AT THE SAME TIME
JAXON'S POINT OF VIEW:
I watched him run, crashing through the brush like some wild creature desperate for freedom. His scent lingered in the air sweet, laced with adrenaline and fear. He was fast, but not fast enough.
"Damn it, he's heading for the cliffs!" Michael shouted, picking up speed beside me.
His eyes were sharp, calculating the distance between Xavier and the ledge that stretched out just beyond the tree line. I cursed under my breath, pushing harder.
"Xavier!" I growled, voice echoing through the trees.
He didn't slow down. If anything, he ran faster, feet skimming over roots and jagged stones as if he was weightless.
"Stop! You don't know what's up there!" I called again, but the only answer was the rustle of leaves and the crack of branches snapping underfoot.
We broke through the last line of trees just in time to see him skid to a halt at the edge of the cliff. His arms flailed for balance, and I felt my heart leap into my throat.
"Xavier, don't move!"I shouted.
He turned back to look at me, eyes wide and desperate, breath coming in sharp bursts.
"Stay away!" He shouted, voice cracking. "I don't want this, I don't want any of this!"
"Xavier, just step back slowly." Michael said, hands raised as if he were talking to a spooked animal. "The ground is unstable there."
But he wasn't listening. His eyes darted between us and the drop behind him. The wind picked up, tugging at his hair, and the cliff edge crumbled just slightly beneath his heel.
"Xavier!" I lunged forward, but it was too late. His foot slipped.
The world seemed to slow as he stumbled backward, arms windmilling. His mouth opened in a scream, eyes going wide with terror. I reached out, fingertips grazing the air where he had just been. But there was nothing to grab, nothing to hold. He fell.
"No!" The word tore from my throat, raw and broken.
I sprinted to the edge, eyes locked on his body tumbling through the air, crashing through branches before disappearing out of sight. Michael was right beside me, his jaw clenched, fists tight.
"We need to get down there. Now."Michael shouted.
I didn't wait for him to say it twice. I leapt down the slope, nearly slipping as loose rocks scattered under my feet. Branches whipped against my face, cutting into my skin, but I didn't stop. I couldn't stop. His scent, fear, pain were still fresh. He was alive. He had to be. We reached the bottom in what felt like an eternity and mere seconds at the same time. Xavier lay crumpled against the trunk of a massive oak, limbs sprawled, hair matted with dirt and leaves. Blood seeped from a gash above his brow, pooling beneath his head. His breathing was ragged, shallow.
"Xavier…" I whispered, stumbling forward and dropping to my knees beside him.
My hands hovered just above his skin, afraid to touch him, afraid I hurt him more.
"Hey, come on." Michael said, kneeling down opposite me. His hands were steady, moving to check Xavier's pulse, his breathing. "He's alive."
Relief slammed through me, harsh and overwhelming. My hands found his shoulders, squeezing gently.
"Xavier? Can you hear me?"I asked.
He groaned, eyes fluttering, but they didn't open. His lips parted, just slightly, a whisper of breath escaping.
"We need to get him back." I said, voice shaking. "Now."
Michael nodded.
"I'll carry him. You make sure the path is clear."
"No." I growled, sliding my arms beneath Xavier's limp form. "I've got him."
His body was warm, fragile in my grip, and I cradled him to my chest like he might break. His head lulled against my shoulder, and I bit back the swell of emotion threatening to choke me. Michael watched for a second before nodding.
"Fine. But let's move."Michael said.
I didn't waste another second. With Xavier held tightly in my arms, I pushed forward, feet slamming against the earth as we retraced our steps back to the surface before I noticed something.
Blood. It was everywhere on my hands, seeping into the edges of Xavier's white shirt, staining the dirt beneath him. I couldn't think, couldn't breathe past the iron scent that clung to my nose and tongue. His head lolled against my shoulder, streaks of crimson trailing down from the cut on his brow. His breathing was ragged, each exhale sounding more fragile than the last.
"Shit…shit…Michael, we need to move, now!" I snapped, my voice cracking under the pressure of panic.
Michael's eyes were wide, his hands trembling slightly as he brushed leaves off Xavier's arm.
'We should have, damn it, we shouldn't have let him run!" He shouted.
"No time for that!" I barked, my grip tightening around Xavier's limp body.
He was too still, too quiet, his lips slightly parted, breath whisper soft.
"Get the healer ready. I'm not losing him!"I shouted.
I didn't wait for a response. My feet were already moving, tearing through the underbrush, each step jostling him slightly. His head rolled against my chest, a soft groan escaping his lips, and I nearly stumbled.
"Hey…hey, you're alright." I whispered, voice barely holding steady. "Just…stay with me, okay? We're almost there."
The path blurred past me in streaks of green and gray, the air ripping through my lungs as I sprinted faster than I ever had before. Xavier's scent, sweet and sharp was fading, diluted by the copper tang of blood.
"Hold on, damn it." I muttered, desperation threading through every word. "I swear, you hold on."
We broke through the edge of the forest, the healer's tent coming into view, its white flaps billowing in the wind. Two omegas outside gasped, hands flying to their mouths as they saw us, but I didn't stop, didn't even glance their way.
"Move!" I shouted, and they scattered, eyes wide with fear.
I barreled through the entrance, nearly ripping the fabric from its seams. The healer, an older beta woman with sharp eyes and quicker hands, turned, her expression snapping from surprise to pure focus in seconds.
"Lay him down, now."She said.
"Is he…?" I couldn't finish the sentence.
The healer leaned over him, hands glowing with the faintest trace of magic, hovering just above his wounds.
"He's alive. Barely."She said.
My knees nearly buckled, and I gripped the edge of the bed so hard my knuckles went white.
Michael appeared at my side, panting, eyes wide.
"What now?" He asked, voice strained.
"Now, you move aside." Came a voice like thunder and silk.
Selene. I spun around, and there she stood, framed by the entrance, her silver hair whipping around her as if caught in a storm only she could command. Her eyes blazed, bright and merciless, locking onto Xavier's pale form.
"What happened?" Her voice was ice, sharp and demanding.
"He…he ran." Michael stammered. "He fell. The cliff—"
But she was already beside him, her hands hovering just above his body, eyes closed. The air thrummed with power, a deep hum that vibrated through my bones.
"I gave you one task. One!" Her voice was low, dangerous. "And you nearly let him die?"Selene shouted.
I stepped forward instinctively.
"We got him here. He's going to be fine."I said.
Her eyes snapped open, fierce and unyielding.
"Fine? She repeated, voice dripping with disbelief. "Look at him, Jaxon. You will not fail me again. Understood?"
I nodded, throat tight.
"Yes…Goddess. "I said.
Her hand flicked in a gesture I couldn't quite catch, and suddenly, Xavier's breathing grew stronger, the color rushing back to his cheeks. The healer gasped softly, watching in awe. Selene straightened, brushing invisible dust from her gown.
"He'll wake soon. When he does, you will make sure he knows he's protected. That this…" She gestured to the blood-streaked bed. "…Will never happen again."
I swallowed hard, chest still heaving from the sprint and the terror that hadn't quite left my veins.
"I swear it."I said.
Then, in a flicker of silver light, she was gone, leaving the room heavy with the scent of wild moonflowers and the weight of unspoken promises. We both understood that we just angered Moon Goddess and it could not end nicely for us in a future.