Ruby's POV
Carter’s breath had evened out, but his movements were still slow,tentative, like someone walking across cracked ice.
The wound Chloe had cleaned was stitched neatly, wrapped snugly, and healing clean. But underneath, I knew the damage ran deeper than what we could see.
Still, he refused to rest for more than a few hours at a time.
It wasn’t pride. It wasn’t even stubbornness, not really.
It was urgency.
He knew what I knew,that time wasn’t something we could stretch. Jake would be regrouping. The longer we stayed still, the more exposed we were.
But I wasn’t about to let Carter bleed out trying to be strong.
Not on my watch.
“Sit your ass back down before I knock you out myself,” I warned, stepping in front of him as he tried,again,to push himself to his feet without
