Page 30 of Explorer’s Revenge

TWENTY-EIGHT

AIYARET

M y head jerks up at Maeve’s words, and I see my entire team turned toward us. My heart slams in relief. I didn’t want to admit it to her, but I was terrified we were alone down here or, worse, something happened to them. They rush toward me, and I pull her back, warding them off.

“Careful, Maeve is hurt pretty badly.” That slows them down before they gather around us. Wilder gives me a look, and I nod before he glances at Maeve, his eyes widening when he sees the damage.

“Fuck,” he hisses.

“Shit, I must look terrible if your expression is anything to go by, or are you that kind to all the girls?” she replies.

Way grips my arm, checking me over frantically.

“I’m okay, just a bump to the head. Maeve saved me,” I say.

“What happened?” Wilder asks, his eyes on Maeve’s leg.

“Oh, you know, I just look so fucking tasty that some ancient fucking monster of a croc decided to eat me,” she replies, and all gazes swing to her. “Not joking.”

“She isn’t,” I murmur. “It attacked me too, knocked me out and dragged me to its feeding ground where Maeve was. I don’t remember much, but it was fucking massive.”

“And angry,” she adds. “We’re lucky to be alive, but I’d like to keep it that way.” She glances over her shoulder into the tunnel, and I get her meaning. We need to get out of here as soon as possible.

“Let’s get away from the tunnel,” I comment, and she nods, taking another step, but Wilder suddenly scoops her up and carries her away, ignoring her protests. He places her gently on a rock near the ropes.

I follow them over, but Way pulls me to a stop, running his eyes over me with so much worry, I soften and let him.

Way cradles my head, turning it left and right, running his hands over every inch of me.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asks. “Aiyaret, is anything hurt?” He finds every scrape and cut, and I can’t help but smile as I watch him.

He looks so worried and uncharacteristically serious that my heart skips a beat.

Is Maeve right?

This isn’t the time to think about it, that’s for sure, but then his hands grip my cheeks and he leans in, resting his forehead into mine. “I was so fucking scared,” he whispers. “Don’t ever do that again, you hear me?”

“I’m sorry,” I respond, but I refuse to make that promise, and he notices. Reaching up, I grip the nape of his neck and hold him for a moment. “Thanks for coming for me.”

“Always,” he murmurs, holding my gaze. “What are friends for?” The way he stumbles over the word “friends” has me recalling Maeve’s observation. Is she right? Have I been ignoring this all along?

The searching look he gives me makes me release him and step back, and I head over to Maeve to see how she is.

Way’s hand slides down my back to my waist as if he thinks I’ll disappear again.

It’s comforting, so I don’t say anything.

Instead, I lean into his touch, needing his support after everything that happened.

Wilder is crouched next to Maeve, his bag beside him as he eyes her wounds before reaching for her leg and turning it back and forth, making her hiss.

“Wilder!” she snaps, smacking his hands away as he sits back. “Ignore it. I’ve survived so far. We need to get out of here before it comes back, okay? We can worry about me losing my leg once we are out of this hole.”

“You could bleed out before we get up there,” he retorts, refusing to back down, “so shut the fuck up for once, Carter, and let me deal with your injury.” His touch is soft as he pulls her tourniquet away. “Shit, this must be so painful.” He eyes her anxiously. “Did you sew this?”

“With my shoelace. It was better than bleeding out.” She leans back, clearly feeling weak, and Rick drops to his knees, letting her lean back into him as Logan crouches on the other side.

“That’s hardcore,” Rick teases.

Wilder smirks slightly as he opens his bag. “You saved your own life, so I guess you aren’t a total idiot.”

“Really? I nearly got eaten, and you’re still an ass?” she complains as he douses the wound with cleaning fluid, making her jerk and scream.

He grabs her neck, eyeing her hard until she stops. “So fucking weak, Carter. I thought you were hardcore.”

“I fucking am,” she growls, and I know he’s starting a fight to distract her from what he needs to do.

Turning to his bag, he pops something and hands it to her. “These are strong, and they might make you feel sick, but it should block the pain for a while.” Without asking any more questions, she throws them back as Wilder lays out what he needs, and then he looks at her.

“Fucking do it,” she grumbles.

“I’m going to need to clean it again. I’ll keep your stitches in. There’s no point in agitating the wound and reopening it, but we need to bandage it. I have some antibiotics as well as adrenaline. It will help with shock and fatigue, but it’s going to make you crash later and feel like shit.”

“Wilder, just fucking do it,” she orders, and he nods.

He’s the best person to deal with this. He even started med school before dropping out, but her wound is extensive. He’s clearly concerned, but he doesn’t say it as he starts to clean and dress it.

Her scream echoes around the cavern once more before she cuts it off, turning her head and burying it in Rick’s chest to muffle it so the creature doesn’t hear.

When Wilder sits back, she slumps and pants as she turns her head to see her leg.

It’s wrapped as best as he could manage. That’s about all we can do down here.

“Don’t worry, you’re still as hot as ever,” Logan teases, making her grin despite the pain.

Wilder loads up a shot and then looks at her. “You’re a pain in the ass, Carter, you know that?”

“You bastard.” She groans as he stabs her with the adrenaline, making her narrow her eyes on him. “Prick,” she finishes.

“There, that’s all we can do here. We need to get you to a hospital as soon as possible. Can you climb up the rope on that leg, or should we create a pulley system?”

“I’ll be fine,” she snaps as she sits up. “Don’t worry, I won’t slow you down. Let’s get the fuck out of here.” Despite her words, when she stands, she slips, and Rick catches her.

“I’ll tie her to me,” Way offers. “I’m the strongest. I can get her up there.”

“I’ll be fine,” she promises.

“No, you won’t,” Way says, his voice soft. “It’s okay to need our help.” He looks at me and then at her. “Let me do this.”

I can tell she hates it, but she nods, her shoulders slumping in defeat. “I’m sorry,” she murmurs.

Wilder claps her shoulder, being surprisingly gentle for once, as he slings his bag over his shoulder.

“You can pay us back later, Carter. Stop being so stubborn.” He heads over to the ropes.

Rick and Logan follow to help him set them up, and I walk to her side, offering her my arm.

She leans into it with a grateful smile as Way comes to her other side, offering his.

“Lean on me.” The rest of his words are unsaid—instead of me .

She begins to let go, and I cover her hand. “It’s okay,” I assure them. “Are you okay?”

“Peachy,” she teases. “I know I’m damn tasty, but this motherfucker couldn’t have gone for one of you? More meat. Idiot.”

I laugh, and when I look up, Way is frowning and glancing between us, but when he sees me watching, he clears his expression. “You’re lucky to be alive,” he says.

“Don’t I know it,” she replies tightly. “I wouldn’t have made it without Aiy.”

“You would have,” I reply. “You’re Maeve fucking Carter, remember?”

“Too right. Alright, let’s do this. Get me the fuck out of this hole.”

Way and I help her to the ropes. She seems to walk better as time passes, so I guess the drugs are kicking in. Once there, we hook Way up first and then start on Maeve, ready to tie them together, but a hair-raising growl fills the air, making us freeze.

We turn just in time to see a huge shape lunging from the shadows.

I push Way and Maeve away just as it snaps its maw between us, where they were just standing.

I hit the ground hard, its massive body before me. Its green scales are bigger than the palm of my hand.

Its tail slides across the rock as it curls before the creature looks at them.

“Run!” someone yells.