Freya’s POV “Ah—!” Jenny’s scream tore through the smoke-filled stairwell, sharp and feral. Her body pitched backward, boots scraping uselessly against scorched stone as gravity claimed her. Instinct made her claw at the air, fingers grasping for anything, anyone, to stop the fall. I moved before thought. My hand shot out, fingers locking around her wrist just as her weight dragged downward. The impact yanked my shoulder nearly out of its socket. For half a second, the world narrowed to pain, heat, and the roar of blood in my ears. Then she stopped falling. Jenny froze, suspended over nothing. Three floors down, firelight flickered like the jaws of a waiting beast. Her eyes snapped up to mine, wide with disbelief. Then—understanding dawned. And she laughed. A shrill, hysterical sound that echoed off the cracked walls. “Freya,” she cackled. “So even now, you save me? Even after I tried to kill you?” Her grip tightened around my arm, nails biting into skin. “Go ahead,” she continued, breathless and wild. “Hate me. Curse me. But you can’t let me die. You won’t. Because only I can save Lina. And you know it.” My jaw clenched. She wasn’t wrong. Lina’s life hung on marrow and moon-aligned stem cells. And Jenny was the only match we had found. No matter how badly I wanted to let go— I couldn’t.The wolf inside me snarled, furious, restrained only by oath and instinct. “You disgust me,” I said coldly. She only laughed harder. “Oh, but even if you save me now,” she sneered, eyes flicking to my throat, “you still have to die.” Her gaze locked onto the blood-red crystal hanging at my neck. The Moonheart Ruby. A relic forged before the packs were divided. A key. A promise. A burden. Her hand came up. A gun. At this distance, even with her dangling weight pulling her off balance, she wouldn’t miss. I saw the calculation flash through her eyes. If I released her now, she would fall. But not cleanly. The angle might let her hit the second-floor landing. Injured, yes—but likely alive. And if I didn’t release her… She could shoot me. Kill me. Then take the necklace from my corpse. She smiled, finger tightening on the trigger. I didn’t give her the chance. I drove my knee upward and kicked hard. My boot struck her wrist with brutal precision. The gun flew from her grasp, clattering across the broken stairs and vanishing into the smoke below. Her expression shattered. “You—!”“You talk too much,” I snapped. “If you want me dead, you’re nowhere near capable enough.” I braced myself, shifting my stance, preparing to haul her up and knock her unconscious. Once she was out, I could carry her clear of the building. That was the plan. Then the explosion hit. The world detonated. A concussive wave slammed into my body, heat and pressure ripping the breath from my lungs. I was thrown sideways, spine crashing into the stone wall with bone-rattling force. The railing beside us shattered. Metal screamed as it tore free. Jenny shrieked. The blast hurled her body outward, beyond the edge of the stairwell. Her entire weight dropped. Now she wasn’t dangling over steps. She was hanging over open air. Three full stories. If she fell cleanly to the first floor, her human body wouldn’t survive. The only thing keeping her alive— Was my hand. Even after the blast. Even as pain exploded through my arm. I hadn’t let go. Jenny finally understood what real fear was. Her voice broke. “Save me! Freya, save me! You have to! If I die, Lina dies too! And your brother—your precious brother—he’ll never forgive himself. He’ll never have peace!”My teeth ground together. Every breath burned. The heat from the fire licked at my skin, smoke clogging my lungs. My vision blurred at the edges. My right leg screamed in agony. I didn’t need a medic to know what that meant. The impact had likely shattered the bone. A fractured leg. Limited time. Limited strength. If I let go now— I could still escape. I could shift, force my wolf to the surface, and leap for safety before the stairwell collapsed. But Jenny would fall. And with her— Lina’s chance at survival. Eric’s hope. My brother’s heart. Was I willing to live with that? Jenny kept screaming, desperation stripping away her arrogance. “You were Iron Fang Recon!” she cried. “You were trained to save lives! Soldiers sacrifice themselves, don’t they? Isn’t that what you’re proud of?” Rage flared. I glared down at her, muscles trembling. “Sacrifice myself,” I growled, “for someone who tried to murder me?”I spat. “You’re not worth it.” Her face twisted, venomous. “Then you’re not afraid your brother will suffer?” she hissed. “Lana isn’t just some patient. She’s everything to him. If she hadn’t fallen ill, they would’ve bonded by now. Mated. I die, she dies. And that blood will be on your hands.” My grip faltered for half a heartbeat. I hadn’t known that. I’d always believed Lana was only his savior. Not his future. Damn her. Damn this choice. I forced the hesitation down. “If you want to live,” I said tightly, “stop talking. I’m pulling you up. Now.” “Yes—yes!” she cried. “I’ll do anything!” I inhaled deeply, bracing myself. Then I pulled. Every muscle screamed. My injured leg nearly buckled, pain shooting white-hot through my body. My arms burned, shoulders tearing as I dragged her weight back toward solid ground. The wolf within me surged, lending strength born of fury and duty. With a final heave, I hauled her over the edge. Jenny collapsed onto the floor, sobbing, shaking, her face streaked with soot and terror. Alive. I dropped to one knee, gasping, clutching the wet cloth pressed to my burns. My leg throbbed violently, each heartbeat a warning. “Get up,” I ordered hoarsely. “We’re leaving. Now.” This was Whitmor territory.Silas was here tonight. Alpha of the Ironclad Coalition. He knew I was in the lounge when the fire broke out. He would move. He would summon emergency units. He wouldn’t let this place burn unchecked. I had gambled on that. I just hoped I’d gambled right. Because my strength was fading. And the fire— Was still hungry.