Chapter 177
Joe's POV
The bus rattled down the narrow, dirt road, the engine groaning like it was on its last breath.
Lily laid in my arms, still as stone. Her head rested against my shoulder, her skin clammy, her lips almost gray. Every time her breath hitched, my heart clenched in panic.
The phone in my pocket vibrated. I shifted her gently and answered. "Yeah?"
"It's me," Xavier's voice came through, steady but low. "I'm right behind you, Alpha. I've got eyes on the bus."
"Good," I said, glancing through the rear window to catch the faint headlights of his SUV.
"We're almost at the main road. We should go straight to the royal hospital…"
"No," I cut him off sharply. "We're not doing that."
There was a pause. "Why not?"
"Because Ivan's in charge right now," I said, my tone hard. "If I walk into that hospital after going AWOL, he'll sound every alarm in the damn pack. He'll make sure Lily doesn't get treatment. He'll come after all of us."
