"Promise me, Drake." His voice cracks. "I love you. I can't lose you too."
The words are heavy. I feel them in my chest.
I broke our pack bond. Tore myself away from him and Ragon both. I left him standing in that hallway watching everything fall apart.
And he still loves me.
He still loves me enough to give me this.
"I promise," I whisper. "I'll get help, just tell me where she is."
Eli gives me the address. I repeat it back to make sure I heard right. My brain is soup but I force the numbers to stick.
"Be careful," Eli says. "And Drake? She's with her scent matches. They're taking care of her. She’s getting better. This is right for her."
"I know," I manage. "That's good."
It is good.
It hurts like hell but it's good.
She deserves alphas who won't abandon her. Who won't let biology override five years of love and trust.
She deserves better than me.
"I mean it about getting help," Eli says.
"I will."
I hang up.
My hands shake as I pull up the GPS app and type in the address. The screen blurs. I blink until it focuses.
One hour away.
I can do one hour.
I have to.
I force myself to stand. The room spins violently. I grab the doorframe and wait for it to stop. It doesn't but I stumble forward anyway.
My shoes are… somewhere. I don't bother looking for them.
Keys... I need keys.
I find them on the nightstand. My fingers are clumsy, numb. I drop them twice before I get a grip.
The parking lot is empty when I stumble outside. Rain is already starting, fat drops that hit the pavement like bullets.
The storm is coming.
I make it to my car and fall against the door before getting it open. The driver's seat feels like a miracle when I drop into it.
I start the engine. Put the address in the GPS again because I already forgot it.
One hour.
I can do this.
