Land of Wolves

Chapter 60

I plant my good shoulder into the door and shove at it, desperate to get inside. It's next to impossible, and panic works through me as I put all my weight against the door and open it just enough to slip inside.

My eyes land immediately on the crumpled man on the floor, and I let out a loud squeak as I rush toward Adam. He's lying in his stomach, unmoving, and I struggle to contain myself as I press my fingers to his neck to check his pulse.

My hands shake, and I drop my forehead onto his chest as I feel the slight pulsating underneath my fingers.

Thank fucking god.

"What happened to you?" I whisper, my voice so low I barely hear it myself.

Adam doesn't move, and I hesitate before grabbing his shoulder and trying to roll him onto his back. The man's fucking heavy, and my arm screams in pain as the pulled muscle is pushed to its limit. I don't care, and I continue shoving at Adam until I've got him on his back.

His eyes are half open, and I pry open his eyelid to see if he's alert. He's not, and I slide my shaky hands down his torso in search of any injury or explanation. There's nothing, and I grimace as I slide my attention to his neck.

I don't find any blood or holes that would signify he was drugged, but I imagine those wounds would have likely healed by now.

What happened to him?

Tears fill my waterline, and I fight not to let them spill as I search Adam again for any injury. I still don't find anything, and I cup his cheek before pushing his knotted hair out of his face and planting myself on the ground between him and the door.

If any guards try to come in here and touch him, they'll have to go through me first.

I don't care how this may look to HPAW, my eager defense of the man I claim to hate, and I'm too anxious to dial back my concern.

Did they do this because I told Dan the lie about the poison in their teeth? My back sweats, and I hold my breath as I reach for Adam's mouth and pry my fingers between his lips. He doesn't fight me, his muscles limp as I open his jaw and peer inside.

All his teeth are still intact.

I can't imagine what other reason they'd have to come in here and knock him out. Dan said they were going to begin testing tomorrow, and HPAW isn't known to deviate from their plans. If they were decided on tomorrow, they would wait until tomorrow.

Adam's chest rises and falls in a slow, even rhythm, and I place my hand on the center of it as I direct my gaze toward the door.

If he were going to die, he'd be dead already.

I remind myself of that fact as I count his breaths. Their pattern is the only thing keeping me from losing my mind right now, and I shut my eyes and force myself to breathe at the same slow rhythm in a sad attempt to calm down.

It doesn't work, unsurprising, and I practically leap to my feet a few hours later when Adam finally lets out a quiet groan. My neck cracks with how hard I snap my head toward him, and I shuffle onto my knees as his eyes flutter open.

His dark brown eyes meet mine, and I let out a sigh of relief when they narrow and flicker around the room. He tries to lift himself into a sitting position, and I reach forward to help when I notice how badly his arms are shaking.

"What happened?" I whisper.

Adam doesn't immediately answer. He licks his lips and runs a hand through his hair before leaning toward me and sniffing. I'm sure I still carry the faint scent of his mate, but it's probably mostly dissipated by now.