, that I’m okay. I blink in confusion and attempt to piece together what had happened, how we had gotten here—wherever here is.
“They were bad, Skylar. You lost a lot of blood too. The medic didn’t feel comfortable letting it heal on its own,” Zeke says finally, his gaze drawing down to the floor. I follow his gaze, wishing I could reach out to him, but I don’t want to risk ripping any of the stitches.
“What happened after I …” I let the words trail off, not wanting to admit I barely even remember making it to the car.
“How much do you remember?” he asks hesitantly, his face pulled down in concern. I can’t help but miss his usual smile, the light peeking out behind the clouds in those grey eyes, but I push down the urge to lighten the mood. Judging by the stern line of his brow, it wouldn’t do much good.
“I remember you sprinting towards the car, and that’s about it,” I say, taking a deep breath, not wanting to think about how close I truly came to losing my life. If Zeke hadn’t found me, despite my determination at the time, I’m not sure I would have made it out alive, even if I had landed the dagger.
He nods, the movement tight as his eyes squeeze closed. I can only imagine he’s attempting to push back the memories; I know I would be. “Elise got us out of there before anyone else was harmed,” he says, swallowing thickly, his Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat with the effort. “We took everyone back to our compound since it was closer. We already had a medical team on standby, just in case.”
My heart pangs at the pained look that crosses his face. I have to know how many were injured and if any died. There were so many wolves, so many human forms, littering the ground. It was hard to tell how many were passed out and how many had been killed.
“Where is everyone?” I ask, planting my hands against the black satin sheets to pull myself up. My muscles groan in protest, but I push further, the uncomfortable burning in my back intensifying with each inch I move.
“They’re in the medical building, and I don’t think so,” he says, clasping my shoulders lightly, but enough to hold me in place. He takes some of the weight off my arms, and I suppress the sigh of relief as the burning eases.
“I need to go check on everyone,” I groan, trying to wiggle out of his hold, but it’s no use. I glare up at him and catch a hint of amusement, but it’s gone in a flash, replaced by a look of exasperation as he eases me down.
“You need to focus on healing right now. There’s nothing you can do for them anyway.” Zeke sighs, exhaustion clear in his voice. His shoulders slump as though he’s unable to keep the fatigue hidden any longer. “Do you know how close that was, Skylar? You almost died tonight.” His tone is hard and unyielding now, summoning the last of his strength to drive this point home. How long had I been asleep? How long had he watched over my bed, refusing to give in to the call of slumber himself?
“I need to see how my pack is doing.” The words come out automatically on repeat, a deep urge strengthening my resolve, pushing me to see them with my own eyes.
“Why didn’t you shift?” he asks with a hint of steel in his tone. He knows or at least has an idea of why I didn’t, why I couldn’t. “As an alpha wolf, you could have easily taken on that bear, you could have gotten away from him, could have used your teeth as your weapons, but you didn’t.”
“I don’t need to tell you—”
“Yes, you do,” he growls, cutting me off. “Can you imagine how I felt, seeing my mate about to be devoured by a five-hundred-pound bear? Her lying defenseless on the ground in her human form?” he grinds out, using his anger to mask the slight quiver in his voice. “I almost didn’t make it in time,” he whispers, the confession barely audible, as though they’re only meant for him alone, but slipped unbidden from his lips.
My breath catches in my throat at the pain creasing his eyes. Of course, I could imagine, I had felt that same fear earlier, that same need to protect him as he’d lunged after our attackers.
