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My wolf and I stand over the giant's prone body. Our breath comes out in fast, loud puffs and our heart pounds in our chest. Now that the immediate danger is gone, the tension slowly seeps out of our body, and the feeling of oneness with my wolf goes with it.

Suddenly, it's just me standing alone in the pitch black hallway, unable to see or hear anyone around me. I back up and instinct urges me to run. I need to save Logan and protect him and the pack from whatever the Rogues have planned.

I start moving until I think of Jess, Amaryllis, and her Mom. I can't just leave them here. Not when there's a chance they could get killed.

We need to get to Jess's cell, I tell my wolf. I wait for her to take over again—to guide me—but nothing happens. I can still feel her with me, but she seems content to just lie there and let me do all the hard work.

With a sigh, I focus on getting my bearings. I picture the steps I took to get to the giant and start retracing them from memory. I'm forced to navigate by smell and touch alone, which is pretty hard when everything reeks of blood. The scent is so strong, I'm no longer sure the giant is still alive, but that's the least of my worries.

I jump over him and Amaryllis's mom and head toward Jess's cell. I almost make it, too, when I slam into something warm. The something—or actually, someone—lets out a surprised shriek. It's almost completely drowned out by the alarm, but not quite. Then, something heavy hits my right-front paw and I jump with a yelp.

"No!" a familiar voice wails.

Jess?

Saffron? Thank the Goddess, Jess links back. Even though I hear her voice in my head, it's still almost completely drowned out by the alarm. Weird.

What— I jump back in surprise when Jess grabs my paw.

I dropped the keys, she shouts. Her hand grazes my paw again as she feels the floor. A few seconds pass, and Jess lets out a panicked cry. I can't find them.

I'll help you look! I shift into human form and feel the hard ground. It's covered in dust, and little stones graze my palms.

Let's just get out of here, Jess cries.

We can't. I feel around, searching everywhere: behind me, in front of me, to the sides... but there's no sign of keys.

We'll send back help, Jess begs. Please, Saffron.

We're not leaving without Amaryllis!

Suddenly, the lights turn back on and the blaring alarm stops. Now that no other sound is competing with them, the words "without Amaryllis" continue to pound loudly through my head.

"Rylie?" her mom shouts.

Her voice jolts me back to reality and I realize I'm in a brightly lit hallway, kneeling on the floor in... well, my birthday suit. My long, brown hair probably does a good enough job of covering my nudity, but I quickly shift back into wolf form.

Mom? Mom! Amaryllis cries. She's in wolf form, too, and half her reddish muzzle sticks out of her cell. Are you okay?

I'm fine, baby. Her mom sounds it, too, but one look at her and I know that's not the case.

She's bent over, gripping her side. Blood gushes out from between her fingertips, and her face is pale and contorted in pain.

I run to her, skidding past her daughter's cell. Further down the hall, I spot the giant, lying in a pool of his own blood. I can't tell if he's breathing—if I've accidentally killed him, or if I manage to rip his neck in precisely the right spot—but that's the least of my problems.

"Let me see!" I focus on Amaryllis's mom's wound and shift back to human form, no longer caring if I'm naked.

"There's no time." She pushes my hands away.

"What's going on?" Amaryllis wails.

Her mom gives me a pointed look and lowers her voice to a whisper. "Leave me. Please. Just free my daughter and get out of here," she pleads.

"You're coming with us," I whisper back. "Just let me see your wound."

What's going on? Amaryllis shouts. Mom?!

It's nothing, baby, she yells back, sounding almost normal. Then her voice weakens as she whispers, "Promise you'll save Rylie!"

"I promise." The moment I say the words, the tensions saps out of her, and I know she won't relax until I do. I turn my head. "Jess, do you..."

I trail off. She's rooted in place, her face so pale I think she might be sick. Her eyes dart back and forth from Amaryllis's mom's wound, to the giant, not once straying to what's happening behind her.

The keys are on the ground, just behind her foot, but so is Robbie. His eyes are open, and he's staring straight at me. I wait for him to lunge—to pick up the keys or tackle Jess—but he doesn't move.

"Jess, get the keys!" I cry.

