Alicia was driving with the sun going down in front of her when something hit the car.
There was no warning, headlights in the mirror, or horn, nothing at all. Just an enormous shove into the side of the vehicle, hard enough that the whole world went sideways, and then she was off the road with the wheel jumping in her hands.
Alicia screamed as the car skidded across the tarmac, spinning, sliding, impossible to control. She wrenched at the wheel, but it was useless. The tyres caught, then lost grip, then caught again. Trees rushed toward her like dark sentinels.
The car hit the foot of a tree with a sickening crunch.
Alicia's head snapped forward, and her forehead met the steering wheel with enough force to send a bright flash of white through her vision.
And then everything went silent.
***
Kai had just shut his laptop and was finally reaching for his coat when his phone rang.
The name on the screen made him pause. It was one of the pack doctors.
