The Alpha's Vigil

Pale morning light bled through the sterile infirmary window, washing the stone walls in gray.

The ache set in before Valera even opened her eyes. It was a dense, heavy throb locked deep in her bones, a brutal receipt for every claw strike she had taken. A quiet hiss slipped through her teeth the second she tried to shift her weight.

She forced her lungs to expand. The sharp, earthy bite of crus