18

DERRICK

Eldric gave a short nod before turning and walking away.

After he left, I grabbed one of the packs and headed toward Amira. The fire crackled softly nearby as I tossed the pack onto the ground at her feet.

The sun had nearly disappeared. The last traces of daylight were fading, leaving the camp wrapped in shadows and firelight.

Orange flames danced across her face, making every bruise, every line of exhaustion, impossible to miss.

She looked worn down. Completely drained.

The pain in her eyes hadn't disappeared either. It was still there. Still haunting her. Still refusing to let go.

There was no point talking about it.

She was stubborn.

If she wanted to sit there suffering instead of shifting and healing, that wasn't my problem.

I didn't care.

Or at least that's what I kept telling myself.

"I packed some dry soup packets," I said. "If you refuse to shift and hunt, that's what you'll be eating."

Nothing. Not even a glance.

Her eyes stayed fixed somewhere beyond the fire.

My irritation sharpened.

"There's water and a pot in the pack. You can make it yourself."

Still nothing.

The silence felt deliberate.

"I won't be ignored, Amira."

For a second, she didn't move. Then her voice came.

Soft. Empty. Almost lifeless.

"I'm sorry. I was waiting for permission to speak. Thank you very much for the soup, Alpha. It sounds delicious."

The words hit harder than they should have.

Something about the way she said them made my chest tighten.

There was no gratitude in her voice. No sarcasm either. Just exhaustion. The kind that came from someone who had been beaten down too many times.

She still wouldn't look at me.

Instead, she reached for the pack and quietly pulled everything out.

Slowly. Carefully.

Every movement looked painful.

Her hands trembled slightly as she gathered the supplies. Then she pushed herself upright.

The moment she put weight on her injured leg, her face tightened. Pain flashed across her features.

Still, she didn't complain.

Didn't ask for help.

Didn't even hesitate.

She simply limped toward the fire and kept going.

Something twisted uncomfortably inside me.

Eldric had worked hard setting up the campfire area. She was about to undo half of it trying to cook, but she refused to ask anyone for assistance.

Not a single word.

Not a single request.

Just silent determination.

Swearing under my breath, I grabbed the log she'd been using and dragged it closer to the flames.

"Sit."

The order came out rough.

Her eyes lifted to mine.

"Then make your damn dinner."

The words left my mouth before I could soften them.

Frustration still burned under my skin.

"And I'm not your damn father. You can talk around me."

For the first time, she actually looked at me.

Really looked at me.

Something flickered in her eyes.

A strange emotion.

Pain.

Bitterness.

Maybe both.

"No," she said quietly. "You are definitely not my father."

The words landed harder than they should have.

There was something underneath them.

Something sharp.

Something wounded.

Before I could figure out what she meant, she'd already looked away.

The conversation was over.

I stayed nearby anyway.

Watched her eat.

Every spoonful.

Every drop.

As though she hadn't eaten properly in days.

Something about that bothered me more than it should have.

By the time she finished, the others had returned. The camp settled into its usual rhythm.

Using the excuse of hunting, I left.

The woods were dark and quiet. Cold air filled my lungs as I moved through the trees.

Normally hunting cleared my head.

Tonight it didn't.

Thoughts of Amira followed me everywhere.

The exhaustion in her eyes.

The way she forced herself to keep moving.

The way she'd thanked me like she expected punishment for speaking.

It irritated me.

It shouldn't have.

But it did.

Hours later, I returned to camp.

The Obsidian Wolves had already settled down for the night. A protective ring surrounded Amira.

Not because they wanted to protect her.

Most of them still resented her.

But they followed orders.

That was enough.

Amira was awake.

Lying near the fire.

Her injured leg rested on a folded blanket while she stared silently at the stars overhead.

The pain inside my wolf had become unbearable.

He'd been restless for days.

Maybe longer.

Ignoring him wasn't working anymore.

Slowly, I loosened my grip and gave him control.

Relief rushed through him immediately.

He approached her carefully.

No aggression.

No dominance.

Just caution.

Just concern.

His nose brushed lightly against her swollen knee.

The reaction was immediate.

Amira froze.

Every muscle in her body locked.

Fear flashed across her face.

The color drained from her skin.

She was scared of him.

The sight should have satisfied me.

Part of me wanted it to.

After everything that had happened, maybe she should be afraid.

But my wolf hated the thought.

A deep growl echoed inside my head.

Not at her.

At me.

He nudged her arm instead.

Gently.

Patiently.

As if asking permission.

For several long seconds, she didn't move.

The camp remained silent around them. The fire popped softly. The wind moved through the trees.

Then, little by little, her hand lifted.

Carefully.

Almost nervously.

Her fingers settled against the top of his head.

The moment she touched him, a wave of emotion tore through him.

Relief.

Happiness.

Need.

His entire body shuddered.

Then he dropped beside her and pressed himself against her side.

The feeling hit me too.

Hard.

She felt small.

Far too small.

Her body was thin beneath the blanket.

Fragile.

Breakable.

Like life had taken everything it could from her and still wasn't satisfied.

How was she still standing after everything?

How was she still breathing?

My wolf didn't care about answers.

He only cared that she was here.

That she was alive.

That she was touching him.

For a few precious moments, everything else disappeared.

The anger.

The resentment.

The past.

It was easy hiding behind him.

Easy letting him feel what I refused to.

We were two halves of the same soul.

Ignoring him for too long was dangerous.

Tonight, I let him have this.

Just this.

Then everything changed.

His ears twitched.

His body stiffened.

Something was wrong.

The contentment vanished instantly.

Danger.

Nearby.

Close.

Too close.

The warning reached me a second later.

But I was distracted.

Caught between my own thoughts and my wolf's emotions.

By the time I understood what he was sensing, it was already too late.

Shapes exploded from the darkness.

Fast.

Silent.

Deadly.

Two wolves slammed into me before I could react.

Pain ripped through my body.

Fangs sank deep into flesh.

Hot blood spilled instantly.

Shock shot through me.

The world spun.

And through the chaos, one sound cut through everything.

Amira's scream.

Sharp.

Terrified.

Heartbreaking.

The sound echoed through the entire camp.