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PUCK

Wren’s words burned into me, scalding in a way I knew would leave scars forever. “I won’t go back. You’ll have to kill me first.”

“Bloody fucking hell,” I swore, catching her as she collapsed.

About half the lights flickered on, casting the house in an eerie glow. Our emergency generator had kicked on. It powered some lights, the heating and cooling system, the water heater, and a few other necessities like the refrigerator and security system.

I lifted Wren into my arms. She was so tiny, her form so slight that lifting her took no strength at all. I didn’t want to admit how good it felt to have her body pressed against mine.

Gods, I’d missed her. Keeping a polite distance these past few days had about killed me. But the truth was, she scared the hell out of me. A woman had already destroyed my world. If something happened with Wren, I knew it would ruin me forever.

“What the hell happened?” I barked at Locke .

Wren didn’t stir at my tone. Locke’s face, already pale, went sheer white. “I-I don’t know. I think she might’ve had a PTSD flashback or something. It was like she wasn’t even here. She was somewhere else altogether.”

Those words replayed in my mind. “I won’t go back. You’ll have to kill me first.”

Where had she been, and what had happened to her?

Footsteps pounded down the hallway, and then Kingston appeared, looking furious. “What’s going on?” He froze at seeing Wren in my arms, then instantly charged forward. “Was she hurt? What happened?”

I shook my head. “I don’t know. She freaked out when the lights went out, started fighting me and Locke, and then just passed out.”

Kingston stared down at her, brushing a strand of wet hair away from her face. “PTSD,” he whispered.

As if to agree with him, Wren shuddered against me.

“We need to get her warm. A bath, maybe. Or a shower,” I suggested.

“Bath,” Kingston said instantly. “The one in her room.”

I began moving in that direction. Locke ran ahead, and I could hear the water running before I even reached the threshold. The low light cast everything in a creepy sort of glow.

Wren stirred in my arms, curling into me. Her hands fisted in my tee. The action was so simple, but it dug invisible claws into my chest, pain flaring.

“It’s ready,” Locke said, cutting into my thoughts.

“I need to get in with her,” I ground out.

“Here,” Locke said. “Let me take her. There’s no sense in you getting in with your clothes on.”

I didn’t give a damn about my clothes, but I didn’t want the scratchy material of my jeans to cause Wren any discomfort. It took everything I had to let Locke hold Wren, even for a moment. It was only that we were true brothers—not ones bonded by blood that meant nothing, but ones of choice who had fought through hell together, building a trust that couldn’t be broken—that let me do it.

I gently shifted Wren into Locke’s arms. Then, as quickly as possible, I stripped down to my boxer briefs. “We need to get her out of her wet clothes.”

“I can help,” King said, his voice tight.

Together, we took off her shoes and unfastened her jeans as Locke held her upright. The soggy denim was difficult to pull free without causing Wren any discomfort, but we finally managed it, along with her blouse. I quickly climbed into the bath.

Locke lowered Wren into the water, and she let out a soft moan, her eyelids fluttering as she burrowed into me. My arms came around her on instinct, a protective urge surging to the surface. I’d do anything to keep her safe.

My wolf pushed at my skin, wanting out, wanting to slay whoever had hurt this female. A female I realized he considered his . That knowledge had fear digging deep, its claws seizing my heart. I shoved the sensation down and focused on Wren.

I brushed the wet hair out of her face as she shivered against me. Her eyelids fluttered again, and she looked up at me. But her eyes were unfocused.

“You’re okay. I’ve got you,” I promised. “You’re safe.”

She shuddered again. “Not safe. Dark isn’t safe.”

My arms tightened around her. “Why isn’t the dark safe?” I pressed gently. We needed to know. Had to know who she was running from so we could protect her.

Panic flashed in Wren’s eyes. “They leave me in the dark for weeks. There’s no way out. They hurt me in the dark.”

A snarl sounded from the doorway, and I turned to find Brix there. He looked like he was about to tear the whole damn room apart.