A group of soldiers emerged from the burning building, their faces streaked with soot and exhaustion. They carried an unconscious man between them, his body limp and covered in grime. My breath hitched the moment I recognized him.
Cole.
His clothes were scorched and tattered, his once-powerful frame slack with weakness. Soot clung to his skin, and for the first time, I saw him not as the untouchable Alpha, but as a man—battered, vulnerable, broken. My heart twisted painfully in my chest as I stepped forward to check on him.
One of the soldiers, a sturdy-looking man with a streak of blood on his cheek, noticed my concern and offered a reassuring nod. “No need to worry, Luna Bella,” he said. “We got to him in time. He’ll make it.”
I swallowed hard, forcing a weak smile. “Thank you.”
Rel
