Chapter 7

“Get inside. Now.”

Cain’s hand closed around Wren’s arm, and she found herself being dragged toward the pack house before she could process what was happening. His grip was iron, his face carved from stone.

“Let go of me—” she started.

“Vorik is here for you.” He didn’t slow down, didn’t look at her. “I don’t know how he found out you were here, but I’m not letting him anywhere near you.”

“You can’t know that—”

“He sent a message.” Cain finally stopped, spinning her to face him. His silver eyes blazed with an emotion she couldn’t name. “He said: ‘Give me the healer, and I’ll leave your territory in peace. Refuse, and I’ll burn Black Hollow to the ground.’”

The world seemed to narrow to a single point. Wren’s heart hammered against her ribs, her breath coming in short gasps.

“He knows,” she whispered. “He knows what I am.”

“Apparently.” Cain’s jaw was tight enough to crack. “Which means someone talked. Someone told him you were here.”

A traitor. There was a traitor in Black Hollow.

Wren’s mind raced. “How many wolves does he have?”

“Fifty at least. Maybe more.”

“And you?”

“Enough to hold the border. Probably.” He didn’t sound confident. “But if it comes to a full battle, people will die. My people.”

For Sera’s sake, Wren wanted to say. For me. People would die because Cain had brought her here, and now the wolves who’d killed her family had followed.

“Maybe I should go to him,” she heard herself say. “If I give myself up—”

“No.” The word was absolute. Final. “You’re not going anywhere near him.”

“But if people die because of me—”

“They’ll die protecting you. That’s their choice.” Cain gripped her shoulders, forcing her to meet his eyes. “Vorik doesn’t want to use your gift, Wren. He wants to control it. He wants to force you to heal his enemies into submission, to make you a weapon. Is that what you want?”

She thought of her mother, dying with glowing hands. Her father, bleeding out on the floor. Her entire pack, slaughtered because someone decided healers were too valuable to be free.

“No,” she whispered.

“Then trust me.” His voice softened, just slightly. “I won’t let him take you. I swear it.”

It shouldn’t have meant anything—a vow from a wolf she barely knew, an Alpha who’d taken her against her will. But something in his eyes made her believe him.

“What do I do?” she asked.

“Stay with Sera. Keep her calm.” He released her shoulders. “And if something happens to me—if the worst comes—take her and run. Thorne will help you.”

“If something happens to you?” Wren’s voice cracked. “You can’t—”

“I can. I might.” He smiled then, a grim, dangerous thing. “But I plan to make Vorik regret ever setting foot on my territory first.”

He turned and strode toward the gathering warriors, shouting orders that sent wolves scrambling in every direction. Wren watched him go, something tight and painful expanding in her chest.

Don’t die, she thought. Please don’t die.

She didn’t examine why she cared. There wasn’t time.

Sera was awake when Wren burst into her room, her dark eyes wide with fear.

“I heard the commotion,” she said. “What’s happening?”

Wren considered lying. She could say it was nothing, just a drill, everything was fine. But Sera deserved better than that.

“The Shadow Fang pack is at the border,” she said. “They want me. Cain is going to fight them.”

Sera’s face went pale. “Shadow Fang? They’re the ones who—”

“Killed my family. Yes.” Wren sat on the edge of the bed, her hands trembling. “Their new Alpha wants to use my gift. Cain won’t let him.”

“Of course he won’t.” Despite her fear, Sera’s voice held absolute certainty. “Cain would never hand you over. No matter the cost.”

“That’s what scares me.” Wren looked down at her hands—the hands that could heal, if only she let them. “People are going to die because of me.”

“People die in war regardless.” Sera reached out and took her hand. “This isn’t your fault, Wren. You didn’t ask to be hunted.”

“I know. But—” She hesitated, the words sticking in her throat. “Your brother is out there. Fighting for me. And I’ve barely known him a week.”

“He’s fighting for what’s right.” Sera squeezed her hand. “Cain doesn’t do anything without reason. If he’s protecting you, it’s because he believes you’re worth protecting.”

You’re not nothing, Wren Ashford. You never were.

His words echoed in her mind, and something inside her cracked.

“I need to try,” she said suddenly. “The healing. I need to try now.”

Sera’s eyes widened. “What?”

“If Cain gets hurt—if anyone gets hurt—I need to be able to help them. And I can’t do that if I’m still holding back.” Wren looked at Sera, really looked at her, and for the first time let herself feel. The compassion. The connection. The desperate wish that this kind, brave woman would survive.

“I can’t promise this will work,” she said. “But I want to try. Right now. While I still can.”

Tears spilled down Sera’s cheeks. “You don’t have to—”

“I want to.” Wren placed both hands on Sera’s shoulders and closed her eyes. “Just… stay with me. And hope this works.”

She reached for her gift—the warm, golden light that had lived inside her since childhood, buried under years of fear and hatred. It stirred, recognizing her call.

But when she tried to push it into Sera, something pushed back.

The curse. Her aunt’s journals had described it—a dark magic that fed on life force, resisting all attempts at healing. It needed to be overwhelmed, flooded with so much healing energy that it couldn’t fight back.

But Wren wasn’t strong enough. Not yet. Not alone.

The magic backlashed.

Pain exploded through Wren’s body—white-hot, blinding, unbearable. She screamed, her back arching, her hands locked on Sera’s shoulders as the curse tore through her like wildfire.

The last thing she heard before darkness claimed her was Sera shouting her name.

And then there was nothing.