bChapter /bb16 /b

bAdrian’s /bbPOV /b

She lost consciousness quickly, her body going limp in my arms.

1 cradled her against my chest, struck by how light she felt–fragile in a way werewolves rarely are. The metallic scent of her blood filled bmy /bnostrils, triggering beth protective and predatory instincts.

1 examined her wound, watching with growing concern as it continued to bleed freely, showing no signs of the elerated healing that should have begun immediately.

bThis /bwasn’t normal. Even the weakest Omega would show some regenerative ability, especially under the full moon’s light. There was only one exnation bthat /bmade sense.

She truly doesn’t have her wolf.

Headlights pierced the dark, revealing the dead man on the gravel, his throat torn open, and bme /bbkneeling /bbin /bbSkye’s /bblood–soaked against my hastily thrown- on clothes. Nadia jumped from the SUV, her eyes scanning the scene.

tomoned shoth while

b“/bbGet /bher in the back, she ordered, already opening the rear door. “What the hell happenedb?/bb” /b

I rose in one fluid motion, Skye’s unconscious form cradled against my chest. “Drunken human bshot /bher. We need bto /bget her to the bpack doctor /bimmediately.”

Nadia helped arrange Skye across the backseat. I climbed in beside her, keeping pressure on the wound bwhile /bNadia slid behind the wheel. The engine broared /bto blife /bbas /bbI /btore strips from my shirt to bcreate /ba makeshiftpression bandage.

“Step on itb, /bI growled, watching Skye’s face bgrow /bpaler by the minute.

bNadia’s /beyes met mine in the rearview bmirror/b. “How did a human manage to shoot her? Even an Omega should have been able to sense the threat and react.”

hoot her is not s

She elerated onto the empty highwayb, /bbthe /bspeedometer climbing rapidly. “Something’s not right with her.”

“She doesn’t have her wolf,” I confirmed. “Her wounds aren’t healing.”

b“/bAtent wolf?” Nadia’s eyebrows bshot /bup in bsurprise/bb. /b“What’s a lent wolf doing bartending in this bwastnd/bb?/bb” /b

I had been asking myself bthe /bsame question since bfirst /bspotting her a week ago.

bThe /bfirst time I saw her, she looked familiar, but I couldn’t remember where bI /bhad bseen /bher before.

bMy /binitial suspicion was that she might be a bspy /bsent by my buncle /bbMaxwell/b–the one who bhad /bbforced /bme out of my father’s bpack /btwo byears /bearlier.

bSince /bestablishing Oasisborn Pack in this remote bcorner /bof bTexas/bb, /bI’d intercepted bthree /bof his scouts already. It would be just like him to send someone bunexpected/b, someone I might underestimateb. /b

But after observing her for bseveral /bnights, nothing babout /bSkye’s behavior suggested a spy. bShe /bworked her shiftsb, /bkept to herself, and seemed intent on remaining unnoticed.

b‘/bbDrive /bfasterb,/bb‘ /bbI /burged bas /bSkye’s breathing became morebored. “bShe’s /bfadingb./bb” /b

Nadia pressed the elerator to the floor, sending the SUV hurtling through the desert night.

b“/bbYou’ve /bbe awfully concerned about a bstranger/bb,/b” she remarkedb, /bnot bothering to hide the suspicion in her toneb. /bb“/bbIf /bbI /bdidn’t know betterb, /bbI’d /bthink—b* /b

“She’s dying, Nadia,” I bcut /bher off sharply. “Whatever she is or isn’t to bus /bcan be determined after bwe /bsave her blife/bb./bb” /b

bNadia /bbfell /bsilentb, /bbfocusing /bon the winding road ahead. Her skepticism bwas /bwarranted–a

1–as my Beta, protecting me band /bour fledgling pack was her bprimary /b

bconcern/bb, /b

b1/3 /b

bChapter /bb16 /b

bWhen /bbI’d /bbsuggested /bbwatching /bbthe /bmysterious bartender, Nadia had insisted on apanying me tonight.

