A crack splits the air.
Alex is too young to shift. If he falls through the ice, his wolf can’t save him.
“You can do this, baby.” I lean over the edge as much as I can without stepping onto the ice.
Another crack, slightly louder than before, fills my ears. We’re out of time.
I strip down to my underwear, knotting my shirt and pants into a makeshift rope. “Grab hold, Alex.” I throw one end to him.
The ice shatters around him.
“Run!”
He bolts toward me. Chunks of ice plunge into the water all around him.
I shift—too damn slow—as he goes under.
My paws barely touch the icy shore as I leap into the water. My teeth snag Alex by the back of his jacket. I have him, but the raging water has me.
I struggle to keep Alex’s head above the water as the current grabs hold of me, trying to drag me under. I cannot—will not—lose another shifter, especially a child.
Alex’s little arms and legs kick furiously, trying to escape my hold. If I let go, he’ll drown. He’s not strong enough for this current. I’m not even sure I am.
As we’re washed downstream, I spot a felled tree sticking out over the river at the bend up ahead. It’s our way out, if I can angle us closer to snag the tree.
My wolf pours all her energy into freeing us from the undertow. Just when it feels like we’ve broken away, I’m slammed against a boulder and dragged back under.
I surge upward, thrusting Alex above the waterline. He gaspsfor air. My lungs burn and my jaws ache to open and breathe, but I can’t let go. Can’t give in.
The tree is just ahead, but we’re too far. The angle’s wrong!
We’ll never make it. Not together.
I have one shot.
Using what little energy I have left, I fling Alex up into the air. The last thing I see is him landing on top of the felled tree, safe, as I’m pulled under.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
GARRETT
“That’s what I said. Not a single tire track, file, or candy wrapper. Hell, I think they swept the place clean.” Blade finally plops into one of the chairs in Damien’s living room, leaving the others at the table.
Damien’s gaze moves from Blade to Frank, Callen, and then Hayden, skipping over me. It makes me wonder why I’m here, especially if they don’t know where the humans from WSSO Facility #23 went. Or their captives.
“Do you want me to return there, see if anything’s different?”
“Are you questioning my ability to properly recon?” Blade asks, a slight growl to his voice.
“Chill, Blade,” Callen says. “Garrett’s just trying to help.”
“He’s done enough.”
“What does that mean?” I start to rise from my chair, but Damien shoves me back down.
“It means if you hadn’t gone off on your own, against orders, then maybe we could have rescued all the shifters at the same time.”
“It’s not a choice I made lightly.”
