Page 25 of Rescue Me

Zana said she’d be back for lunch. That’s the one thread keeping me tethered right now. Just make it until lunch, I tell myself. She’ll know what to say. She always does.

The faint click of the front door startles me. Her voice drifts through the apartment, low as she talks to someone on the phone. It’s a comfort, hearing her, knowing she’s here. For a second, the weight on my chest eases.

A soft knock on the bedroom door pulls me out of my haze. My body tenses automatically, even though I know it’s her. The door creaks open and Zana steps inside, her presence filling the room in that way only she can.

“Ethan?” Her voice is gentle, but there’s an edge of concern that slices right through me.

I peek out from under the blankets, blinking at her like I’ve just crawled out of a cave. She looks perfect, as always—sharp suit, hair draped around her shoulders, her whole Alpha vibe commanding and steady. But her eyes betray her. They scan the room, lingering on me, and the worry in them deepens.

“You didn’t move all morning, did you?”

I shrug, pulling the blanket tighter around me. “I tried,” I mutter, even though we both know it’s a lie.

Zana doesn’t say anything right away. She crosses the room in a few steps and sits at the edge of the nest, her hand brushing back the curls that have fallen into my face. “You look like you’re about to cry,” she murmurs, pressing a kiss to my forehead.

I let out a laugh that sounds more like a croak. “I feel like I’m already crying, just... on the inside. I can’t focus on anything and I found his Instagram; I think he liked a picture. He knows about me, about us but my head is a mess.”

She frowns, her hand moving to rest against my cheek. “You’re burning up. Is it your heat?”

The question makes my cheeks flush, but I shake my head. “It’s not that. I don’t think.” In fact, the spikes that usually come with my impending heat have all but stopped. My body is hot and I’m irritable but I don’t want to fuck everything in sight.

“How’re you feeling?” Zana kneels beside the bed, her sharp eyes scanning me like she’s trying to diagnose me with just a look.

I try to answer, but my throat feels like sandpaper. When I finally speak, my voice is barely there. “I don’t know,” I rasp. “Like... I’m getting sick or something.” Even saying it feels wrong. It’s not that simple. Her brow knits together as she presses the back of her hand to my forehead. Her touch is cool and I lean into it instinctively.

“You’re warm,” she says, her thumb brushing over my temple. “Might be a fever. I’ll call Dr. Bardin and have her swing by.”

“No,” I croak, the word coming out sharper than I intended. I clear my throat, wincing at the pain. “It’s not that. I don’t think I’m sick.”

Her head tilts and her expression shifts to full-on Alpha focus. “Then what is it?”

I hesitate, trying to find the words, but my chest tightens. Tears sting at the corners of my eyes, and I blink hard, refusing to let them fall. “It’s Reid,” I say finally, my voice shaking. “He’s hurting. I can feel it.”

“Ethan, you can’t carry this. Whatever Reid’s going through, we’ll fix it. We’ll bring him home. But you have to take care of yourself too.”

“I can’t,” I whisper, shaking my head. My fingers grip the edge of the blanket, twisting the fabric. “Not without him. It feels like... like something’s ripping me apart.”

She moves closer, her arms sliding around me as she pulls me upright. Her scent surrounds me and for a moment, it feels like the storm inside me quiets. The tears spill over before I can stop them as I bury my face in her shoulder, shaking as the weight of everything presses down on me. She holds me tight, one hand stroking my back, the other resting against the nape of my neck, her fingers curling into my hair.

“I don’t know how much longer I can do this,” I manage to choke out between sobs. “It’s too much, Zana. I can’t just sit here while he’s out there hurting.”

She doesn’t respond right away, just keeps holding me like she’s trying to shield me from the world. When my sobs quiet, she shifts back slightly, her hands framing my face as she looks at me. “I’m going to be honest with you, okay?”

I nod, sniffling, though her tone makes my stomach drop.

Her jaw tightens, my Alpha looking as exhausted as I feel. “The Wilhelm pack is complicated,” she says. “They’re powerful, connected. It’s not easy to poke around without them noticing. But I’ve been trying. I’ve been pulling every string I’ve got.”

“And?” My voice is barely above a whisper, but the desperation cuts through loud and clear. “What did you find?”

She hesitates, her fingers tightening in my hair. “Their Omega, Hailey, is in heat right now. That’s their focus. Reid... he’s probably not available.”

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. “Not available?” I repeat, my voice trembling. “You mean... he’s with them. With her.”

“Ethan.” She cups my cheek, her thumb brushing away my tears. “I don’t know exactly what’s happening with him, but that’s what I was able to find out. It doesn’t mean—”

“I can’t.” My voice breaks and I pull away from her touch, burying my face in my hands. The ache in my chest sharpens, twisting until it feels like I’m being torn apart from the inside. “I can’t just sit here, knowing he’s there. Knowing he’s hurting. It feels like he’sdying.” I didn’t really put it all together until a few moments ago but the shortness of breath, the inability to focus, thepainisn’t mine. It’s his.

It’s all Reid.

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