I’ll bbet /bbshe /bmakes a move tonightb, /bshe had dered confidently this evening, legs propped up on the dashboard as we parked at the edge of bthe /bforest bordering bthe /bbar’s property. “No lone wolf ends up in Boring by ident.”

bThe /bgunshot had interrupted our surveince, sending me racing through the trees in wolf form before I’d even made a conscious decision to bintervene/b.

Nowb, /bwith Skye’s blood seeping through my makeshift bandage, I found myself irrationally anxious about the fate of this stranger. Something about her called to me, tugged at instincts I couldn’t fully exin.

After what felt like an eternity, thendscape changed, scrubby desert giving way to the unexpected green of our territory.

Oasisborn Pack was aptly named–built around a natural spring that created a verdant oasis in the otherwise harsh environment.

I didn’t wait for Nadia to fully stop the vehicle before throwing open the door, gathering Skye in my arms, and rushing toward our medical facility. Blood had soaked through my clothes, but I paid it no mind.

The few pack members still awake at this hour stared in shock as their Alphab, /bpletely naked and blood–covered, raced past with an unconscious stranger in his barms/bb. /b

Dr. ine Chen, our pack healer, was already waiting at the clinic entranceb. /bHer beyes /bwidened at the sight of bus/bb. /b

“What happened?” she demanded, quickly directing me toy Skye on bthe /bexamination table.

“Gunshot wound to the chest,” I exined tersely, stepping back only enough to give the doctor room to work. “She bhas /bno wolf. No regenerative abilities.”

Dr. Chen’s hands moved with practiced efficiencyb, /bcutting away Skye’s bloodied shirt to fully expose the wound. “She’s in hypovolemic shock from blood loss. bI /bneed to remove the bullet and stop the internal bleeding, but first she needs a transfusion or she bwon’t /bsurvive the bprocedure/b.”

b“/bUse my blood,” I said immediately.

Both women looked at me in surpriseb. /b

Alpha blood was powerful medicine, typically reserved for pack members with bserious /binjuries. It elerated healing and strengthened the recipient’s connection to their wolf. It was ba /bprecious resource, not something casually offered to outsiders.fnb7f0 Original content can be found at ?ovelFind/fnb7f0

Dr. Chen recovered quickly, nodding bas /bshe prepared the transfusion equipment. b‘/bbIt’s /bher bbest /bchance. Alpha blood might even bjump/bb–/bstart whatever healing abilities she has dormant within her.b” /b

I rolled up my sleeve and extended my barm/b, watching bas /bmy dark red blood flowed through bthe /bbtube /band into bSkye’s /bpale body.

An Alpha’s blood could heal any werewolf of lower rank–it was one of the biological advantages that helped bus /bprotect our packs. I had no idea if it would work the same for someone without ban /bbactive /bwolf, but I bwas /bwilling to try anything.

As the transfusion continued, I noticed the faintest hint of color returning to bSkye’s /bcheeks. The weak pulse in her neck strengthened slightlyb, /beach beat more determined than thestb. /bSomething tight in my chest loosened at the sign of improvement.

Nadia entered the roomb, /bcarrying fresh clothes for bme/b. She handed them bover/bb, /bher beyes /bbfixed /bon Skye’s unconscious form with undisguised suspicion.

“She’s luckyb, /bNadiamented, folding her arms across her chest. “Not many strays get Alpha blood as a wee gift.”

I ignored the barb, keeping my focus on Skye as Dr Chen prepared for surgery. Nadia moved closer to the examination tableb, /bleaning down until her bface /bbwas /binches from bSkye’s/b.

b“/bWho are you breally/b?bi” /i/bshe whispered, her tone a mixture of curiosity and distrust.

It bwas /ba question that would have to wait for answers.

bFor /bnow, all that mattered was that bSkye /bbsurvived /bthe night. Everything else–bher /bidentity, her purpose bin /bBoring, why bshe /bbhad /bno scent and bno /bwolf–all bof /bbit /b

could be bunraveled /bter.