Page 63 of Sawyer

With that thought, something shifted inside me. A resolve, a determination I hadn’t felt in a long time.

I pushed harder, ignoring the burning in my muscles, the sharp ache in my leg. I ran faster, harder, until everything else faded away.

The pain started to numb, and for the first time in months, it felt like a weight had lifted, like some mental block had been removed.

Suddenly, I was running free, faster than I had in months. The pain was gone, replaced by the sheer exhilaration of speed and strength.

My paws pounded against the earth, and before I knew it, I reached the northern part of our patrol area, the designated finish line for the race.

And I was alone.

I shifted back into my human form, panting but victorious. Garth wasn’t here yet. I couldn’t believe it.

For the first time in what felt like forever, I’d beaten him.

A few minutes later, Garth came barreling through the trees, skidding to a halt when he saw me standing there, waiting for him.

His expression was priceless—shock, anger, disbelief. It was all there.

I smirked, feeling the satisfaction roll through me.

“Better luck next time,” I told him.

Garth’s eyes darkened, his fists clenched at his sides, and for a moment, I thought he might lunge at me.

My body tensed, ready for a fight, but nothing happened. He just stood there, seething.

I turned my back on him, not caring if he was glaring daggers at me. I’d won. For once, I’d beaten him, and it wasn’t just about the race.

It was about proving to myself that I could still do this, that I wasn’t broken. I wouldn’t let him—or my injury—control me.

As I headed back toward the pack house, I felt a strange sense of peace settle over me. The guilt from earlier still lingered, but now there was hope too.

I could fix things with Casey. I had to.

The past didn’t define me, and it sure as hell wasn’t going to define us.

I couldn’t think of anything else but getting to Casey.

The excitement thrummed through my veins, making it impossible to sit still, much less focus on anything else.

I needed to see him, to talk to him, to tell him everything that had happened.

As I drove to Casey’s apartment, my fingers tapped against the steering wheel, my mind racing.

I’d already texted Miles to look after Benny a little while longer, so I didn’t have to worry about anything except making things right with Casey.

The memory of how I’d acted earlier during our hike still stung, but it didn’t matter now. I needed to see him, needed to be close to him.

By the time I reached his building, the energy inside me was almost unbearable. The elevator wasn’t even an option.

I took the stairs two at a time, my leg not protesting even once.

It was as if everything inside me had clicked into place, as though the block that had held me back all these months had finally disappeared for good.

The pain was gone, and for the first time in a long time, I felt free.

Before I knew it, I was standing outside Casey’s door, my heart pounding as I knocked.