084: Search And Rescue

XAVIER’S POV

I stood at the edge of the pack house, my chest heaving, the metallic tang of blood thick in the air. My heart hammered against my ribs, each beat a deafening echo in my ears. The scene before me was a nightmare—bodies strewn across the yard, some motionless, others writhing in pain. Blood pooled beneath them, dark and glistening under the pale moonlight. My stomach twisted, bile rising in my throat. The battle had come here. It had come to them.

And then I saw her.

Taylor.

She lay crumpled near the porch, her silver hair matted with blood, her face pale and lifeless. My breath hitched, my legs moving before my mind could catch up. I dropped to my knees beside her, my hands trembling as I cradled her head. Her skin was cold—too cold—but when my fingers pressed against her neck, I felt it: a faint, fluttering pulse. Relief surged through me. She was alive.

“Taylor,” I growled, my voice rough and desperate. I shook her gently, my fingers brushing against the deep gash on he