Page 161 of Found by the Pack

The voice cuts through the fog, familiar and warm. I try to lift my head, but it barely moves. I blink, focusing, and I see them—Gabe. Boone. Sadie.

I try to speak, my throat raw. “Sadie…”

She’s there, closer than I expected, kneeling by the bed. Her hair is mussed, eyes bright and wide, hands gripping mine like she’s afraid I’ll vanish.

“Shepard,” she says softly, voice trembling, “you’re awake.”

Everything is swimming. My chest tightens. My stomach twists. The pain is real, yes, but so is the relief.

The memory of her, that scream, the video—it all overwhelms me. I remember nothing but her. My hands twitch as if I could reach out and pull her closer through the haze.

“What… happened?” My words are raw, broken, but urgent. Fear and anger and concern all wrapped into a single breath.

Gabe steps forward, his hand brushing my shoulder. “You were hurt pretty bad. Elias got you out of there, brought you here safe. You’re lucky. Real lucky.” His voice is calm but carries the weight of everything that happened.

“Safe?” I echo, confusion thick in my throat. “What about… her?”

Sadie squeezes my hands, and my pulse spikes. “I’m okay,” she whispers.

Relief floods me, sudden and sharp. My body shakes, weak and raw from pain and fear and adrenaline still coursing through me.

“They got me… Gabe and Boone—they all came. The town came. No one let them take me.”

I try to sit up, but Gabe’s hand on my chest stops me. “Easy,” he says. “You’ve got a lot of recovery to do. And Shepard?” His gaze softens, but it’s firm. “Right now, the only thing you need to do is breathe. Rest. We’ve got a lot to rebuild.”

I swallow hard. Everything—the fire, the chaos, the fear of losing her—slides in all at once, heavy and real. I look around.

Boone’s leaning against the wall, eyes scanning, protective. The others stand quietly, some wiping sweat from their brows, some just watching me.

They were all there. Every one of them fought for her, for me, for us.

“I… I don’t remember anything,” I whisper. “Just… her.”

The words taste of guilt and wonder. She’s here. She’s alive. And that’s all that matters.

She shakes her head, a small, almost imperceptible smile tugging at her lips. “That’s all that matters, Shepard. You’re awake now. That’s enough.”

Gabe steps closer, resting a hand on my shoulder. “The fire’s under control. Driftwood… it’s going to take time, but we’ve got people working on it. You focus on getting better. We’ll handle the rest. All of us. You’re done for now.”

Boone leans in, voice low but steady. “We came for her. And we came for you. Nobody got left behind. Nobody.”

I feel tears prick my eyes—frustration, relief, gratitude all colliding. The fear, the pain, the adrenaline, the panic—it all washes out, leaving me raw, exposed, and utterly overwhelmed. And through it, the only anchor is her hand in mine.

“I…” I start, but words fail me. My chest is too tight. My body is too weak. But the warmth from them, the safety, the sheer force of their presence, makes me believe in survival again.

Gabe gives me a small, tight nod. “Rest. We’ve got your back. Always. Just focus on healing. You’ve got a life to get back to—and we’ve got a town to rebuild. Together.”

I nod, exhausted. Safe. Alive. She’s safe. They’re safe. For the first time since the fire, since the chaos, since being helpless and trapped, I allow myself to breathe.

Because even if the world has been torn apart, we’re still here. All of us. Together.

Epilogue

BOONE

The sun is barely touching the blinds when I wake to the smell of sex and sweat and her—Sadie—alive, warm, and tangled with Gabe. The sheets are a mess of limbs, skin slick and sticky, and my chest tightens at the sight of them.

Gabe’s hands are all over her, sliding over her curves, his mouth brushing along the sensitive skin of her neck, and she’s moaning low and soft, tiny whimpers that make my stomach coil.