Hazel's POV
I woke to tiny fingers poking my face. A weight pressed down on my chest, and I blinked open my bleary eyes to find Pip sitting on me, her small face just inches from mine.
"Wake up," she whispered, poking my cheek again. "I'm hungry."
My brain struggled to piece together where I was. The cave. The children. Orion's absence.
Panic seized my chest as reality crashed down on me. These children were now my responsibility. Four traumatized shifter kids looking to me—a clueless human—for guidance and protection.
"Where are the others?" I asked, my voice still rough with sleep.
Pip pointed across the cave. Leo was attempting to calm a crying Ava, while Milo sat nearby, rocking back and forth with his knees pulled to his chest.
"They miss Orion," Pip said matter-of-factly. "We all do."
I gently moved Pip off me and sat up. "I know, sweetie. But he'll be back soon."
