I nod.
He doesn’t use the radio, I assume because he doesn’t want Titus to hear either, and instead goes through their bond.
I try to figure out what Orion’s thinking based on his expression. It’s hard to tell from this far away, but his face is impassive except for a crease between his brows. He’s watching me though.
After a silent minute, Henri says, “You can go down, but tell us immediately if it gets too narrow.”
I readily agree, and Cato and Henri set up to lower me in.
We relay our plan to Cassius and tell him to watch for me.
I kneel on the hard, cold rock and plunge into the dark.
For the first few feet, it’s easy to weave between the boulders. After that, there are more twists and turns, and it’s pitch black except for the short beam of my flashlight.
My heart is pounding, adrenaline making my senses sharper, but there’s not much to see and all I hear is my own breathing and the slide of fabric against rock. Cassius’s burned caramel wine scent is everywhere and nowhere. I can’t even tell if I’m getting closer to him, though I must be.
I have to slow down in some spots to angle my way through. Hopefully they’ll be able to pull us back up as smoothly, but there’s no point in thinking about that now.
Finally, Cassius says, “I think I see your light.”
His voice sounds close, as if he’s just on the other side of a wall.
“Where is it? Is it near your head? Your legs?” I ask as I wiggle my way down.
“My chest,” he says.
That’s good, I should be well-positioned once I reach him. I feel the urge to speed up, but I ignore it. Another few minutes shouldn’t make a difference except for ensuring I don’t get stuck in my haste to get there.
I edge around a large rock and come face to face with Cassius.
“Stop,” I say through the radio.
Henri and Cato halt, keeping me suspended above him.
The blue-eyed omega blinks up at me.
I run my light over his body, checking for injuries while trying to figure out how he’s wedged in.
“How do you feel? Do you have pain anywhere specific?” I ask.
“I think I just have some bruising. Nothing too bad except for where I’m pressed against the rock,” Cassius says.
I connect our rope to his harness while he talks, making sure he’s securely hooked in before I do anything else. He looks well stuck, but I don’t want to risk him falling deeper once I start moving him.
“That’s good. I don’t see any injuries besides some scratches. Can you feel this?” I say, squeezing his fingers.
“Yes,” he says.
I go through a few more checks and reach around him to get a cervical collar on his neck. As I do, I feel only empty air, which makes my stomach flip. I can’t see past him to tell what’s below, but I’m glad I have him safely secured.
“Thank you for making my alpha calm down. I’ve been so worried about him, but he just wouldn’t listen no matter how much I yelled or pushed at him in our bond. I wish I could have done what you did. That was so impressive, I’ve never met an omega who could bark like analpha,” Cassius says while I work on figuring out how to move him.
“You’re welcome, I’m glad I could help. I hate to see anyone that upset, and it wasn’t doing either of you any good,” I say.
Later, I’m sure I’ll think about what he said. Further confirmation I’m in the right career, that my designation is an asset, not a hindrance.
But for now, I remain focused on saving him.
