Asher POV “I hardly know you…” Her words cause me to freeze on the spot. I’m thrown into a trance. My entire nervous system feels like it is shutting down and my wolf is howling in the back of my mind; she rejected us. If only she knew. “Ash…Ash…Fuck! Asher!” My body jolts, and I blink, coming back to my surroundings. The pack hospital is teeming with medics trying to help all the pack members who are being brought in with the same mysterious symptoms. Family members are crying in confusion and fear. There’s people throwing up and shaking with cold sweats, while some are completely unresponsive. What is happening? I shove my internal turmoil down; my pack comes first. Straightening my posture and schooling my face, I focus on Archie, who has Yaya reluctantly under his arm. She tries to shake him off, but he’s not allowing it, and simply tugs her closer. She rolls her eyes, but a light shade of blush creeps up her cheeks, telling me she has some form

Asher POV I’m such an idiot! I shouldn’t have said anything. I shouldn’t have pushed her. When she didn’t pull away from me…fuck, I was ready to toss her up against the wall and make her mine in every way possible. I haven’t kissed anyone in years. I basically took a vow of celibacy after I lost Portia. I couldn’t imagine touching or being touched by anyone else. Sure, plenty of opportunities have come my way. Female pack members have tried to use my grief as an excuse for them to ‘try to heal me.’ They were always sorely disappointed when I pushed them away, but news spread quickly around the pack that I wanted no assistance in that department. Archie was more than happy to run interference. Kissing Saph, oh Goddess. Kissing Saph, even for that brief moment, was different than any kiss I’ve ever had. The sparks from the mate bond shook me to my core and I felt like the empty spaces in my heart were finally being filled with blood. Once I kissed her, I th

Saph POV It’s been two days since Syl, Ruby, and I’m not even sure how many others were brought to the hospital; I’ve lost count. There aren’t enough beds. We have multiple patients in rooms together. All we can do for them is provide fluids through IVs. Yaya has been trying to heal people, using small amounts of her magic to ease their pain, but it tires her so quickly; Archie isn’t willing to let her risk her well-being. At the end of the day, nothing we do is working. Asher…I can’t even think about him without getting choked up. He has been sleeping in Ruby’s room this entire time. He hasn’t left her side once. I catch myself looking for reasons to walk by her room every hour throughout the day. I want to see them. I don’t know why I feel this need to help them and protect them or why I think my presence can make any difference at all. “Just go inside, Saph,” Archie says from down the hallway. He’s caught me stalking outside Ruby’s hospital room again.

Emmy POV It’s like no time has passed, that we never butted heads- which is putting it lightly- and have been avoiding each other for the last three months. It feels so good to have my sister back. Seeing Saph run around and play with all of us almost brings tears to my eyes.I never thought we would see this side of Saph again. After spending some time letting our wolves roll around and reconnect, we all make our way to the pack house and shift back to our human forms, getting dressed in the spare clothes we left by the back entrance. Vincenzo dislikes me walking around naked for anyone, but him, to see. I like teasing him during warrior training and take my time getting dressed after training in wolf form. It makes him act all growly and possessive, and it usually ends with me tied up and blindfolded in our bedroom. Oh, that man is the perfect blend of beast and gentleman. I slip on my sweatpants and hoodie, eager to escape the cold autumn weather. It fee

Asher POV I can’t breathe. I can’t move. “We’ve lost ten people, Ash,” Archie tells those of us that have congregated in an office in the hospital. I don’t need him to tell me. I felt the pack links break throughout the day and all night. I couldn’t sleep. Every time I tried to close my eyes, another link would break, another innocent life lost. I couldn’t bring myself to leave Ruby’s side. Somehow, my little princess is hanging on despite this dark magic flowing through her veins, but how much longer can she hang on? Archie had to drag me out of her room so we could have this fucking meeting. What’s there to meet about? My pack is dying and there’s nothing I can do. “What the fuck kind of magic is it?” Dare demands, looking like he’s ready to go to war. “Yaya said it’s blood magic. Some kind of potion, or poison, her brother created. But she doesn’t believe he would use this kind of magic willingly,” Archie says defensively.