The first thing I felt was cold cloth against my cheek. The second was the distant hum of voices. I blinked slow and heavy, like waking from deep underwater. The world drifted into place in soft pieces: muted lantern light, the rustle of canvas, the metallic scent of medical supplies.
Then the shapes sharpened.
A temporary field shelter. Warriors lined the perimeter, tense and silent. Their eyes flicked toward me and away again, uncertain, restless, almost afraid.
My breath caught.
Something terrible must have happened if an entire ring of trained wolves posted themselves around my unconscious body.
A shadow paced near the edge of the tent.
Jack.
His movements were sharp, precise, each step heavy with frustration he could not swallow. His shoulders were tight, his jaw clenched, his
