Ash's POV
The hospital room reeked of antiseptic and wolfsbane, the acrid mix burning Ash's nose, setting his nerves on edge. The steady beep of monitors was the only thing breaking the silence, a rhythmic reminder that the man sitting in front of him was still breathing.
Kael sat on the hospital bed, looking far too intact for someone who had failed. His broad frame was tense, his muscles flexing beneath the thin hospital shirt they had given him. He looked capable. Strong enough to fight. Strong enough to be out there searching for Opal.
But he wasn't.
He was sitting in a damn bed, with an IV in his arm while Opal was missing.
Ash's hands curled into tight fists, his claws pricking at his palms. His wolf was barely restrained, clawing at the edges of his mind, demanding he rip Kael apart.
His sister was out there. Alone. Terrified. Taken.
And Kael—the man who was supposed to protect her—had let it happen.
Something inside Ash snapped.
