I hover over him, panic rising within me as I witness the crimson pool beginning to spread from beneath his body.
“No, no, no! Carter!” I lightly tap his face. “It’s going to be okay. You’re going to be okay,” I try to reassure him and myself. His eyes open, and his parted lips try to take a breath.
“No! Please no! Carter,” I whisper, my fingers trembling as I brush the dusting of his blonde hair from his brow, desperate to see his eyes, to connect with him one last time.
“Help him! Please!” My voice rises in desperation, a pleading cry. But Dax, Killian, and Adonis are too busy fighting off Octavia. Amelia holds Jules as she falls to the ground, screaming with grief. Jules fights against Amelia’s embrace, desperate to reach Carter, but Amelia holds her back, shushing her softly as she sways, her tears falling like raindrops.
“Da-Dani…” His voice is a fragile whisper, a thread barely hanging on.
“Shhh, don’t talk,” I murmur, pressing my lips to his forehead, feeling the warmth of his skin fade beneath my touch. “This wasn’t supposed to happen… why did you do that?” My sobs come thick and fast, each one clawing at my throat as I witness the color draining from his face, the spark of life flickering like a dying ember.
“No! Please!” The words burst from my chest, desperation clawing at my throat as memories flood my mind—laughter, warmth, moments that now feel like fragments of a dream slipping away into the abyss. I grasp his shirt, shaking him gently, pleading. “DAX! KILLIAN! Help! Please… please…”
“Dani,” Amelia’s voice breaks through, heavy with sorrow. “It’s too late. They can’t help him, he’s... he’s too far gone.”
With a trembling, bloodied hand, Carter reaches for me, caressing my cheek tenderly. I turn into his palm, pressing a fervent kiss against it as my tears cascade down my face.
“A… a life for a… life,” he stammers, the words heavy with an understanding that pierces through my anguish. In that moment, clarity strikes amidst the chaos, and I realize the grim exchange he willingly made for, not only me, but for my mates.
“NO!” My sobbing scream erupts from deep within, a throaty cry filled with rage and heartbreak.
I know that my world has irrevocably changed, and the very fabric of my soul feels as though it has been ripped apart.
I gaze down at Carter, my heart heavy as I watch him struggle. The death rattle escapes his lungs, a haunting sound that chills me to the bone as his last breaths escape his lips like whispers of a fading storm.
There is only one gift I can offer him—one thing to help end his suffering.
Me.
With a deep breath, I lean closer, feeling the warmth of his skin against mine, and gently cover his lips with my own. The world around us blurs into insignificance as I focus solely on him. I can sense the fragile curve of his lips transform into a faint smile, a fleeting flicker of recognition and comfort.
Almost too soon, that warmth dissipates and the smile fades under my lips, leaving only a bittersweet memory of our shared moment.
As I draw back, the moment’s weight crashes upon me—he is gone.
Carter is dead. My best friend. Dead.The words echo in my mind.
His once vibrant body now hangs limply in my arms, and I instinctively pull him closer to my chest, cradling him. I rock him gently back and forth, my heart pounding with desperation.
“NO!!!” I scream, my voice raw and hoarse, echoing into the void. I repeat the word over and over, clinging to thefragile hope that this is merely another horrific nightmare, a cruel trick of my mind.
“CARTER!” Jules wails, her voice a haunting melody I’ve never encountered before—a sound so anguished that it cuts through me like a knife. It shatters my heart into countless shards, each piece a reminder of what we’ve lost.
This is my fucking fault.
Carter is dead because of me.
I squeeze him tighter. “Get her out of here!” I shout at Amelia, my voice trembling with urgency. Before Jules can voice her protest, Amelia envelops her in a protective embrace, and they vanish into the shadows, leaving me in the cold grip of despair.
Good. At least Jules will be safe.
I can’t let go of Carter.
I lean down, planting one last tender kiss on his unmoving lips and etch this final moment into my memory.
“DO IT, DANI! DO IT NOW!” Dax shouts at me as he and Killian surround Octavia with fire.
Octavia starts to panic. Power surges around her as she locks her gaze onto mine. With a gust of raw power, Octavia extinguishes their flames. Her magic holds the three of them by their throats, and she throws them through the woods. They go flying as if they just shot out of a cannon.
