Chapter 17: please save her
Liam POV
She didn't get up.
I stared at her body on the ground and everything inside me went empty.
Mara lay there without moving.
Her hair covered half her face. Blood came from the corner of her mouth. One hand was close to her chest like she had tried to move but failed.
My chest tightened.
Fear hit me so hard I stopped breathing for a second.
Then something broke inside me.
I stopped thinking.
I attacked.
The beast turned its head toward her again like it wanted to check if she was still alive.
That was enough. I slammed into its side with my full strength. We rolled across the ground, breaking branches and tearing up the dirt.
I went for its throat.
This time I didn't hold back.
My teeth sank in. Blood filled my mouth. The beast roared so loud the trees shook.
I didn't care.
I pulled harder.
The beast smashed its shoulder into me. Something inside my ribs cracked. Pain hit hard, but I didn't stop. I bit down even harder.
The beast ripped free, skin tearing open. It spun fast and slashed across my side. Hot pain burned where its claws cut me. My body staggered.
But Mara was still on the ground.
Not moving.
That was enough to keep me standing.
I charged again.
We hit each other like two cars crashing. I felt more claws. More pain. My legs slipped in mud and blood. My vision shook.
But every time I wanted to fall, I saw her lying there.
I refused to stop.
The beast lunged and threw me back into a broken tree trunk. My back hit hard. My head rang.
Get up.
I forced myself forward again.
I ducked under its next strike and bit into the same torn spot on its neck — the weak place.
This time I didn't let go no matter what.
It slammed me into the ground over and over again. The impacts made my vision flash white. I felt blood running down my leg.
Still, I held on.
I kept tearing.
The beast started to panic.
Its movements got weaker.
I felt its heartbeat slow under my teeth.
It fell sideways.
I dragged it down and kept tearing until it stopped fighting.
Then it stopped moving.
No sound.
No breath.
Dead.
I stood there shaking, bleeding, and almost falling over. Pain rushed back all at once, heavy and hot. My legs barely held me.
But I wasn't done yet.
Mara.
I turned toward her.
Fear hit harder than the fight.
I limped over to her, forcing my legs to move. My side burned. One back leg felt wrong.
Something was broken.
I didn't care.
I reached her and shifted back to human. The change hurt so badly I almost blacked out, but I forced it to finish.
I dropped to my knees beside her.
"Mara," I said, my voice rough and broken.
"Hey. Wake up. Please."
She didn't answer.
Her eyes were closed. Blood marked her lips and cheek. Dirt covered her arms and clothes. She looked small and weak.
I thought she wasn't breathing.
Then I saw it.
Her chest moved.
Barely.
A tiny breath.
Relief nearly knocked me over. My eyes burned. I leaned close and listened for another breath.
Weak.
But still there.
She needed help now.
I slid my arms under her and lifted her. Pain exploded through my ribs and back. Warm blood ran down my side.
I didn't stop.
Her head rested against my shoulder. I felt her soft breath on my neck. It was faint.
"Hold on," I whispered. "Stay with me."
I started walking.
Every step hurt. The forest seemed longer than before. My vision kept blurring in and out. My knee almost gave out but I forced it straight again.
Don't fall.
Don't drop her.
I kept moving.
Blood kept running down my skin. My ribs hurt every time I breathed. The world tilted sideways but I focused on one thing.
Take her to the pack infirmary.
Get help.
That is all that matters.
I don't know how long it took to reach the edge of the pack grounds. It felt like hours. I kept checking for her breathing. I tilted my head so her mouth was near my neck.
She was still breathing.
Weak.
But alive.
Lights finally appeared through the trees.
Voices.
People.
My legs almost collapsed from relief, but I held on.
Pack members saw us.
They shouted.
running toward us.
"Infirmary," I said, or tried to. My voice barely came out. "Now."
They reached for her but I tightened my hold.
"I'm carrying her," I said, my voice rough.
"Open the door."
They rushed ahead and opened the doors for us.
The bright lights hurt my eyes. The smell of medicine filled my nose. Healers moved fast around us. Hands reached to take her.
I finally let them.
Because she needed treatment. Because they knew what to do.
The moment she left my arms, my strength went with her.
My knees gave out.
I fell to the floor.
Pain hit me everywhere at once.
I turned my head to the side so I could still see her. She was on a bed now, healers working fast around her.
She was breathing.
Shallow.
But breathing.
Good.
Someone called my name from far away.
The room spun around me.
I could hear healers giving quick orders, the sound of metal trays, the rustle of gloves. Someone pressed on my side
and I realized how badly I was bleeding, but the pain felt far away, like it belonged to another person.
All I cared about was the girl on the bed. I kept trying to lift my head higher, just to see her face, just to make sure her chest was still moving.
If she woke up, everything would be fine. If she opened her eyes, I could rest.
Until then, I would not let go of consciousness.
My vision started to fade. The edges went dark.
The last thought in my head was simple:
Please save her.
Then everything went black.