Page 47

I see her freeze, her head snapping around toward my voice. Her eyes widen in alarm, and I watch in horror as she loses her balance.

No.

Time slows, the world distorting around me as I watch her tumble toward the edge. She flails, her arms reaching out wildly, and I know in an instant she’s about to fall.

Without thinking, my body moves on its own. My alpha instincts roar to life, pushing all rational thought aside.

I can’t let her fall.

I launch myself forward with a burst of speed, my legs pumping beneath me, my heart leaping into my thorax with a mouthful of bile. The world narrows to just one thing: getting to her before it’s too late.

I hear her scream, the sound piercing the air as she plummets. Her body’s twisting in mid-air, and I’m almost there – almost there – but then, just as she reaches the ground, I throw myself forward and catch her.

Her body slams into mine with the force of the fall, and I stumble back, my arms wrapping around her to protect her. We crash to the ground together, my heart racing as I try – and fail – to shield her from the impact.

My breath is ragged as I hold her in my arms, her weight heavy against my chest. I feel the sharp sting of the rain hitting my skin, but it’s nothing compared to the fear gnawing at me.

“Eviana?” I whisper, my voice barely audible over the storm. She’s limp in my arms, her face pale as I feel for a pulse at her neck. Her skin is cold, too cold, and my stomach turns as I realise she’s not moving.

Shit.

Panic floods through me, hot and fierce. She’s unconscious.

I shake her gently, calling her name again, louder this time. “Eviana, please, wake up.”

I know she’s hurt – her head’s got to be spinning from the fall at the very least. Shit! Did she hit her head? I freeze, unsure of how to help. My heart is racing, the panic bubbling up like a rising tide. I need to get her inside, but how the hell do I carry her in this rain, without making things worse?

She’s bleeding.

I can’t see where the wound is, only that there’s a streak of bright red on her face and it fuckingterrifiesme.

The thought of her being hurt, of not being able to do enough to protect her, is too much. My alpha side surges again, demanding action, pushing me to act like I’ve never acted before.

I need help.

I can’t do this alone.

With great effort, I scoop her up in my arms, holding her carefully against my chest. Her head lolls against me, and I’m gripped by the overwhelming need to keep her safe. To make sure she’s alright.

“Stay with me, Eviana,” I murmur, my voice tight. “I’ve got you.”

I don’t know how I manage to make it through the mud, which is practically a bog now, to the porch, but somehow, my legs carry me forward, my mind focused on one thing: getting her inside. Getting her out of the rain. Making her warm so that she wakes up. She’s like ice in my arms. Way too cold. Alarmingly so.

I’m shaking as I reach the door, my fingers fumbling as I try to open it. The rain’s still pouring down, the wind howling, but all I can think about is her. I need her to be okay. I need to know that she’s going to be alright.

Finally, the door opens, and I step inside, my heart still hammering. Turning my head right and left, I spy a sitting room off to my left and head for it, laying her down on the couch. I try to be gentle, but I can’t stop the panic from rising.

“Eviana…” I whisper again, brushing the wet hair from her face. She looks so small like this, so vulnerable.

I can’t lose her. Not like this.

Her skin is too cold. Her breathing too shallow.

My mind races, and I’m stuck, uncertain of what to do next. But then, I hear the door behind me open with a bang, and I look up to see Xar and Dane standing there, both soaked through from the storm.

“What happened?” Xar demands, his eyes flashing with alarm as he takes in the scene.

“She fell off the roof,” I say, my voice hoarse. “I think she hit her head.”