Dorothy's POV
I have lost track of how many hours I spent mending fractured bones, closing gaping wounds, and piecing together the broken bodies of these pack members. This pack was in shambles, and I brace myself as I exit the final operating room, knowing more challenges await. Exhaustion claws at the edges of my consciousness, but I refuse to surrender to it. Not yet. Not when this pack still needs me to guide them back from the brink.
Joseph's voice cuts through my fatigue like a lifeline. "Dorothy." The sound alone soothes the raw edges of my spirit. His arms encircle me, and I allow myself this brief moment to breathe in his familiar scent, drawing strength from the steady energy he channels into me.
When I pull away, he releases me without resistance. "Where did Natasha go?" I ask.
"She managed to stabilize everyone here, so I told her to rest and spend time with her mate," he replies, a knowing smirk playing at his lips.
"So no rest for her then," I observe.
