Giving up is not an option.
Rocking onto my side, I force myself up onto all fours, then onto my knees, but once there, I pause because the effort of rising to my feet again, the thought of taking hold of the stretcher and pulling it once more, is crushing.
I tell myself I’ll only stop for one more moment to take a breath.
Breathe in. Breathe out.
But my exhalation leaves my lips with a moan of despair and my head is in my hands, the medallion pressed to my forehead.
“Asha.”
The Vandawolf’s whisper reaches me over the sound of my own moan.
My eyes snap open, my hands jolt away from my face, and my focus flies to him.
He’s awake!
Chapter7
Ilurch toward the Vandawolf, a new burst of energy giving me the strength to scramble the short distance across the muddy rocks.
I’m reaching out to him before I remember myself and snap my left fist closed, pressing it to my side.
He’s staring upward where he lies on the stretcher, his wolf’s eye open while his human eye is half-closed. He blinks at the darkening sky. Squeezes both eyes closed. Opens his wolf’s eye again. Seems to be trying to open his human eye too, but it remains mostly closed.
His brow is fiercely creased, his voice more agitated. “Asha?”
“I’m here.” Heat burns behind my eyes as I dare to press my right palm to his clammy cheek, waiting for him to look at me. “I’m here with you.”
He turns his head in my direction, but his eyes are glazed and unfocused.
I draw back a little.
Oh, dear saints.
He can’t see.
The way his gaze slides across me, as if he’s searching for me, confirms it.
His wolf’s energy is in turmoil. It was so often a writhing, furious burn in my senses, but now that he’s awake, it’s as if it’s biting and thrashing, gnawing at the dark energy curled around it. A cage of metal threads have been wound around and through it.
“Where are we?” the Vandawolf asks, the tension in his voice making me shiver.
“We’ve reached the mountains. We’ll be safe soon.”
I don’t know that for certain. In fact, we may never be safe.
Instead of calming at the sound of my voice, he becomes more agitated.
“You were meant to leave me.” His voice grows in strength, becoming a harsh snarl. “Iwantedyou to leave me.”
My eyes widen. I know what he wanted. He wanted me to escape with my family. When I asked him to come with me, he refused.
But that was before his people tried to kill him.
I was sure I was too dehydrated to produce tears, but they’re leaking down my cheeks. “I’m taking you to my sister. She can heal?—”
“No!” His roar makes me jump.
