Chapter 18

Author's POV

Liam was right behind him, his eyes wide with concern as he too shifted back into his human form. “Alpha,” he said, his voice tense. “We need to get her back to the pack. She needs help.”

Rollins knelt beside Emily, his hands trembling as he reached out to check her pulse. Relief flooded through him when he felt a faint but steady heartbeat beneath his fingers. But she was unconscious, her breathing shallow and her face pale.

“Get the healer ready,” Rollins ordered, his voice tight with barely controlled emotion. “Now.”

Liam nodded and immediately sprinted back to the packhouse, his mind already planning out the quickest way to get the healer to Emily. Rollins carefully lifted her into his arms, cradling her against his chest as he began the trek back up the hill.

As he carried her, Rollins’s mind raced. The sight of Emily, so small and vulnerable in his arms, stirred something deep within him. He had been ready to destroy anyone who dared to harm her, and he had done jus