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“I promise I’ll fix this for you. I’ll kill whoever you want me to kill for her.”

“No,” I said, shaking my head and attempting to push him away again. “No, this doesn’t make sense. This has to be some sort of sick dream. You’re not supposed to want me. You said it yourself. You …”

Davix captured my hand and followed the path that his sister had just run down with Pumpkin and Daisy, heading toward a building near the packhouse, which must’ve been the pack hospital.

“You’re my mate,” he admitted for the first time out loud. “I don’t want to see you cry. Pumpkin is going to be okay, and I’ll kill whoever did this to her. This is my fault, and I’ll make sure I make this right.”

Chapter Sixty-Three

Ember

“Thank you for saving her,” I cried, tears flowing down my cheeks as I stared at Pumpkin in my arms.

Her entire body had several bandages around it, and her breathing was shallow but steady. We walked from the hospital toward Hazel’s house.

“I can’t thank you enough.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Hazel said. “It’s my job.”

“How long will it take for her to heal completely?”

“Several weeks, maybe months,” Hazel said. “So, make sure she gets lots of rest.”

When we reached her house, I nodded. “Oh, I will.”

“I have something for you,” she said, opening her front door. “Wait out here.”

After she disappeared into the house, I sat on one of her rocking chairs out front, cradling Pumpkin in my arms. My fingers gently stroked the fur on the top of her head, rocking her to sleep softly.

I didn’t know if there was a god or gods out there, but I thanked them so fucking hard.

“You’re okay now, sweetie pie,” I murmured to her. “You’re okay.”

Daisy jumped onto the small side table between the two chairs and glanced at her sister. I reached over and scratched her little head, too, because I’d bet she was hurting just as much as Pumpkin. If I found Pavel like this …

I couldn’t even fathom how I’d feel.

A couple of moments later, the door reopened.

“I was planning on bringing this to the party tonight, but …” Hazel said, setting an entire banana bread cake with cream-cheese frosting in front of me. “Cake for breakfast sounds better.”

“For the party tonight?” I asked, sizing up the cake. “What party?”

Hazel’s eyes widened. “Oh shit. I wasn’t supposed to tell you, but Pavel and Cade have been planning a party for your birthday. It was supposed to be a surprise for tonight, but with all this shit going on … I don’t know if they’ll have it.”

Warmth exploded throughout my chest, and a small smile curled my lips. They had been planning a party? For me? For how long? Who was invited? Neither of them had seemed like they had the time for me anymore. Was this really true?

“Really?” I asked.

A giggle left her mouth. “Yes. They invited our whole pack—minus Davix, of course.”

My gaze fell to my knees, and then I looked through the woods, waiting for Davix to return and tell me that this was all over. That the wolf who had done this to Pumpkin was dead. And if he was, then I wanted Davix to come.

He might’ve been the cause of all this, but he had vowed to stop it.

And I sorta might have a soft spot for that alphahole.

Daisy hopped off the table and scurried into the front yard.