A wolf tries to comb the tangled mess that is my hair to check the cuts on my scalp, but I wave them off and reach for a razor. It takes barely any time to shave my hair.
Far easier to wait for hair to grow back than to deal with the multitude of people touching me.
Elena runs fingers over my ribs. “The cut is healing nicely, but the ribs will need to be rebroken and adjusted.” She places a hand on my shoulder. “Without the silver cuffs, your healing should take less than a week.”
I close my eyes. “Get it over with then. Might as well start the healing now.”
Her touch is brutal and the pain rough, but I’ve lived through worse.
I catch the subtle shift in Kier’s posture—shoulders pulling back, jaw tightening almost imperceptibly. His golden eyes flick to where Levi’s fingers interlace with mine, and something dark flashes across his features before he masks it behind polite neutrality. The wolf in him recognizes the territorial display for what it is, even if he chooses not to respond to it.
I hesitate, wondering if I should remove my hand, but one glance at Levi’s face and I decide to let him be. I don’t have the energy to deal with him today.
Kier earns grudging respect for his restraint. A lesser wolf might have snarled, might have made a scene in front of my Alpha. Instead, he inclines his head respectfully to Ryker, his voice steady as he responds to questions about our escape.
But I can see the cost of that control in the rigid line of his spine, the way his hands curl into loose fists at his sides. He’s letting Levi stake his claim without challenge, and something twisted and contrary inside me wishes he wouldn’t.
Let the man piss where he thinks his territory may be. He’ll soon realize I’m no one’s to claim.
“Shadowmist welcomes you, Kier,” Ryker says, his voice carrying the weight of Alpha authority. “Any who aids our Beta is friend to our pack.”
Kier inclines his head respectfully. “Thank you, Alpha.”
“Kier was in the cell beside mine,” I explain, glancing at the copper-haired wolf. “Another of Thaddeus’s prisoners. We kept each other sane. Talked through the walls when theguards weren’t around. Then Thaddeus fell.” I touch my chest. “I felt it—we all did. The power shift resonated through all territories. The guards were distracted, arguing about what it meant for them. Zella came for a bit, stirring up leadership trouble. It was then that Kier managed to break free. He could have run…” I swallow. “Instead, he came back for me.”
My gaze meets Kier’s, and we share a moment of understanding. I feel Levi tense beside me, but whatever he’s feeling matters little to me.
“You escaped while wounded and in silver?” Kitara asks. She’s small for a wolf, plump and curvy with a shock of long brunette hair. I suspect she’s the most powerful seer alive—capable of eclipsing even Prudence.
“I made a promise to my Alpha and his mate. Death wouldn’t release me from that oath.” I shift, wincing. “But that’s not what’s important. What matters is what I learned while in captivity.”
Ryker leans forward. “What did you learn?”
Unlike his small mate, Ryker is a towering and scarred wolf. His different colored eyes meet mine, one burning amber gold, the other a blood crimson. His black hair falls to his shoulders, threaded with gray at the temples.
“The betrayal goes deeper than Zella. There’s a faction—wolves from multiple territories who believed in Thaddeus’s vision of control and hierarchy. They’re organizing, planning to disrupt the council system before it can fully establish.”
Kitara’s hand moves to her belly, and the protective gesture is not lost on me.
“The facility where they held us housed at least three seers,” Kier adds. “All kept separate, all heavily guarded.”
“Other seers?” Kitara asks.
Kier nods. “Not wolf though. One is a bear, another human. I’m not sure about the third.”
Ryker’s expression hardens. “Names? Locations?”
“Some,” I confirm. “Enough to begin hunting them.” I attempt to shift position and grimace. Both Levi and Kier move to help me, their hands overlapping before they exchange a look.
Down, boys.
“But that can wait until I’ve recovered enough to lead the hunt myself,” I finish, waving the men off.
“Rest first,” Kitara tells me. “Heal. We’ll discuss the details when you’re stronger.”
I want to protest, but the pain in my side has me nodding.
Ryker rests a hand briefly on my shoulder—a rare gesture of affection. “Kitara is right. Rest now. That’s an order.”
