The transition from unconsciousness to reality was a slow, painful crawl. I woke to the sensation of biting cold air and the rhythmic, heavy thud of a heart that wasn't mine. For a terrifying second, I thought I was back in the forest with Ethan, but the scent was all wrong. There was no sandalwood here. Only the sharp, electric tang of a mountain storm.
"I... I can walk," I croaked, my voice sounding like it belonged to someone else.
The steady movement stopped. I looked up and found myself staring into the dark, bottomless pits of Demetrius’s eyes. He didn't look tired, despite the miles he must have carried me through the mountain passes. He looked at me with a clinical, intense focus that made my skin prickle.
"Your wolf is dormant," he said, his voice a low rumble. "The shock of a
