** Ryder’s POV **

Warmth. That’s the first thing I feel. It rolls through my chest like a slow tide, heavy and consuming. For a second, I don’t even remember what pain feels like.

Then air rushes into my lungs in a violent gasp. The sound tears through the silence, followed by a cough, and the sharp taste of blood that shouldn’t be there. My heart hammers in my chest.

I’m alive. But I shouldn’t be.

The last thing I remember is Remy’s body going limp beneath my hands, then ...