LOGINLincoln's POVThe pain in my leg keeps making me black out, the movement of the RTV as it bumps down the mountain sending blinding agony through it.They’d all agreed to leave the trap in place until the medics could remove it back at the Task Force, in case it bleeds excessively or the bone is broken.To be honest, I’d have rather they just pulled the damn thing off and bandaged me up. I’m sure once the silver is removed from my body, Lex will return and heal me, but I was overruled.I don’t know how much longer we have to travel before we reach the cabin.“Take me back to the cabin first,” I order the Task Force warrior driving the RTV.“Orders were to take you to the hospital, Alpha,” he says, not even looking at me.“I know, but I want to go to the cabin. I need to make sure Thor is back there before I leave.”I see his eyes cloud over as he links someone, and I hope they reach the right conclusion.I close my eyes and grit my teeth against the pain. The wolves have fanned out int
Lincoln's POVI skid to a stop as we approach the fence line. There are fewer trees here, the warriors having cleared them to put up the fencing, so I stop just inside the tree line for a bit of shelter.Thor is standing and staring out of the fence, his hackles raised, his body puffed up, tail high and stiff. He is fucking growling like anything.Dread hits my stomach, and I fear the moment he turns and I see the redness back in his eyes. It’s been gone, fully gone, for days, but now emotion clogs my throat.'I don’t think that’s it.''What? He’s clearly having an episode. What do you mean?'I start thinking about the best way to approach. He’s not been violent towards me before, but maybe if he’s feeling trapped, perhaps I should back away and give him space.Thor snarls, breaking the constant rumbling, and jolts forward, legs and body stiff like he’s trying to intimidate something. I scan the fence again, but there’s nothing there until the wind shifts slightly, carrying a faint st
Lincoln's POVI wake, light blinding me as it streaks through the small gap at the bottom of the shutter. Fuck, I really need to fix that today.I’m hot, as has been the norm for the last few nights. Thor has once again slept on the bed. Or rather, on me. My knees ache beneath the pressure of his massive form, and his thick fur keeps me warmer than the brazier ever could.I sigh, reaching for my phone to check my emails while I wait for him to wake. I’ve learnt he doesn’t enjoy being woken.Lex stretches in my mind. 'Let me out today?' he whines. He’s desperate to go for a run, but we’ve decided it’s best not to. Thor was fine with Lex initially, back when there were bars between them, but the team isn’t confident he’ll be as relaxed here in this environment. Not with Lex being an ordained Alpha and Thor still the heir. They’re worried the tension might cause Thor to become aggressive.'You know you can’t, buddy. I’m sorry.''Pleeease,' he whines, huffing in my mind.I hate denying hi
Max's POVThe late afternoon light spills across the patio, catching on the glassware and the edges of plates, turning everything warm and golden in a way that should feel comforting, but the tightness under my skin refuses to ease. The air carries the scent of grilled chicken, herbs, and the faint sweetness of dessert, but beneath all of it I can still feel Zahra’s anxiety, faint now but not gone.Zach and Mara try to keep the conversation light, talking about the pack, training schedules, patrol rotations, and other normal things that should make the evening feel ordinary. It doesn’t. Zahra sits between me and Xander, her shoulder brushing mine every so often as she shifts in her chair, and each small touch sends a flicker of awareness through me, sharp and immediate, but it is tangled with worry now.She is not really here. She answers when spoken to, smiles when expected, even lets out a soft laugh at something Mara says, but it does not settle in her body or reach her eyes. Her g
Max's POVI wake slowly, aware of warmth before anything else.Zahra is curled into my side, her body tucked tight against mine, her head resting on my chest and one hand fisted in my shirt. It’s where she’s been since she finally stopped crying, and fuck, her tears almost broke me.I don’t know how to fix this.I hate seeing her like this, so broken, so small. So not herself. What did I expect, though? Somehow, in all my fantasies of having her back and rescuing her, I never stopped to think about the aftermath, or what state she would be in. I always imagined we would find a healthy Zahra, her normal, happy self, ready to come home. Not a broken shell of herself.I don’t move. I just stare down at her profile, at the gentle curve of her cheek, the sharp, unnatural angle of her cheekbones, and the prominent line of her jaw that you usually can’t see. The gentle slope of her nose. Her blonde hair falling slightly over her face, her lashes fanning across her cheek as her eyes move gent
Xander's POVA surge of white-hot fire lances down my ankle.“AGH!” I exclaim, clutching at it. I pull back my jean cuff to look, certain there’s going to be blood or something, but there’s nothing.Confused, I turn and see Max doing exactly the same.Then searing heat blooms over my ribs, the pain almost blinding me. Max groans and doubles over.“What the fuck?” I exclaim.The tension in my chest intensifies, like an elephant has suddenly sat down on me, and with the constricted feeling, fear blooms hot and fast. I smell Max’s fear at the same time.“What’s going on?” His voice comes out choked.'Zahra. Get to Zahra. This isn’t your pain or fear.'Atlas surges forward, wanting to take over and get me there himself. I scramble up, my feet barely staying under me, and tear out of the room towards the stairs. Max is at my side, jostling for the lead, but we bolt down the corridor side by side.I don’t bother knocking. I twist open the door, and we shove our way inside.Zahra is wrapped
Zahra's POVWe walk into the Alpha Pi house side by side and we’re almost immediately assaulted by the scent of sweat, alcohol, vomit, and something else I don’t want to identify too closely.It’s dark, with lights flashing in the hall and living room, and music blaring so loud we could hear it acr
Zahra's POVI fucking love being at university.‘Why didn’t we push to do this before?’ Zanthe hums with happiness in my mind as our second lecture of the day wraps up. This one was Advanced Business Strategy.Bastion is beside me, and another girl with a mane of curly brown hair is on my other sid
Zahra's POVO’Hara shuffles again, slower this time, the rhythm steady. Chips click softly as people reset their stacks.“Same blinds,” he says.The cards slide out once more.I wait before looking this time. Long enough to remember what Morgan said about being hard to read. Long enough to stop acti
Tobias's POVI storm into my study, the door banging as I go. I head straight to the conference table at the other side of the room, then spin to face the others, my hands gripping the back of a chair until my knuckles turn white.Persephone is dragged in by Alistair, her usually stunning face set







