65. Carmichael (Lexi POV)

Standing in the medical tent, I felt like I'd been swept up in a cyclone of unbelievable events. This morning, I had walked into the arena with the intoxicating scent of damp earth and the musk of wolves filling my nostrils. Every eye was fixed on me, sensing my unfamiliarity like bloodhounds on a scent. Luke had warned me, but experiencing it firsthand was different.

Then there was Colton Corbin, that strangely nerdy "Alpha" who had talked down to me like I was an intruder. I felt like shaking him and telling him he had no idea who he was dealing with.

And that fight, my God, the brutality, and the raw display of power all swirled around me, leaving me unsteady.

My eyes shifted to Clay, wincing instinctively as the needle punctured his skin for another stitch. I couldn't detach myself from the unease that tightened my stomach with each new stitch that brought him relief. It was as if I was mirroring his physical pain in an emotional maze I hadn't yet navigated.

The healer interrupt