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My scream only intensifies,bining with my moan of pain as I grab my leg and fall to the forest floor.
I’m panting with agony as Iy in the dirt and the leaves, my eyes pressed shut for a moment before I
nce down at my leg, my hands quickly coating in my own blood as they go directly to the wound
Trying to do something, to end the pain, to apply pressure, something –
But there’s nothing – god, I think the bolt hit bone, I think it cracked it
I’m still moaning horribly when a shadow falls over me, and I look frantically up to see Wright standing
above me, drawing back the crossbow’s string, that ugly sneer still on his face, though mixed with
victory now.
“You deserve this,” he snarls, ring down at me. “Every inch of pain –ying in the dirt. finally
recognizing your failure – you’re nothing but a dirty cheat –”
“Please,” I beg, gasping for breath as he loads another bolt and raises the crossbow towards me.
“Please, don’t –”
“Save it,” he snaps, pointing the crossbow directly at me, and then without another word he pulls the
trigger again, sending a bolt directly into my gut.
The pain is…blinding this time.
I scream again, but I must pass out from it
Honestly, did I die? I might have died, a little bit
But when I open my eyes again, the forest is fuzzy above me, and there’s a dark form looming over
me, shouting my name.
I flinch away, screaming again, and a hand goes fast over my mouth before a hand slips under my
head, cradling it.
-Who did this to you!?”
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1 blink, trying to clear my head as I recognize Jackson’s voice, but then I moan and let my head fall
back- because the clearer my mind gets, the more I feel the pain.
“Ari!” Jackson shouts, and suddenly he’s on the ground next to me, pulling me into hisp. “Ari, who did
this!?”
I almost scream again as the movement jostles my stomach, and my hand moves to the bolt of wood
that’s protruding from my gut, that aches with every movement.
“I’m sorry,” Jackson murmurs, and I blink again, trying to focus, trying to look up into his face. His voice
– it’s so tight, so full of pain. Did he did he get shot too? But as my eyes focus on his face I see that his
pain is all desperate agony for me. “Ari,” he murmurs, his hand shaking as he cups my cheek. “Who did
it?”
“Wright.” I murmur, shaking my head.
Jackson growls, his head snapping up, sniffing the air like he’d go after him right now, like he’ll tear him
to shreds.
“Jacks!” I gasp, shaking my head, my hands fisted in his shirt. Because I mean, if Wright’s not here
anymore, then what’s the point?
I don’t need –
God, my head spins, the pain making everything dizzy –
But I do know that I don’t need revenge right now. If by some miracle I’m going to survive, I need a
healer.
“Please,” I beg, shaking my head up at him. “Please, we have to get…out…”
Jackson nods, his whole body trembling as he quickly assesses the situation, as he looks at the blood
pouring from my leg and my stomach, as he nces over his left shoulder towards where the bridge
likely is.
“I’m going to get you out of this, Ari,” he whispers, his voice thick with his vow. “Okay? Just… you just
hold on, yeah?”
I nod, fervent, either believing him or…or not wanting him to believe that I’m going to die
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Even as I feel my consciousness fading-
“Ari” Jackson snaps, and I blink, looking back up into his face as I realize that I almost passed out
again. “Hey!”
“Hey.” I reply, frowning a little, not understanding.
Then, to my surprise, Jackson rips open the top button of my shirt and presses his hand t to my
chest. Then, he pushes.
Not – not with his body, not with his hand. But with his….his magic.
–
I feel it, quite suddenly, filling me a great deal of energy, and strength, and a glowing, rich sort of power.
I gasp, my eyes flying open, and then I bat his hand away suddenly feeling replete – like I can’t take
anymore.
It doesn’t do anything for the pain, but it sure as hell wakes me up. I stare up at him, confused, not
getting it.
“How’s your healing?” he asks, his voice sharper than it was before. “Your…your wolf healing. It’s good,
yeah?”
