bChapter 29 /b

bra’s /bPOV

b“/bbYou /bbstood /bthere and watched him scream for help. Why didn’t you step bin/bb?/bb” /bMy voice bwas /bcold, sMi than steelb. /bBlood bwas /bstill drying on the side of my bface/bb, /bbut it didn’t bstop /bme from walking toward Garron like death in boots.

Garron stiffened. His fists clenched bat /bhis sides, but the cowardice in his beyes /bbetrayed him.

“I mean–Jory called outb, /bsure–but you were already handling it. What would’ve been the point? You didn’t need us,” he said, voice jittering.

“bVessa /band Jory are injured,” I shot back, my eyes zing into his skull. “If you’d stepped in when he called, maybe they wouldn’t be lying unconscious right now!”

Garron scoffed, and that bwas /bhis mistake. “They’re your responsibility, not mine. You wanted thispetition. You set the rules. Don’t act like a hero and then whine when it backfires.”

Before I even registered my next breath, my palm cracked across his bface/b. The sound echoed through the clearing like a whip. Itnded where Cael had punched him earlier, and now Garron’s bface /blooked like a rotten fruit–bloated and swollen on one side.

b“/bYou little-!” he shouted, stumbling back, but I didn’t wait.

I lunged.

My boot connected with his gut so hard he folded and hit the dirt with a pitiful grunt. I dropped down over him and drove my fist into his ribs, again and again. The adrenaline roared in my blood. Iwasn’t thinking. I was avenging.

He screamed. “Alpha–somebody help-!”

A few soldiers stirred, unsure whether to intervene. But when they nced at Thorne, who stood at the edge of the chaosb, /bsilent and unreadable, they backed off.

“rai./ii” /iThorne finally spoke, his voice a rumble. “That’s enough.”

I didn’t even look at him.

“Jory has three broken ribs. Garron’s barely started repaying that debtb.” /b

My knuckles mmed into Garron’s chest again, making him cry out in agony. He writhed beneath me like a worm in the

bsun/bb. /b

Someone from Direstone Keep shouted, “That’s not his fault! You’re ming the wrong person!”

I turned slowly, wiping blood off my chin.

“I’m not ming him for the injuries.” I stood, letting Garron curl on the ground like a discarded sack. “I’m ming him for the map. He set us up.”

bGasps /bechoed around usb. /b

I looked straight at Thorne. “Your Gamma gave us false coordinates. That map led us straight to a den of mutated bears. bIt /b

bwas /ban ambush.”

Garron pushed himself up with trembling arms. “Me? You bcrazy/bb–/bwhat proof do you even bhave/b?!”

b1/3 /b

bChapter /b29

b“/bbYou /bbwere /bin the barea /bbwhen /bit bhappened/bb,” /bbI /bsnapped. “There are miles of forestb, /bbyet /bbyou /bwandered near the cave right when the battack /bhappened? bCoincidence/bb?/b”

“That bdoesn’t /bmean anything-

b“/bbThen /bask bthe /bman who bgave /bus the map.” I turned bto /bThorne. “He’ll tell you who ordered the change.”

Thorne’s gaze flicked to Garronb, /bbwho /bwas now sweating like a man on btrial/bb. /b

“bI’ll /bspeak to him,” Thorne said quietly, his btone /bbunreadable/bb. /b“You bhave /bmy word.”

The moment those words left his mouth, the bpressure /bin my body breleased/bb–/band with itb, /bmy strength.

My knees bgave /bbway/b.

The world spun and tipped forward. I felt bweightless /bfor a split second before strong arms caught me.

“ra!” Thorne’s bvoice /bthundered into my spinning thoughts.

Then everything went ck.

When I woke again, I bwas /bsomewhere warm. Cotton sheets. Clean air. A faint herbal scent. I blinked up at the ceiling, blinking slowly until the world came bback /binto focus.

“She’s awakeb,/bb” /bsomeone said beside me. Thorne.

A doctor approached from the side of the room. “Gamma ra, you passed out from exhaustion and blood loss. You’ll be fine with rest.”

“She’ll heal?” Thorne asked, hovering over me like a storm cloud.

b“/bYes,” the doctor replied. “Her wolf’s strong. She’ll wake fully in a day or two. Her body’s already doing the rest.”

I wanted to thank him, but my throat was dry, and every inch of me ached.

“And the wounds?b” /bThorne asked again, softer this time.

The doctor hesitated. “Most will heal without scars. But… I did notice old frostbite scarring on her feet.”

“From six months ago?” Thorne’s voice darkened.

The doctor shook his head. “No. Much older. She must have been very young–before her first shift. The damage never had a chance to regenerate. They’ve healed improperly.”

I turned my face away from them both, shame and anger washing over me. I didn’t want their pity.

“She should’ve treated them long ago,” Thorne muttered.

My voice rasped out before I could stop it. “I tried.”

Thorne’s eyes snapped to mine.

“I bwas /bten. Your pack doctor wouldn’t see me unless Co gave approval. She never did.” My voice cracked like dry wood. “I couldn’t even walk properly for days.”

Silenceb. /b

Then the doctor cleared his throat and nodded. “I’ll prepare an ointment. With consistent use, the marks should fade.”

He left, giving Thorne and me bspace/bb. /b

I didn’t look at him.

“You knew,” bhe /bsaid finally. “About all of it.”

“I lived it.” I closed my eyes again. “The basement. The cold. The pain. I don’t need you to feel guilty now.”

“I should have listened,” he said softly. “I should’ve protected you back then.”

I didn’t reply.

What was there to say?

He should have.

But he didn’t.

Not when I needed it most.

Now the girl who used to beg for warmth had learned to burn on her own.