"What? Oh!" Her voice quavers and she looks down. When she spots Robbie, she yelps and lunges. He doesn't even try to stop her as she grabs the keys. "What's wrong with him?"

"I don't know! Just lock him in a cell, okay?"

"Right." Jess grabs Robbie by his feet and starts dragging him into her old cell.

I tense, ready to help the moment he starts struggling, but he's as limp as a doll. The moment he's safely locked behind bars, Jess goes to unlock Amaryllis's cell, and I turn to the girl's Mom. "We don't have much time. Let's do this?"

"Do what?" Her voice sounds weaker now, and she frowns at me in confusion. "What are you—"

"I need to check your wound," I whisper as I gently start to peel her fingers away. "I've helped Dad treat bullet wounds before."

"Your Dad's a doctor?" She chokes on the words, her eyes clouding with pain. She lets out a whimper, but it's masked by the clanging of keys as Jess works on unlocking Amaryllis's cell.

"Sort of." It's not exactly a lie. Dad is a type of doctor and I did help him treat bullet wounds. Okay, they were dogs accidentally shot by hunters, back when Dad worked as a vet, but still. He was often too drunk to do much more than give instructions, so I did most of the actual work. How different can this be?

I take one look at the wound and realize it's much worse than anything I'd ever imagined. Blood gushes out and I can just make out the glint of metal where the bullet's embedded. Deep inside her, past muscle revealed by torn human flesh. At the thought of digging my fingers in there to get it out, I go a little pale.

"Everything's going to be fine," I whisper, more for my own benefit than for hers, but it's the truth. As long as I can remove the bullet, soon, her wolf healing should take care of the rest.

"I know, sweetie." Amaryllis's mom gives me a gentle pain-laced smile and covers my hands with hers. Then there's a loud clang that echoes through the hallway. I turn my head in time to watch Jess stumble back as Amaryllis flies out of her cell.

Mom, she cries, her voice breaking the moment she sees us. She races toward us and shifts mid-step, falling to her knees next to her mom. Long, red hair falls around her body like a robe. Her face quickly turns a matching shade of blotchy red as she starts to sob.

"Rylie, baby, don't cry," her mom whispers, covering the wound with her hands like she's trying to hide its existence. "I'll be okay."

"You're bleeding." Amaryllis whimpers and presses herself against her Mom's shoulder.

"I know, baby. Listen to me." She tilts her head toward the giant. "You need to check that guard's pocket. My cell should be in there. I'll call for help while you run."

"No." Amaryllis shakes her head, sending long strands of red hair flying.

"Yes. I want you girls to get out of here."

"Mom I—"

"There's no time." Her mom shoots her a look that bodes no argument. "Go."

"Not without you." Amaryllis whimpers, sobs racking her body.

Her Mom's eyes fill with tears, too, but instead of speaking to her daughter, she turns to me. "You need to go."

"No." I shake my head, agreeing with Amaryllis. "Your wound won't heal. If I don't remove the bullet, you'll..." I trail off, unwilling to say the word.

"There's no time. I smelled at least a dozen guards—"

"Then we'll carry you out," Amaryllis cries.

Her mom shakes her head and turns back to me. "You're Saffron, aren't you? Logan's mate?" I start to shake my head, but Amaryllis's mom doesn't pay me any attention. "He's here, you know. Looking for you. He's outnumbered, but he'll keep fighting to get to you."

"But he's not—"

"Go. Help him and stop the challenge."

"What challenge?" I whisper, trying to process what she's saying.

"There's no time. Just go! Now!"

❀Questions?❀

❀Comments?❀

✿What did you think of this chapter? 👍/👎?✿

❁ I'm so sorry this update took a long time. I was having a lot of trouble getting this scene right. I hope it turned out okay. 

❁ Would you leave the Mom behind (and send back help)? Or stay and remove the bullet?

❁ What do you think should happen next? [I'm a bit stuck, so I really appreciate any suggestions!] 

❀Halloween Costume ❀ Finish this sentence by tapping the middle button on your phone.  It's different from the one on Instagram: "The best part about Halloween is..."

** I posted a pic of myself on my Instagram, in case you're curious what I look like ;p