I woke up to the sharp sting of cold air biting at my skin. The forest around me was eerily quiet, the smell of smoke and blood still clinging to my senses. My body ached in ways I couldn’t describe—my ribs felt shattered, my head throbbed, and my side burned where the wound refused to stop bleeding.
But none of it compared to the emptiness in my arms.
I looked down and froze.
It wasn’t Elias.
Theo.
Aria’s son, not mine. His tiny face was pale, his body fragile as he squirmed weakly in my hold, letting out soft, pitiful cries.
“No,” I whispered, shaking my head as tears blurred my vision. “No, no, no!”
Elias was gone. My sweet baby boy, ripped from me by the people I trusted most. Kael, my mate. Aria, my best friend.
I hugged Theo tightly, my chest heaving as sobs wracked my broken body. My tears soaked his blanket, but his cries only grew louder, more desperate. He was hungry.
I couldn’t stop myself. I shifted my grip, letting him latch onto my breast. The action was instinctual, automatic, and as his tiny lips worked to feed, my heart shattered all over again.
I was feeding him, comforting him, while my own son—my Elias—was out there somewhere, stolen from me.
The pain became unbearable, my sobs turning into choked gasps as I glanced down at Theo. His face was still pale, his little hands barely moving. He was sick, fragile, clinging to life just like I was.
My hand trembled as I brushed his hair back. “I’m so sorry,” I whispered, my voice cracking. “You didn’t ask for this. None of this is your fault.”
I forced myself to focus. Theo needed me. I couldn’t break down, not yet.
But my body had other plans.
Every inch of me screamed in agony as I shifted, trying to stand. The wound in my side sent a sharp, searing pain through my torso, and I crumpled back to the forest floor.
I couldn’t walk.
I bit down on a cry, clutching Theo close to my chest.
You have to move.
I dropped to my knees, dragging myself forward with one arm while holding Theo with the other. The forest seemed endless, the trees towering above me like silent witnesses to my misery.
Each inch forward felt like a mile.
My vision blurred, black spots creeping in as blood dripped steadily from my side. My breaths grew ragged, each one more painful than the last.
I tried to focus, tried to keep going, but my strength was fading.
The world tilted, and I collapsed, unable to go any further. My fingers tightened around Theo, who whimpered weakly in my arms.
I was going to die here.
And Theo—he wouldn’t survive without me.
The thought sent fresh tears streaming down my face. My lips parted, but no sound came out as I tried to scream, to cry for help.
And then I heard it.
A voice.
Low, gruff, and unfamiliar.
“She’s still alive. Barely.”
I tried to open my eyes, but darkness swallowed me whole.
---
When I woke, everything was wrong.
The air smelled of damp earth and faint ash, and the hum of voices filled the space around me. My body felt lighter, like someone had taken the weight of the world off my chest, but the dull ache in my side reminded me I was far from healed.
I opened my eyes slowly, squinting against the dim light.
I wasn’t in the forest anymore.
The walls were rough stone, the flicker of a fire casting dancing shadows across them. I was lying on a makeshift cot, soft blankets wrapped around me.
Theo.
I shot up, panic flooding my veins, but the pain in my side forced me back down with a hiss.
“Relax,” a voice said, firm but not unkind.
I turned my head and saw him.
A man stood near the fire, his broad shoulders outlined by the flickering light. His face was sharp, rugged, and partially hidden beneath a mess of dark hair. His eyes, cold and calculating, met mine as he stepped closer.
“You’re safe,” he said, his tone clipped.
“Where’s Theo?” I rasped, my throat dry and voice barely audible.
He gestured toward a small basket near the fire. Theo was there, wrapped snugly in a blanket, his soft breathing steady and calm. Relief washed over me, tears springing to my eyes.
The man didn’t say anything else, just watched me, his expression unreadable.
“Who are you?” I managed to whisper.
He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he crouched beside me, his intense gaze locked on mine.
“You’re in rogue territory now,” he said finally. “And if you want to live, you’re going to have to prove you’re worth keeping alive.”
