Before Gavriel could act, Althea stirred faintly in her sleep. With trembling arms, she shifted closer and clung to the wolf’s thick fur as if it were a pillow. A sigh slipped from her lips, her body relaxing for the first time since she’d collapsed.

“An Eclipser wolf,” Uriel gasped. He quickly raised a hand to stop Gavriel, his voice low but firm. “Leave it. Look, she’s already responding. This is what she needs.”

Gavriel froze, his chest rising and falling with sharp breaths. ...