"Ben, bring her over here," Rayna called out to me sharply, catching me off guard for


    a moment. "I want to examine her leg before the truck arrives. Maybe there''s something I can do to help.” She then turned her gaze to ra. “I trained with healers back home. I''m better with pups, but battle wounds weremon enough that I learned how to treat them."


    Without even seeking ra''s permission, I trusted my Lunapletely and moved toward her, gently lowering her to the ground. Jason handed me a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, and I nced at him with a questioning look. Tilting his head toward my mate, I suddenly realized she was sitting therepletely exposed in front of all our people—and theirs. He was offering me a lifeline, a way to keep my fraying nerves from snapping. A flicker of jealousy surged through me, sharp and unwee.


    “Here,” I said softly, squatting down and holding the shirt open for her.


    "Is that really the most important thing right now?" she snapped, then winced sharply as Rayna touched a sensitive spot.


    “Just put it on,” I growled, my voice low and firm.


    She growled back, though I couldn''t tell if it was directed at me or Rayna. Closing her eyes tightly to manage the pain, she gave me the opening I needed. I slipped the t-shirt over her head and carefully pulled it down her shoulders. At least now she was mostly covered. She must have been too exhausted or hurt to argue because she slid her arms into the sleeves without another word.


    Two vehicles pulled up shortly after. We loaded Jax and Dev into one, alongside Tommy and Jason. Jeremiah tossed the unconscious rogue we''d captured into the trunk. I climbed into the back of the second vehicle, with a protesting female Alpha sitting firmly on myp. Rayna climbed in on the other side, cradling ra''s legs in herp to stabilize them. Jeremiah took the front seat.


    My patiencested barely six seconds before I snapped, "Do you have any idea what kind of danger you put yourself in?" I didn''t care who overheard; they all needed to hear it.


    “Yes, Beta, I do. I face it every day. That''s my job." She then turned to Jeremiah. "Your suspicions were correct. Something''s going on at the waterfront. We didn''t get a chance to investigate fully. We picked up some strange scent trails and were heading back to get all of you to help with a proper sweep,” she met my gaze squarely, “But we were ambushed. We''ll need to conduct a thorough search of the area..."


    "When the healers clear you and Dev for duty," I finished her sentence firmly. “Don''t give me that look. You know you can''t fight right now; you''d be a liability and risk getting people hurt."


    "Alpha? I just had this car detailed. I would appreciate it if you refrained from spilling blood in here,” she said with a dry smirk. And just like that, the little bubble I''d been in with my mate burst. I''dpletely forgotten we were surrounded by others. Plus, he''d just implied she was going to make me bleed. I didn''t understand why she was so pissed at me for stating the obvious. Or maybe she knew I was right and hated that even more. That thought brought a small, satisfied smile to my lips. My wolf purred softly when she rested her head on my shoulder, and I chuckled when I heard her mutter "asshole" under her breath.


    The ride to the pack hospital passed without incident. The healers confirmed all our assessments. The lead healermended Rayna for her skill in positioning ra''s leg so it could be set properly. The next battle came when the healer informed ra she had to stay overnight. Dev was given the same news. His wound was infected with something, and he was reacting badly. The healers were taking samples and monitoring him closely. Whatever the rogues had on their ws had done serious damage. When ra found out, I thought she might tear the room apart trying to leave. Her wolf was so furious that I had to sit beside her on the hospital bed, holding her hand firmly and calming her through the mate bond. The curious nces from the staff didn''t bother me one bit. She was on the verge of hurting someone with her reckless impulsiveness. The healers finally left after I promised to stay and keep watch. She wasn''t going anywhere.


    "I don''t need a savior, Ben!" she snapped fiercely.


    "You clearly need something!" I shot back. “You pushed yourself so hard trying to prove something that you got hurt. And it could have been much worse."


    "Don''t act like you''ve never broken a bone in a fight," she retorted.


    "I''ve never walked into a situation blind," I said firmly.


    "There isn''t always time for endless nning," she said, swatting the mattress impatiently. "Sometimes you have to face things head-on. That''s the best approach right now because we know absolutely nothing about what''s going on—and it''s clearly not just in my pack."


    She tried to get up again, but I stopped her. "Sit down, or I will sit on you. Stop making my job harder."


    "I''m not your job! Go follow your Alpha around,” she shot back.


    I ignored her outburst. “Speaking of following an Alpha-where were your Beta, Gamma, and Delta? They should have been with you, Jax, and Dev. They should be here right now." She crossed her arms and turned her head away. Just as I suspected—she hadn''t told them. The real question was why. Was it because she was trying to prove herself? Or was it because she didn''t trust them?