“Um.” I say, ncing down at myself, knowing that even though wolf healing is fast it’s not fast enough
for this. “It’s…it’s good.”
–
“I’ll keep you going,” Jackson says, nodding sharply to me. “I’ll give you my magic, Ari as much of it as
you can hold. I think I think with the connection between our magic, it will help speed your own magic,
the healing included. And hopefully it will be enough to…”
He hesitates, not wanting to say it.
But I know precisely what he means. Enough to keep me alive.
And then, again to my shock, Jackson stands, pulling me up with him in his arms. I moan again, almost
a scream, as he does. But he continues, staring down at me as I pant through. the pain, eventually
opening my eyes to look up into him. “I’m getting you out, okay?” he whispers, his whole heart in his
eyes.
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And I can feel everything down the bond all his worry, all his grief that he just found me, that he could
lose me so soon. But, above all, his sheer determination to make me live even if it means killing himself
in the process.
“Yeah, I reply, pathetically simple, nodding to him, letting him feel my faith.
Because, despite the odds, I believe him.
Jackson nods once, sharply, and then turns in the forest, striding off through the trees. He doesn’t
bother, anymore, to be quiet, instead stomping and moving swiftly, letting everyone hear hime.
And even as my mind passes from state to state, concentrating on the pain and then concentrating on
the world, I see that this, actually, was precisely his n.
By the time we get to the bridge, every single one of the cadets who was waiting there has turned to
us, their eyes wide. I look around at all of them through half–lidded eyes, my arms curled around
Jackson’s neck when did I do that? – as he holds me high against his chest.
–
By their shock and their awe, I can tell that the two of us make rather an impressive sight – or, at least,
a terrible one.
The gigantic Alpha, the strongest Cadet in the Academy, especially enraged like this, covered in blood,
his tiny charge curled in his arms.
“We’re crossing this bridge,” Jackson growls, his voice loud enough that he’s shouting even though his
words hum with anger. As I nce up I can see Jackson’s canines sharpening to points, can feel his
fingers lengthening to ws as he looks around at every single man standing there. “Does anyone
want to stop me!?”
Jackson roars his final words, ring around at every single cadet, a challenge in every line
of him.
And, wisely, every single one of the cadets slowly backs away from the bridge. Because though in any
normal moment an Alpha carried a wounded wolf would be a tempting target…
Jackson McClintock in a killing rage, the lifeblood of his mate drinning it
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I mean, even if they don’t know I’m his mate…
Nobody’s fucking with us right now.
Jackson releases a final growl, ring around. “Any of you who give any aid to n Wright,” he snarls,
“even a kind word or a nce…you will answer to me, on the other side.”
Nobody says anything, but they’d be fools not to take him seriously.
And with that, Jackson strides across the bridge, not even looking back to see if anyone takes a shot
from behind.
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Because none of them – none are that stupid.
I whimper, slightly, when I feel Jackson’s footsteps transition from wood to dirt and grass. Because now
that that is finished…the hard part, it’sing now, isn’t it?
And the pain
God, fuck, I’d do anything to end it, the way it radiates through me…
“Hold on,” Jackson murmurs, his voice breaking as he slips a hand beneath my still–loose shirt,
apparently needing the skin–to–skin contact to pass his magic to me. Ites in a flood and my head
tilts back
head tilts back – because while it does nothing to stop the pain I…I do feel stronger, after the infusion.
My eyes flutter open again as I look up into his face, and from the fear I see there I know I must be
ghostly pale, looking as on the edge of death as I currently feel.
“You hold on, okay?” he whispers, lifting me higher as he strides away from the bridge and towards the
foot of the mountain before us. He presses a series of quick kisses to my
face.
“You’ll hold on?”
“I will,” I whisper, nodding to him, trying to steel myself for what’s toe, even though I know it’s
impossible.
“Okay,” he whispers, and then as my eyes shut I feel Jackson take a deep, deep breath.
And then, he starts to run.
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