DANE'S POV
She was beautiful.
Not pretty.
Not cute.
Beautiful.
Her eyes were wide and glassy.
Her lips parted in shock.
Her long hair fell in messy waves over her shoulders.
Her chest rose and fell too fast—like she had been running for hours.
Her clothes were torn.
Her arms had scratches.
Her feet were dirty.
She looked exhausted. Terrified.
But her scent…
Her scent was the most perfect thing I had ever inhaled in my life.
My mate.
My mate.
Just as I opened my mouth to speak, her eyes rolled back suddenly.
"No—wait—"
I lunged forward and caught her before her body hit the ground.
Her head fell against my chest.
Her breathing was fast.
She fainted in my arms.
I stared at her face—stunned, shaken, and overwhelmed—while my wolf whispered softly:
"We found her."
And for the first time in years…
I felt something warm bloom in my chest.
Hope.
Real hope.
I held her tighter, brushing a strand of hair from her face as I whispered:
