The stranger collapsed before they reached the clearing.
Not dramatically.
Just slowly.
Like his body had been surviving on instinct alone and finally realized it didn’t have to anymore.
Darius caught him before he hit the ground fully while two patrol wolves moved forward immediately, tense but controlled.
Nyra felt the relief hit the stranger first.
Then exhaustion.
Then fear.
Not fear of them.
Fear they would send him away.
“He’s burning up,” Arin muttered as she crouched beside him.
The young wolf tried to push himself upright anyway, breathing uneven. “I can still walk.”
“That’s unfortunate,” Darius replied evenly, adjusting the male’s weight over his shoulder. “Because you’re not going to.”
A few nearby wolves almost laughed at that.
Almost.
Nyra stayed still for half
