Chapter 4

The fall had stripped me of thought. All I knew was pain.

My leg throbbed—hot, wet, and wrong. Every heartbeat pulsed through the wound like a reminder that I was still alive. Barely.

A shadow loomed over me. Jaxton.

He dropped beside me, eyes wild. "Gianna!" His voice cracked through the dark.

I tried to speak, but a groan escaped instead.

He ripped his shirt without hesitation, pressing the fabric to my leg. I winced, biting back a scream. The scent of blood was thick now—my blood. It made my wolf curl in on herself, trembling.

Jaxton's hands were firm,…