Olivia’s POV

We raced into the woods, the wind whipping past my ears, the ground blurring beneath my feet. My heart pounded, adrenaline surging as Jerek and I moved in perfect rhythm. I could hear others stumbling behind us—branches snapping, someone letting out a frustrated growl—but we kept going, swift and focused.

Memories replayed in my head. Sweet memories of racing with the triplets in these same woods. Those were the moments when I was truly happy.

“Don’t slow down!” Jerek shouted, his breath steady beside me.

“I wasn’t planning to,” I shot back, pushing harder.

The familiar trees blurred around us, moonlight seeping through the leaves in streaks of silver. I could feel the energy of the race pulsing all around us, but for a brief moment, it felt like just Jerek and me. Free. Wild. Almost like the old days.

We reached the towering oak that marked the halfway point. Its wide trunk stood tall like a silent guardian, roots digging deep into the earth. We didn’t stop—just touched its bark briefly, then pivoted and launched ourselves back toward the yard.

But then—

A sharp, guttural hiss of pain sliced through the air. I skidded to a halt, my boots digging into the dirt. My wolf whimpered; a deep ache pierced my chest as if she felt the pain too. Something was wrong.

“What is it?” Jerek called, stopping a few feet ahead when he realized I wasn’t beside him anymore.

I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. My head snapped toward the sound, and my body moved instinctively, veering off the path and into the thick brush.

“Olivia!” Jerek called after me, but I barely heard him.

The forest suddenly felt too quiet. The air thick, tense. I followed the scent—the faintest trace of blood and something else, something familiar. My wolf was restless now, pacing inside. “Go, go!” she urged, her voice panicked.

I followed the familiar scent, and that’s when it hit me… the smell—it seemed like Lennox’s. My heart beat faster, and I began running, following the trail of his scent.

As I ran, Jerek followed, calling my name in panic, but I didn’t respond. I kept running until the trees parted into a small clearing, the moon casting a silver spotlight on the scene ahead—and what I saw made my blood run cold.

Lennox.

He was on the ground, writhing in pain, his leg swollen and already starting to bruise. Beside him lay the crushed remains of a large, venomous snake—its body coiled awkwardly. The ground was splattered with both venom and blood.

“Fuck,” I breathed, rushing forward.

Anita was kneeling beside Lennox, her eyes wide with panic, her hands hovering uselessly over his injured leg. She looked pale, her lips trembling as tears streamed down her face.

“I—I don’t know what to do,” she cried, her voice shrill and cracking. “I don’t know—”

Lennox grabbed her arm, his face contorted in pain. “The venom… You have to suck it out. Now!”

Anita froze, shaking her head violently. “I can’t—I can’t do that, I—”

“Do it!” he roared, his voice ragged.

But she just kept shaking her head, sobbing, useless.

That was enough for me. I pushed past her and dropped to my knees beside him. His eyes widened in shock as I grabbed his leg firmly.

“What are you doing?” he asked, panting, his skin clammy and pale. “Olivia—”

“Saving your life,” I snapped.

Without waiting for his permission, I leaned down and pressed my mouth over the bite wound. The taste of venom was metallic and foul, burning my tongue as I spat it out again and again, ignoring the sickening taste and the tremble in my hands. I sucked, spat, sucked again, until the swelling stopped rising, and the blood ran cleaner.

When I was done, I tore the bottom hem of my shirt and wrapped it tightly around the wound to slow the spread.

Lennox groaned, his hand weakly grabbing mine. “Thank you.”

I looked at him, my chest heaving—

At that moment, a rustling of branches sounded behind us. Levi and Louis burst through the trees, eyes scanning the scene in alarm.

“What the hell happened?” Levi barked, immediately moving to Lennox’s side, while Louis glared at the dead snake.

“Snake,” I said simply, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. “He got bitten.”

“I’m fine,” Lennox mumbled, wincing. “Olivia came at the right time.”

Louis stared at me in awe. “You did it?” he asked, his voice low.

I nodded, standing shakily. “Someone had to.”

For a moment, Levi said nothing—just stared at me with a mix of emotions swirling in his sea-blue eyes.

Feeling awkward, I turned to Jerek. “Let’s go back.” I didn’t let the words finish before I began running. He seemed to hesitate, waiting for his Alpha’s approval. When Levi nodded in approval, he began racing after me.

We continued racing until we arrived back at the yard, where some racers had already arrived. I arrived first at the arena, but it didn’t feel like a victory.

As I got settled down on the ground, I noticed Lennox being helped by Levi and Louis as he leaned on their shoulders and walked slowly. When the pack saw him, they began to worry, and some warriors moved over to him. From where I sat, I could hear Lennox assuring them that he was fine.

I watched how he was helped to a seat and our eyes met, but I frowned at him before looking away.

“What you did back there was brave and skillful,” Jerek complimented while I shrugged. “You will do well in the medical field, Luna. Trust me.” He added, and I scoffed. “Don’t go there…. I can’t stand people in pain; I will make a terrible nurse.”

Jerek chuckled and looked away.

“Jerek,” I murmured, getting to my feet, “I’m calling it a night.”

Jerek gave me a quiet nod in response, and without another word, I turned on my heel and made my way back to my chambers.