Page 26 of Bound By Song (Evie Quad Omegaverse #1)

BLAISE

I ’m not sure what it is, but something’s been eating at me ever since we left.

The drive back to the cottage felt too quiet, like we’d missed something, like we’d done something wrong.

Maybe it’s just the rain or the fact that we’re stuck in a house that’s too clean and too perfect to be comfortable, but I can’t shake it.

I’ve been staring at the damn ceiling for the last half hour, listening to the others talk, but none of us are really functioning.

I swear I’ve eaten all the damn snacks I can get my hands on too and I’m still just as restless.

We’re just pretending to focus, pretending like we’re not obsessed with the woman in the farmhouse.

Finally, I can’t stand it anymore. I stand up, grabbing my jacket from the back of the chair.

“Where the hell are you going?” Xar looks at me, his eyebrows raised, frustration written all over his face.

“I’m going for a walk,” I mutter, and he doesn’t say anything more. I don’t want to be here anymore. I need air. I need space. I need something…a run, I guess, to get my head straight.

I need to stop thinking about her. I need to stop getting involved. She made it clear she doesn’t want anything from us. She’s got her walls up, and I should respect that.

But damn it, I can’t. I may be giving the others shit about their obsession with her, but if anything, I’m worse than they are because I’m a damn hypocrite.

The rain’s coming down in sheets as I sprint through the mud, cold biting at my skin and the wind howling in my ears. I don’t even know where I’m going – only that I have to go. My legs move on instinct, driven by a gut-deep urgency I can’t explain.

Branches whip past me as I charge through the trees, my boots sinking into the soaked earth. I’m not a runner. I don’t work out. I definitely don’t own gym attire . But if I have shoes on my feet, I can run.

Everything is a blur of dark green and grey, the storm turning the world into a churned mess of noise and movement. But I can’t stop. I won’t.

Then – through the trees – I see it.

I skid to a halt, chest heaving, eyes straining through the downpour.

The farmhouse.

For a second, I just stare. I didn’t expect to find it – not like this.

We’ve only ever come here by car, the road winding around in ways I’d never fully paid attention to.

I didn’t realise it was this close by foot.

Without the road, without the usual path, the house feels like it appeared out of nowhere, looming up from the storm-soaked ground like a memory I wasn’t ready for.

And then I see it – movement on the roof. Just a flash, a flicker of someone up there, silhouetted against the slate sky.

My heart lurches.

It’s Eviana.

I stop dead in my tracks, narrowing my eyes, trying to make sense of what I’m seeing. There’s no mistaking it now. She’s up there, right on the edge, crouched low to the roof, her figure barely visible against the dark sky.

I swear under my breath, panic surging through me. What the hell is she doing up there?

“Eviana!” I shout, the urgency in my voice clear even through the rain and wind. My voice cracks as I call her name again, louder this time, my feet moving before I even register it.

She doesn’t hear me. Or maybe she’s ignoring me, too wrapped up in whatever she’s doing up there to listen. I can’t risk it.

“Eviana!” I keep running, my heart hammering in my chest. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

But then – she hears me.

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 fucking terrifies me.

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.”

Xar moves toward us in an instant, his usual confidence replaced by urgency. “Shit. How bad is it?”

“I don’t know.” I feel the words spill out, helpless, desperate. “She’s not waking up.”

Dane kneels down beside her, his hands gentle but quick as he checks her over. His eyes meet mine, and I can see the same worry in his gaze. “She’s just knocked out, Blaise. But we need to get her warm. She might need medical attention too.”

I nod, my heart still racing. “Just get her warm. Please. Make sure she’s alright.”

I feel the pressure in my chest ease slightly as they move to help, but it doesn’t fully lift. I can’t help but stare at her, watching for any sign that she’s waking up.

Please wake up, little omega. I need you to.