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We tossed through the undergrowth, coming to an abrupt halt when I crashed into a tree. The impact was enough to knock the breath out of me, but I scrambled to stand on my feet, to not give any moment of advantage to our assailant.

I recovered just in time to see him charging at me again, and I dove to the side so he could pass me and ram into the tree himself.

That stunned him, and he teetered for a moment, shaking his head violently back and forth to shake it off. I pounced. As we collided once again, I buried my teeth into the flesh of his haunch, and yanked back hard. The beast howled in pain.

He became frenzied. His body erupted in spasms as he recoiled against the wound. He managed to throw me off, but I paced in a semi-circle and watched him. There was a faint soreness in my ribs from hitting against the tree, my legs throbbed, and I knew Orion was still somewhere nearby, bleeding too heavily to shift.

The wolf’s eyes glinted at me, as if considering his next move. He seemed more mad than intelligent, so I released another resounding growl, threatening far worse injuries if he continued this fight.

At that, he backed away a few paces, eyes trained on me. Eventually, he turned and bounded away, just as silent and fast as he had arrived. Part of me marveled at that unnatural speed. I’d never even seen Jesse, our greatest warrior, run that fast.

But I didn’t linger to consider the outsider any more. I sniffed the air and locked on Orion’s scent, pine and fresh rain with a hint of seawater, and raced to find him.

He hadn’t moved far from my previous battleground, but he had braced himself against a tree. He was hunched over, clutching at his chest. His face was pale, and his breathing was labored. I trotted up to him, still as my wolf, and nudged him gently with my snout.

When he winced, I sprang into action. I lowered myself slightly, ducking beneath his arm and pushing him on my back. When I felt his hands weakly hold onto my fur, I took off in as much of an even pace as I could manage, careful not to jostle him further.

My heart was pounding, rising in my throat like it was trying to choke me. Orion needed shelter; he needed a healer. I felt his grip grow weaker with each step I took. He didn’t have time and neither did I. He was injured because of me, because I let him go alone. How could I have been so stupid–

I couldn’t panic. Orion needed me. Shelter first.

I made my way to a cave I knew sat at the base of the cliffs. The opening was narrow, but inside, it opened to a wide cavern. I kneeled low enough for Orion to slide off gently. He thudded to the ground and I instantly shifted to human form, crouching over him and rolling him onto his back.

The cuts on his face weren’t as bad as I thought. Good. He was healing quickly. I took a deep breath and settled the nerves that were shaking my anxious fingers.

“Diana…” his raspy voice was barely a whisper. He asked, “Are you okay?”

AmIokay?

“Hey you.” I indulged in a small smile. “I’m fine,” I said, looking over Orion’s chest wounds.

He moved, trying to sit up, but I firmly kept him down. “That wolf…” he started, swallowing. “Did he hurt you?”

My smile faltered, and my heart stuttered. I blinked to take him in again, fully this time. His eyes never left mine, and his brows knitted in worry.

“I…” My tongue was useless to answer him in light of this realization. He was barely able to speak, yet he was worried aboutme.

My inability to respond worked him up even more. He struggled against my hand, pushing himself up with surprising strength. He gripped my chin, and the touch flooded me with the heat of our closeness. But I couldn’t move or look away, transfixed as I was on him. He tilted my face to each side, looking me over. “Where are you hurt?” The raspy whisper was stronger now, low and severe. A dangerous threat dancing on the edge of fury. The muscles in my abdomen clenched at the beautiful sound.

I placed my hand over his. “I’m not hurt. A little sore, but I scared him away,” I reassured him, softening my voice to soothe those rough edges that flared in his eyes.

He needed to stare at my face a little longer before he could be convinced. I knew I’d won him over when he managed a stiff nod, and he settled back against the cave wall. He didn’t protest when I peeled what was left of his shirt off to get a better look at the injuries on his chest.

They were not healing as fast as I’d hoped, and my belly twisted as my hands fluttered uselessly above him. My canteen, all my supplies, including a few of Mom’s healing salves, were still in my bag at our stakeout spot.

I didn’t want to leave him alone, even for a minute, but we still needed that stuff.

I would run. I would be quick. I had to.

I leaned back on my heels. “I have to go get our bags,” I said with quiet calm. ”It won’t take long. I’ll be back before you know it.”

Orion seemed to nod, but his eyes were now closed, which made it difficult to figure out if he could hear me. I reached out to caress his cheek for only a moment, a small reassurance mostly for my benefit. His face twisted, leaning into my touch.

ORION

It was difficult to concentrate on words and their meanings. And soon, there were no more words to understand. Only darkness surrounded me, and I seemed to float into it.

Images drifted before me, wolves snarling and baring teeth. One was a stranger, and the other was—