Page 86 of Tenebrous
Father is not holding up this mountain because I am his blood; he is holding it because Benjamin carries mine. His legacy must continue.
Perhaps, to him, there has never been much difference between the two.
“Take your mate,” he snarls again, baring his teeth. Another shower of stone crashes onto his shoulders, yet still, he does not yield. “I… said… go!”
Benjamin clutches my arm. “Orion, come on!”
There is no sympathy left inside me, and I have no argument left to give.
Gathering my human into my arms, I turn and run while the mine continues to collapse. Father's roar echoes after us, shaking the earth just as it's done since I was born.
But the mountain no longer responds to him.
It drowns everything out instead, until all that remains is the deafening rumble of stone reclaiming its own.
Chapter
Thirty-One
Benji
Soft fur surrounds me on all sides. Fresh air fills my lungs.
It's so cold that I choke on it, opening my eyes with a cough to see a canopy of stars twinkling overhead. White, puffy flakes catch in my lashes from purple clouds pasted against the violet sky. A breeze whispers through the aspen trees surrounding us, their stark trunks casting an ambient glow over snow-covered earth.
The sight is so beautifully unreal that for five seconds, I wonder if I'm dead.
Maybe Heaven isn't quite what I expected, but snuggling in my monster's arms on a mountaintop close enough to see the Milky Way isn't so bad. Could be worse. Does Orion know that he's named after a constellation? Was he ever taught which one? I'd show him all the stars that we can see, and which planets—
A gasp barrels out of my chest. “Orion.”
Pained rumbles answer from beneath me.
I push myself upright quickly, only for every muscle in my body to scream in protest. Dirt clings to my clothes, and my ears still ring from the collapse. Orion lies under me, sprawled across the forest floor with his chest heaving weakly.
“Shit, shit.”
Half his face is streaked with blood, and countless cuts disappear beneath the thick fur covering his shoulders. Scrambling off him, my shaking hands immediately search for injuries, even though I have absolutely no idea what I'm looking for. Pure dread ices my veins when my palms come away red.
“Orion, hey,” I say, cupping his face. “Open your eyes for me. Please.”
A low, strained whine rumbles in his chest before one golden eye slowly cracks open. It struggles to focus at first, drifting somewhere over my shoulder until it finally settles on my gaze. His mouth relaxes into an easy smile. “Mate.”
My smile wobbles, but I try to hold it steady. “Yeah. I'm right here.”
His hand twitches against the earth as though he's trying to reach for me, but the movement seems to cost him. A strained growl reaches my ears before his eye squeezes shut again.
“No, no, no.” Catching his hand in both of mine, I grip it tightly. “Stay with me. Don't you dare pass out.”
He blinks once more, forcing his eyes open through obvious pain. “Safe,” he murmurs.
I shake my head as tears dampen my lashes. “I'm not. Not until you are.”
Orion's lips part, but another pained growl comes out instead. His face pinches, and I watch him grit his teeth against whatever agony he's trying to fight.
“Don't talk. You don't have to be strong right now.”
His gaze remains fixed on mine with that same intense tenderness I'd seen inside his den. Even beaten half to death, he's looking at me like I hung the fucking moon.
