Ryder pov

I watch Jolie collapse after her third healing session of the day and feel completely useless.

She catches herself against the wall, light flickering weakly beneath her skin like a dying star. Her empathy gift has been running constantly for six hours—emotional assessments, neural pathway rebuilding, trauma processing. She's given everything she has to helping broken wolves become whole again.

And I can't do a damn thing to help.

"I'm fine." She straightens, forcing a smile that ...