"The drain on our magic won't wait for us," Nathan said coldly. "If we abort now, it could be months before we can attempt another jump. Maybe longer. And we might not be able to raise enough power to even attempt it a second time. The world is dying, Ells. We'rehere, we'realive, and we have what we need to complete the objective."
"We don't haveshit," I snapped. "We have three weeks of food, no shelter, and a team member with a broken leg who needs medical attention!"
"Dev can manage."
"He can't evenwalk!"
"Then he'll stay behind."
I stared at Nathan, certain I'd misheard. "What?"
"Dev stays here. You take his power. The three of us continue to the source." Nathan's expression was carved from ice. "It's the logical choice. We move faster, use fewer resources, and he'll be safe here until we return."
"Safe?" I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "Nathan, he can't possibly survive out here alone with a broken leg! He'll starve or…or a predator will find him, or…"
"Then I'll give him the choice of a clean ending."
I felt like I'd been punched in the chest. But Nathan's face was perfectly calm. Like he'd just proposed a minor logistical adjustment instead of executing a colleague.
Even Megan looked shocked.
“Nathan-” He cut her off with a glance, and she immediately went quiet.
"You're talking aboutmurderinghim," I said, my voice shaking. "You're talking about leaving him behind to die, or… or killing him yourself if he can't…"
"I'm talking about making the hard choices that leadership requires." Nathan's voice was sharp now, though he kept it low so Dev couldn’t hear us. "The mission is bigger than anyindividual life, Ellie. Including Dev's. Including yours. We came here to find the source of the magical drain, and that's what we're going to do."
"Fuck the mission!" The words burst out of me, hot and furious. "Stephen isdead! Dev ishurt! We're not—"
"Ellie." Nathan's hand closed around my upper arm, dragging me closer, his grip tight enough to hurt. “Listen to me very carefully," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "I am the team leader. Not you. Not Dev.Me. And I make the calls about what risks we take and what sacrifices we make. Do you understand?"
"Nathan—"
"The mission is more important than individual lives. That's not cruelty, that's reality. If we fail here, if we don't find the source and stop whatever is happening to our world, thousands of people could die. Maybe more. So yes, if that means leaving Dev behind, I'll do it. And if that means giving him a clean death instead of a slow one, I'll do that too."
I felt sick. "You can't—"
"Ican." His fingers tightened. "And I will. You're too soft, Ellie. It’s one of the reasons I couldn’t take you as my mate. You care too much about individuals and not enough about the bigger picture. Now," his voice softened slightly, though his grip didn't loosen. "Are you going to be part of this team, or are you going to keep questioning every decision I make?"
I wanted to spit in his face, tell him that he was a monster, but before I could form the words, a low, menacing growl that turned my blood to ice cut through the air. Nathan released my arm instantly, spinning toward the sound.
Wolves. But not like any wolves I'd ever seen. These weremassive—shoulder height easily reaching my waist, maybe higher, with broad skulls and thick, powerful limbs built for bringing down prey that no longer existed in my time. Dire wolves.
Four of them fanned out in a loose semicircle, cutting off the uphill route and the path along the river in one fluid movement. They moved with an intelligence that was unmistakable—not pack hunting instinct, buttactical awareness. Shifters.
And then the fifth stepped forward.
He was the largest. Dark gray fur, almost black along his spine, with pale amber eyes that held a sharp, knowing light. He walked with the easy confidence of something that had never once doubted its place at the top of the food chain.
Then his formshifted.
It happened fast—faster than Nathan's shifts, faster than anything I'd seen. One moment, wolf. The next, a man stood where the animal had been. He was tall and broad-shouldered, with grey-streaked dark hair tied back from a face that looked like it had been carved from stone. Scars traced across his bare chest and arms. He wore rough leather pants and nothing else, despite the cold, and when he smiled it didn't reach his eyes. He said something in a language I didn’t recognise.
Nathan straightened, squaring his shoulders. "We don't understand you," he said, keeping his voice level. "We don't speak your language."
The man tilted his head slightly. His amber eyes narrowed, and he spoke again, slower this time, gesturing between Nathan and the rest of us. When Nathan didn't respond, he made a sound of irritation and pointed directly at Nathan, then thumped his own chest with a fist.
Alpha. He's asking who our alpha is.
