Chapter 18 Eighteen

• The world blurs past me as I run—trees, houses, packmates I don't register. My feet know where they're going even if my mind is still trapped in that moment.
• Ana's cottage appears through my tear-blurred vision, a small beacon of safety on the edge of pack territory. I barely make it to her front door before my legs give out, my fist pounding against the wood in a desperate, silent plea.
• The door opens immediately. Ana takes one look at my face—tear-streaked, broken, and pulls me inside without a word. No questions. No demands for explanation. She simply leads me to her guest room, her arm around my shaking shoulders, and lets me collapse.