My face buries into his neck, my arms clutching to him like velcro on a toddler’s shoe. It feels hopeless as he groans, our bodies crushing impossibly closer as I realize he has slammed into something hard. The last time I was this useless was when Tyler died. My muscles clench and my heart aches unbearably as I force my head up. “What is the plan?” I ask him, steadying my shaky voice with fake confidence. I am not helpless, I am not useless, and I do not need to be saved. Not anymore, not after the last time someone died for me. I have spent far too long training to clam up now. “I am thinking.” Hayes growls out over the sound of rocks crashing onto rocks and water surging.”I’ll think while you work.” I say, twisting around in his arms, searching the river banks only to realize that what I thought was a river, angry and full of debris, is not that, not totally anyway.”Any chance you could think a little faster than?” He groan’s his face scrunching in pain.”I’m working on it!” I say, growing more frantic by the second. We need to get away from the center where the current runs strong and deep. But how?Then I spot it, a low hanging tree with a long solid branch as if our names were etched into it, waiting to catch us.”Get us to the side.” I say, tapping on his shoulder. My eyes narrow and set on our target. “Hurry!””I’m fucking trying,” He hisses.”Try harder, Hayes.” I holler at him, panic rising in my throat as we grow closer by the second, yet we don’t seem to move enough to the side and our only opportunity is about to be missed. “How about you carry us over there? Would that be better for you?” He grunts.His wide arms sweep out behind me, our bodies all too slowly moving in the right direction. I lick my lips, leaning back slightly as I try to see if we will line up enough.”Just a little more.” I mutter more to myself as he groans with effort. His muscles grow taut and his shirt breaks free from him, his lycan taking over as its tufts of hair protrude from his skin. I grip onto the good side of his neck and look up, the branch dangerously close. Then I bite my lips, processing what needs to happen.Not only are we not close enough, but the branch is much higher than I had expected. Even in his lycan form, Hayes isn’t tall enough and with no real footing on the ground beneath us, there is no way for him to jump.But I could jump off his back. The only problem is that if it’s too deep when I jump, I risk shoving him under the water and into the current deeper below that will grip him and never let him go.”Shit,” I groan, clenching my fists as I try to focus. “Give in, Kyra. Trust your instincts.”I drop my legs from around Hayes, his lycan letting out a disapproving growl as he fights the current harder, trying to make it to the side. He stops moving his massive paws, finding my waist as he lifts me, and I fly up, my chest crashing into the tree branch as I scramble up and look for him in the mess. S~ᴇaʀᴄh the FɪndNøvel.ηᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.”Hayes!” I scream out, my voice shrill and shaky.When I see the shimmering scars on his body as he surfaces, I wrap my legs around the branch and swing down, ignoring the slice of pain in my skin. I let my lycan take over as she sinks her claws into the top of his wrist, gripping him tightly. The strength of the water is atrocious, a whine escaping my lips, as I fight to keep him in my hands.He shifts back into his human form, his eyes meeting mine with a soft sorry in them. I can do this. I can save him if he would help me and grab my arm. Instead, he just groans and hangs helplessly, my nails making blood drip down his arms and over his chest. I want to scream at him. Tell him to move his ass, but in lycan form, the best I can do is grunt at him and how he understands.”I want this,” he whispers.And then it hits me, like a ton of bricks. This is his out. He has fought to live so far and follow the alpha’s orders. But this move right now from him isn’t one of death, not immediately anyway. He found a loophole, a way out, and he plans to use me as a way to get there. Hurt, anger, and raw fury pulse through me and I find the reserves in my strength to slowly lift his limp body.He shakes his head, giving me nothing but dead weight as he reaches up with his other hand and rests it on my claws.”I am sorry, Ky.” He whispers, his fingers digging into mine as he slowly draws one claw out at a time from his skin.I try to fix my grip but it’s too late; the blood making his arm slick as I try to reach out and catch him with both hands. He yanks his hands down as he disappears into the water. A pained howl breaking from my lips.Then determination tears through me, one bigger than my anger and hurt. I scurry across the branch, leaping down from the tree as I break into the fastest sprint I have managed in my life. Dirt falls out beneath my feet as I sprint as close to the water as I can, barely staying ahead of the sections that seem to crumble just behind me.I can’t lose him. No, I refuse to lose him. Hayes could kick me out of his life all he wants but the thought of a world without him? One where he makes me be the one that takes the blame? I won’t do it.My eyes scan the muddy water, infested with trees and branches, searching for anything from him. He may have found a loophole, but he will still have to make an effort to live, right? He can’t just give up. The alpha’s order is too specific. At least, I hope it is.Something trips up my foot and Itumble forward with a pained cry, my ankle twisting violently as I force myself to keep moving, the stabbing feeling in my bone pushed to the back of my head. There is only one thing I can worry about right now and that is – I see him! Relief and worry wash over me as I see his body float up from under a broken tree. His mangled pants are tangled in branches as it drags him further and faster away from me. By some stroke of luck, the log gets caught up on a massive boulder, teetering more toward my side. Each step feels like one step closer to success until I see the water tremble. A deep crack vibrates under me one that seems to make my whole body quiver. My legs move faster, my eyes focused on the small branch poking out from the log that might just be close enough for me to reach. My claws extend out, my leg steppinginto the water as I hope thope, Close my eyes and clasp it. I yank, fast and hard, dragging it to me. When I look at it, I see Hayes’ face down but close enough to touch. I cut his pants loose and drag him to the side, making sure to give myself the space away from the water. I shift back into my human form, slipping around him as I press my head to his chest. I hear nothing, no heartbeat, no chest sounds, but the mate bond lingers ever so lightly. He has to still be alive if I feel it still. I rise up, crossing my hands over each other as I begin compressing his chest, counting and pumping. Then I stop and pinch his nose, my lips pressing to his as I breathe into him. Then I move back to his chest.”Come on, Hayes!” I scream, tears falling from my face. “You need to wake the heck up!”I move to his lips again, zero hesitation as I press my mouth to his. His jolts, water rushing into my mouth as I pull away and vomit it out. I can hear Hayes coughing and sputtering. His inhale is deep and fast. I turn, my lips quivering and my hands shaking as I fight back a sob. “You’re okay.” I squeak out, throwing myself into his arms, the tears flowing freely.He shoves me off of him, confusion and anger coloring his face as he looks around and then narrows his eyes on me.”What did you do?” He says, dragging a hand over his face. “What did you do?!””I saved you.” I scream at him, rising to my feet, my chest heaving.”Why?” He grits out, eyes full of hatred.”Because you don’t get to use me as a scapegoat out of life.” I tell him.”You didn’t have to come for me.” He says, forcing himself to stand, his hands on his knees. “There is no world, even if I hate you, that I would ever just give up and let you die, Hayes. Ever.””It wasn’t your choice. It was mine, for once!” He roars.”Oh, grow up!” I scream. “Your mate died, so you want to die? Seriously? Get the fuck over it.”He scoffs and looks away, licking his lips before he snarls at me.”My mate was unforgettable, unlike yours it would seem.”His words hit hard, and I stumble back, a hollow laugh breaking from me as tears fight their way out.”Fuck you,” I spit at him. “Get up and start fucking moving. We need to go find Ezrah.”Then I turn my back on him and walk away. A movement on my left-hand-side catches me off guard, my hand flying up to protect myself as pain takes over every nerve in my body and my vision fades to red. “Kyra!” Hayes screams, his voice disappearing as my world fades to black.
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