Everything slowed. Not like in the movies. Not dramatic or cinematic. Just... fractured. Muffled. Like someone had taken time and stretched it too thin.
I heard something. A sound full of pain and not human. It twisted in my ears, layered and warped. I didn't know who it came from. I didn't know if it came from me.
Shade didn't move. His weight kept me pinned. It should've been suffocating. But I could feel him breathing. His heartbeat stayed steady against my back. Strong. Solid. Alive.
He wasn't hurt. He was waiting.
Waiting for another shot.
That was the problem. He was protecting me. But no one was protecting the Alpha King's Heir.
I forced my neck to move. My chin scraped the concrete as I twisted just enough to lift my head. My eyes burned as they opened. Blurry shapes formed a
