Chapter 1

I jolted awake to the sound of Emma's whimpers. The digital clock on my nightstand glowed 2:17 AM, casting an eerie blue light across my empty bed. Michael hadn't come home again.

"Mommy," Emma's voice was barely audible through our connecting door. My heart lurched as I rushed to her room, my bare feet cold against the wooden floor.

The moment I touched her forehead, fear gripped me. She was burning up, her small body radiating heat that no eight-year-old should produce. Her normally rosy cheeks were flushed crimson, her nightgown soaked with sweat.

"It hurts, Mommy," she whimpered, her eyes glassy with fever. "My bones feel funny."

My stomach dropped. Pre-shift fever. Some pups experienced it before their wolves emerged, though it wasn't supposed to happen this young. Emma was only eight—far too early for shifting. This was dangerous.

I closed my eyes and reached for the mate bond, that sacred connection that should always be there.

*Michael, Emma's sick. Really sick. Pre-shift fever. We need to get her to Healer Jensen now.*

The response came after a long pause, his voice distant and irritated in my mind. *Can't it wait until morning? I'm helping Sarah settle into her new den. She's still traumatized from losing her mate.*

My fingers trembled as they stroked Emma's damp hair. *No, it can't wait. She's burning up. Michael, she's your daughter.*

*You're overreacting, Victoria. Give her some medicine and put a cold cloth on her head. I'll check on her in the morning.*

The mate bond went silent. I tried again, desperation clawing at my throat. *Michael, please. I'm scared.*

Nothing.

Emma moaned, her small body convulsing slightly. I couldn't wait. With shaking hands, I reached for another mind-link, one I'd rarely used but had always found reliable.

*Ryan? I'm sorry to disturb you so late, but it's an emergency.*

The response was immediate, his voice alert despite the hour. *Victoria? What's wrong?*

*It's Emma. She has pre-shift fever, and Michael's... unavailable. I need to get her to the healer.*

*I'm on my way. Ten minutes. Keep her cool until then.*

No questions. No hesitation. Just immediate action.

I gathered Emma in my arms, wrapping her burning body in a light blanket. Her head lolled against my shoulder, her breath coming in short, pained gasps. "Help is coming, baby," I whispered, fighting back tears. "Uncle Ryan is coming."

True to his word, exactly nine minutes later, urgent knocking echoed through our house. I flung open the door to find Ryan, his dark hair disheveled, wearing hastily pulled-on jeans and a t-shirt. His eyes—those steady, kind eyes—immediately assessed the situation.

"Let me take her," he said, gently lifting Emma from my arms. Her small body looked even tinier against his broad chest. "My car's running. We'll get there faster than on foot."

I nodded gratefully, grabbing my phone and following him to his SUV. As he carefully placed Emma in the backseat, I climbed in beside her, cradling her head in my lap.

"She'll be okay, Victoria," Ryan said, his eyes meeting mine in the rearview mirror as he drove with controlled urgency through the silent pack grounds. "Jensen knows what he's doing. Early pre-shift fevers are scary, but treatable."

The quiet confidence in his voice was like a lifeline. I held onto it, focusing on his steady presence rather than the absence that was tearing at my heart.

At the healer's den, Ryan carried Emma inside, his voice authoritative as he called for Jensen. The old healer appeared immediately, taking one look at Emma before ushering us into his treatment room.

"Put her here," he instructed, pointing to the examination table. "How long has she been like this?"

"I discovered it about twenty minutes ago," I said, watching as he checked her temperature and pupils.

While Jensen worked, Ryan stood beside me, his solid presence a silent comfort. When my legs threatened to give out, his hand found the small of my back, steadying me without a word.

After what felt like hours, Jensen administered a special herbal mixture for young wolves. "This will bring the fever down and ease the bone pain," he explained. "She's experiencing an early warning of her wolf, not a full pre-shift. It happens sometimes in strong bloodlines."

As Emma's breathing finally eased, I stepped outside for a moment, needing fresh air. That's when I saw them across the pack grounds—Michael's tall figure, illuminated by the porch light of Sarah's new den. He was carrying an ornately carved wooden chest, laughing as Sarah held the door open. Their voices carried in the night air, her melodic giggle blending with his deep chuckle.

Something inside me cracked as I watched my mate—my Emma's father—so carefree while our daughter lay suffering. The contrast was stark, undeniable, and devastating.

"Victoria?" Ryan's voice came from behind me. "Emma's asking for you."

I turned away from the scene, but the image was already burned into my heart—alongside the knowledge that when my child needed him most, my mate chose someone else.

And when I needed help the most, it wasn't my mate who came running.