I heard Rowan following behind me closely, and Toya and Rick were trailing him. But my entire world had narrowed to the darkness in front of my face. I was waiting for the light change that signified the end of the tunnel.

“Amy.” Rowan reached for my hand, and I grabbed his, threading my fingers into his.

“He’s caught, Rowan. He was caught in a cave-in, and he’s dying.” The panic I was ignoring spiked. My voice trembled as I pulled him after me. “I was inside him, and I know how that sounds, but I was him. I felt the rocks trapping me, and the cries from other trapped wolves.” I stumbled when my foot slammed into the bottom step and my knee bashed into the next. “Fuck.” I caught myself before my face smashed into the stone.

Rowan helped pick me up, and we started up the stairs. “I won’t question if you're sure, because I can hear you are. But do you know if you saw something that’s already happened, something that’s happening right now, or something going to happen?”

His question had my blood freezing in my veins. I closed my eyes for a second. “I wish it were something he had already lived through. That means he had already survived it. But I can feel it in my bones that he’s there now.” I pushed up on the hatch, and it flew open, hitting the ground. I called another wisp to me. The wisp lit up the dark underbelly of the gazebo. I had to find the panel that opened, and when it finally clicked open, I was out. I was running towards the house, and then passed it.

Everyone stumbled out. “Amy?” I turned to see Greyson running towards me with Cass. “Where the heck did you come from?”

I waved my hand. “Where is my dad?”

Cass’s face crumpled. “He’s in the caves.” My heart stopped for a second. “I don’t think he made it, Amy. He hasn’t answered in over an hour.”

I clutched Rowan’s hand tighter. He stepped up. “Why are you here?” He furrowed his brow as he stepped forward a little.

Greyson looked at Cass. “Ronnie sent us to the house to see if there was any news from you.” He looked back at the house. “I was searching for my phone charger when Cass looked out the window and spotted you out here.” He wiped at his face.

“Where is everyone else?” Toya looked behind us. “The house seems dead.”

“Your father and pack are hunting the rogues that escaped the caves before the explosions.” Greyson nodded towards the trees. “We have a gathering point by the caves. The Omegas are running back and forth with food and medical supplies.”

“Why?” Rick pointed back to the houses and the obvious medical building down the street. “Why not bring everyone back home to eat or get treated? It’s safer.”

Cass looked up at my face with tears pooling. “Because no one is willing to leave the Alpha. Every able body is digging out the cave.” I turned on my heel and shifted. Nix's power flowed from me faster than ever before. Her fur flowed down my body. With one leap, I was running on all fours. “Amy! Wait!” Cass called after me. “I can’t shift right now.”

“Then bring the rest. I can’t wait for you.” Nix’s voice called back, colder than normal. Erubus caught up next to me, and we ran side by side. “You followed?”

“Did you think I would leave my mate to save our father together?” Erubus scoffed. “Come, love. I would never leave you to do this alone.” He cut a glance at my face. “But I will say this.”

I looked at him and waited. “What?”

“Once we save your father, our people, and this realm…I would like to go for a run. Just the two of us.” His wolfish grin overtook his face. “Chasing you through the woods again sounds amazing.” His rumble shook the trees as we passed.

If my wolf could blush, she would have in that moment. Focus! I called out to my wolf, and she ran faster. “Focus, mate.” She called back to Erubus. “Let’s save our father before we circle back to that run.” We wove through the trees, and I pushed when I saw the cliff up ahead.

There were lights everywhere in the clearing once we pushed through the bushes. Wolves were running around with arms full of random supplies. Cries were coming from the left, and I realized that there was the makeshift infirmary tent.

The tent was event-sized and, by the looks of it, completely full. Blood filled the air, and normally I would have stopped to check in, but I heard a voice call out.

“Come on, Gav.” Ronnie’s voice was thick. “Answer me.”

I dove from the cliff and half ran, half rolled down the side of the mountain. Ronnie was pressed against the side of the entrance, while wolves moved stone after stone from the cave-in. He looked behind him at the commotion and saw me barreling towards him, and I saw the pain fill his eyes. He stood and held open his arms. “Pup.” His lips trembled, and I saw the fear in his eyes.

And I saw death in his eyes. My father’s death.