Ryker carried her out of the hospital as if she were made of glass.
She wasn’t healed — not even close — but Dr. Alaric had finally agreed she could recover better at home, surrounded by her pack, her mate, her people. The air outside was cool against her skin, and the sunlight felt too bright after days in darkness, but she leaned into Ryker’s chest and breathed him in.
Home.
She didn’t realize how much she’d missed the scent of pine and earth until now.
When they reached the packhouse, the front doors swung open before Ryker even touched them. The entire pack was waiting — lining the hallways, filling the foyer, crowding the stairs. Warriors stood shoulder to shoulder, omegas pressed hands to their hearts, pups peeked out from behind their parents’ legs.
Every face softened when the
