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Cold air stung my lungs as I darted between trees, branches whipping my face. Gunshots echoed through the forest, followed by the sinister yells of the hunters pursuing me. My insides churned with the same searing pain that crawled through every muscle, nerve, and cell of my being.
Where was Tori? The thought gnawed at the back of my mind, leaving me frantic and desperate for answers. As each agonizing step carried me deeper into the woods, the pain began to dissipate, leaving a numbing confusion in its wake.
Lost. How did I get so lost?
Pines towered above me toward the heavens, their needles shrouding the ground in darkness. The familiar landscape twisted into an unrecognizable maze, shadows obscuring the path ahead. Panic clawed at my chest, gripped my heart.
Shift. Find her, my inner voice demanded. But my wolf refused to take the reins when I tried to relinquish control. Instead, a feral roar erupted from deep within me, drowning out all reason and restraint.
I screamed, but no sound came out. My vision tunneled, and I could only watch helplessly as my wolf charged headlong into a clearing where a group of hunters had trapped Tori.
Her proud form, muzzled and bound, tore at my heart. Silver chains glinted cruelly in the moonlight, making her whimpers like knives in my soul. She struggled against her captors, but her efforts were futile.
I snarled, lunging at the nearest hunter. As I launched myself into the air, a gunshot cracked. The world slowed to a crawl, and I watched in horror as the gleaming silver bullet streaked toward me.
A howl tore from my throat, but it was too late. The bullet found its mark, and darkness swallowed me whole.
My eyes snapped open, heart pounding. Disoriented, I looked around the dimly lit room, struggling to make sense of my surroundings. The nightmare still clung to me like a second skin, and my body ached with a sickness that wasn’t normal for a wolf shifter.
Vampire bite. The memory surfaced through the fog of confusion. My hand instinctively went to my shoulder, the tender spot where the fangs had pierced my flesh. How had I ended up back in my bedroom at Blackwood Manor? More importantly, where was Tori?
Before worry could take root, the door creaked open, and Tori stepped in with a tray laden with breakfast foods. Relief turned my bones to jelly, and I shook my head, trying to rid myself of the lingering nightmare.
“Morning, sleepyhead,” Tori said, her voice soft and warm like the sunlight filtering through the curtains. “You had me worried there.”
Her presence was a balm to my frayed nerves. She set the tray down on the bedside table, leaned in, and pressed herlips against mine. What began as a soft, gentle kiss became something more demanding and urgent, stirring an insistent need to reclaim what we’d almost lost. Perhaps I wasn’t that sick at all—certain parts of my anatomy were rising to the occasion just fine. My hands moved up her body, pulling her closer.
“Hey, slow down.” She pulled back, amusement dancing in her eyes. “You’re still recovering. Save some energy for later.”
“Later?” I flicked a button loose on her shirt, allowing a grin to spread across my face.
Tori laughed, swatting my hands away. “I meant when you’re completely better. We can do plenty of that then.”
“Tease,” I said, feigning annoyance. Truthfully, her laughter was all the medicine I needed.
“Someone has to keep you in check.” She handed me a plate piled high with eggs, bacon, and toast. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been served breakfast in bed. It wasn’t my usual banana, protein powder, and oat smoothie, but it was so good. And Tori had made it, so I was not about to complain.
“Thank you.” I took a bite of toast. Butter exploded in my mouth, banishing the lingering taste of fear and pain from my nightmare. “This is amazing.”
She smiled, sitting down on the edge of the bed. “I’m glad you like it. Now, eat up. You need your strength.”
As I ate, I basked in the comfort of Tori’s presence. Despite our responsibilities outside these walls, right now, she was all that mattered. For the first time in a long while, I felt at peace.
“Promise me something.” I set my plate aside.
Tori looked at me expectantly, those beautiful eyes of hers searching mine.
“Promise me we’ll carve out more moments like this. Just the two of us.”
Her smile softened. “I promise.”
“Good.” I pulled her into my arms. We still had battles to fight and a town to protect, but for now, we could pretend that nothing existed beyond this room, beyond the sanctuary of this embrace. That was enough.
The smile on her face faltered, and her eyes glistened, making my heart clench.
“Hey.” I brushed her hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear. “What’s wrong?”
Tori swallowed hard and looked down for a moment before meeting my gaze again, tears spilling down her cheeks. “I thought I was going to lose you back in Iowa, Ridge. I can’t…I can’t go through that again. Promise me nothing like that will ever happen again. I need you. I need my mate.”
