Page 33 of The Pack

“You didn’t kill him,” I said quietly, stating the obvious.

Thorne’s pale eyes darkened. “No. I didn’t.”

Killian leaned back against a log, his grin returning, though it lacked its usual mischief. “Saved my life though,” he quipped.

“You know what happened after I saved his life?” Thorne said, glancing at Killian with mock affection. “The fucker bit me.”

“You’re welcome,” Killian added.

Thorne snorted. “You’re lucky I didn’t finish what I started.”

“You’relucky you didn’t,” Killian shot back.

“Both of you are lucky I don’t gag you,” Magnus said dryly, his tone laced with irritation.

Despite myself, I let out a soft laugh. It wasn’t much, but it eased some of the tension knotting in my chest.

Magnus leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on his knees as he looked at me with those piercing silver eyes.

“We were some of the first,” he continued. “The first wolves after the Collapse. Back when the virus tore through Ireland and the world didn’t know what the hell was happening. When the wolf virus hit, most of the infected went feral. They couldn’t control the change, couldn’t keep a hold of their humanity. They became animals. Predators. Monsters.”

Tobias let out a low, bitter laugh. “And the ones who didn’t go feral? The ones like us? We were hunted like animals anyway. People didn’t care if you could think or talk. If you shifted, you were a threat.”

“They were scared,” Callum added, his voice softer. “And honestly? I don’t blame them. The ferals destroyed everything they touched. Families, villages, entire cities.”

Magnus nodded, his gaze never leaving mine. “We were different. Stronger. More stable. We survived, but it wasn’t easy. People turned on each other. Governments collapsed. Ireland fell faster than most places because the virus spread too quickly to contain. And when the British decided they didn’t want the mess spilling over to their side of the water…”

“They used us as a dumping ground,” Killian finished, his golden-brown eyes gleaming with anger. “All their problems? All the infected they didn’t want to deal with? They sent ‘em here.”

“Wait,” I said, holding up a hand. “So you survived through all of that?”

“Yes,” Magnus said simply.

“Very few wolves from that time are still alive. Most went feral, were hunted down, or didn’t survive long enough to figure out how to control the change,” Thorne interjected, his eyes sharp and cold.

“We stuck together. That’s the only reason we’re still here,” Callum said with a faint smile.

“Doesn’t hurt that we’re tougher than most,” Killian added, his grin returning. “And smarter, and better lookin’.”

Tobias shot him a glare. “Shut up, Killian.”

I glanced at Magnus, who was still watching me with that unsettling calm. “And me? Where do I fit into all of this?”

“That’s what we’re trying to figure out,” he said.

I hesitated, the words catching in my throat. “I don’t even know where I came from. Why I’m here. I can’t remember.”

Magnus’s eyes narrowed slightly. “You sound like you’re from England, but it doesn’t make sense. England doesn’t send humans here, they only dump shifters.”

I frowned, trying to remember something, anything that could explain how I’d ended up here, but my memories were so hazy, it was like trying to grab smoke with my hands. All I could remember was that face… My brother’s face…

“They dumped me here?” I asked, my voice quieter now.

Thorne spoke up, his tone clipped. “We don’t know for sure, but it’s the most logical explanation.”

“But why wouldn’t I remember?” I asked, looking between them. “If they sent me here, why can’t I remember anything before waking up in the woods?”

“Memory tampering isn’t unheard of,” Magnus said, his voice calm, but tense. “Especially if they wanted to make sure you didn’t know too much about where you came from—or why they got rid of you.”

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