“Promise me you’ll be careful,” she said, her voice trembling.
“Promise me you won’t do anything reckless,” he countered.
And then the thread started to fade. The connection waned, like fog creeping in on a lantern’s glow.
“River…”
“Heiko…”
Then nothing.
River gasped, her eyes snapping open. She was drenched in sweat, her head spinning, vision blurred. Her hands were trembling from the exertion, and tears streamed silently down her face—not of fear, but of relief.
“You did it,” her wolf whispered proudly. “You reached him.”
“Barely,” River whispered aloud, breathless.
“It’ll get easier. You’re stronger than you know. Just give yourself time.”
She rested back against the wall, chest heaving, still dizzy, but alive with a fierce, glowing hope. Despite the fear and exhaustion, a qui
