Page 58 of Alaska Lights

“No. No! You stay with me, okay? You stay. Talk to me. Please.” I hold him steady. “Soren! Glenn! Someone, please!” I scream at the top of my lungs; my heart, my soul, my hope, it’s being torn from my body. “Not you. Not you.” I hold his head to my chest, tears flowing in an unstoppable wave.

“I’m searching the woods!” Glenn shouts, whistling loudly as he gallops away on his horse.

The thundering hooves match how wildly my heart is beating.

“You’re going to be okay,” I say to him, his face paling as more blood puddles on the floor.

Don’t take him. Don’t take the person who has made me feel more alive than flying ever has.

He’s changed me, and I want to experience how good that change will be.

This arrow fucking hurts.

I’m dying.

I’ve always wanted this. I always hoped for it, and it’s come at the wrong fucking time. Now my mate will die. His life will be cut short because of me.

I heard him talking to himself about asking me out. It filled me with excitement, and knowing he was interested made the decision to walk inside to ask him out myself so much easier.

The arrow through the chest ruined those plans.

“Helios. Helios⁠—”

“—Shh. Don’t. Don’t talk, Sunshine. Save your energy. I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere.”

He’s crying. His cheeks are wet, and the pain radiating from him has me reaching out. I need to feel him. I need to touch him to remind myself he is real, that I could know what my mate’s skin feels like.

I brush my knuckles over his cheek, marveling at how beautiful he is. How lucky am I to see an angel before I die?

“I’ve got him!” Soren slides beside me, tossing his hat across the room. “Push everything off the kitchen island, Leo. Trust me.”

Leo shakes his head, clutching onto me tighter. “I can’t. I won’t. I can’t do it,” he sobs.

Soren reaches for him, his hand touching my mate’s arm.

I try to growl in warning. I’m a dying man, and Soren is making moves on my mate? Can’t he wait until I’m dead?

Blood boils in the back of my throat when I try to threaten my best friend away from my mate.

“I can’t imagine what you’re feeling right now, but you have to let him go if you want to save him. That’s our only chance.”

“Okay. Okay. I’ll be right back, Alaska, okay? I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere.”

I notice my mate’s loss immediately when he pulls away from me. Glass shatters onto the floor, along with other trinkets that clash as Leo listens to Soren to clear the island.

“I got you, buddy. Just hang on, okay? Hang on for us. Glenn is looking for the person who did this.” Soren uses his vampire strength to pick me up, then leans me against the island, face first. “This is going to hurt,” he warns.

“Just…do it…” I rasp.

Leo leans over to take my hand, his fingers perfectly intertwining with mine. He feels so good. I’m a damn idiot for wasting so much time with him. If I survive this, I promise not to waste another second.

Soren snaps the back of the arrow off, and I throw my head back in a roar when something begins to burn my fucking veins.

“Fuck!” I hold my arms out, watching the veins turn black.

The pain spreads, and my legs give out. Soren is there to catch me.

“What is happening?” my mate yells, his hand still in mine.