Chapter 16
Adrian’s POV
She lost consciousness quickly, her body going limp in my arms.
1 cradled her against my chest, struck by how light she felt–fragile in a way werewolves rarely are. The metallic scent of her blood filled my nostrils, triggering beth protective and predatory instincts.
1 examined her wound, watching with growing concern as it continued to bleed freely, showing no signs of the accelerated healing that should have begun immediately.
This wasn’t normal. Even the weakest Omega would show some regenerative ability, especially under the full moon’s light. There was only one explanation that made sense.
She truly doesn’t have her wolf.
Headlights pierced the dark, revealing the dead man on the gravel, his throat torn open, and me kneeling in Skye’s blood–soaked against my hastily thrown- on clothes. Nadia jumped from the SUV, her eyes scanning the scene.
tomoned shoth while
“Get her in the back, she ordered, already opening the rear door. “What the hell happened?”
I rose in one fluid motion, Skye’s unconscious form cradled against my chest. “Drunken human shot her. We need to get her to the pack doctor immediately.”
Nadia helped arrange Skye across the backseat. I climbed in beside her, keeping pressure on the wound while Nadia slid behind the wheel. The engine roared to life as I tore strips from my shirt to create a makeshift compression bandage.
“Step on it, I growled, watching Skye’s face grow paler by the minute.
Nadia’s eyes met mine in the rearview mirror. “How did a human manage to shoot her? Even an Omega should have been able to sense the threat and react.”
hoot her is not s
She accelerated onto the empty highway, the speedometer climbing rapidly. “Something’s not right with her.”
“She doesn’t have her wolf,” I confirmed. “Her wounds aren’t healing.”
“A latent wolf?” Nadia’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “What’s a lone latent wolf doing bartending in this wasteland?”
I had been asking myself the same question since first spotting her a week ago.
The first time I saw her, she looked familiar, but I couldn’t remember where I had seen her before.
My initial suspicion was that she might be a spy sent by my uncle Maxwell–the one who had forced me out of my father’s pack two years earlier.
Since establishing Oasisborn Pack in this remote corner of Texas, I’d intercepted three of his scouts already. It would be just like him to send someone unexpected, someone I might underestimate.
But after observing her for several nights, nothing about Skye’s behavior suggested a spy. She worked her shifts, kept to herself, and seemed intent on remaining unnoticed.
‘Drive faster,‘ I urged as Skye’s breathing became more labored. “She’s fading.”
Nadia pressed the accelerator to the floor, sending the SUV hurtling through the desert night.
“You’ve become awfully concerned about a stranger,” she remarked, not bothering to hide the suspicion in her tone. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think—*
“She’s dying, Nadia,” I cut her off sharply. “Whatever she is or isn’t to us can be determined after we save her life.”
Nadia fell silent, focusing on the winding road ahead. Her skepticism was warranted–a
1–as my Beta, protecting me and our fledgling pack was her primary
concern,
1/3
Chapter 16
When I’d suggested watching the mysterious bartender, Nadia had insisted on accompanying me tonight.
I’ll bet she makes a move tonight, she had declared confidently this evening, legs propped up on the dashboard as we parked at the edge of the forest bordering the bar’s property. “No lone wolf ends up in Boring by accident.”
The gunshot had interrupted our surveillance, sending me racing through the trees in wolf form before I’d even made a conscious decision to intervene.
Now, with Skye’s blood seeping through my makeshift bandage, I found myself irrationally anxious about the fate of this stranger. Something about her called to me, tugged at instincts I couldn’t fully explain.
After what felt like an eternity, the landscape changed, scrubby desert giving way to the unexpected green of our territory.
Oasisborn Pack was aptly named–built around a natural spring that created a verdant oasis in the otherwise harsh environment.
I didn’t wait for Nadia to fully stop the vehicle before throwing open the door, gathering Skye in my arms, and rushing toward our medical facility. Blood had soaked through my clothes, but I paid it no mind.
The few pack members still awake at this hour stared in shock as their Alpha, completely naked and blood–covered, raced past with an unconscious stranger in his arms.
Dr. Elaine Chen, our pack healer, was already waiting at the clinic entrance. Her eyes widened at the sight of us.
“What happened?” she demanded, quickly directing me to lay Skye on the examination table.
“Gunshot wound to the chest,” I explained tersely, stepping back only enough to give the doctor room to work. “She has no wolf. No regenerative abilities.”
Dr. Chen’s hands moved with practiced efficiency, cutting away Skye’s bloodied shirt to fully expose the wound. “She’s in hypovolemic shock from blood loss. I need to remove the bullet and stop the internal bleeding, but first she needs a transfusion or she won’t survive the procedure.”
“Use my blood,” I said immediately.
Both women looked at me in surprise.
Alpha blood was powerful medicine, typically reserved for pack members with serious injuries. It accelerated healing and strengthened the recipient’s connection to their wolf. It was a precious resource, not something casually offered to outsiders.
Dr. Chen recovered quickly, nodding as she prepared the transfusion equipment. ‘It’s her best chance. Alpha blood might even jump–start whatever healing abilities she has dormant within her.”
I rolled up my sleeve and extended my arm, watching as my dark red blood flowed through the tube and into Skye’s pale body.
An Alpha’s blood could heal any werewolf of lower rank–it was one of the biological advantages that helped us protect our packs. I had no idea if it would work the same for someone without an active wolf, but I was willing to try anything.
As the transfusion continued, I noticed the faintest hint of color returning to Skye’s cheeks. The weak pulse in her neck strengthened slightly, each beat more determined than the last. Something tight in my chest loosened at the sign of improvement.
Nadia entered the room, carrying fresh clothes for me. She handed them over, her eyes fixed on Skye’s unconscious form with undisguised suspicion.
“She’s lucky, Nadia commented, folding her arms across her chest. “Not many strays get Alpha blood as a welcome gift.”
I ignored the barb, keeping my focus on Skye as Dr Chen prepared for surgery. Nadia moved closer to the examination table, leaning down until her face was inches from Skye’s.
“Who are you really?” she whispered, her tone a mixture of curiosity and distrust.
It was a question that would have to wait for answers.
For now, all that mattered was that Skye survived the night. Everything else–her identity, her purpose in Boring, why she had no scent and no wolf–all of it
could be unraveled later.
