Page 23 of The Hunt

“It’s okay,” Jaxson said.“It’s going to be okay.”

The creaking seemed to echo and was deafening.

“You’re right, it’s fine.”She hoped if she kept telling herself and Jaxson this, she would start believing it.

“One foot in front of the other,” Jaxson said.

“We’ve got this.”

“Yes.”

They slowly began to make their way across the bridge.

“You know, I don’t recall this being so ...long,” Jaxson said.

She couldn’t help but laugh.“We ran out of chairs and bricks, if you remember.We had to manifest a small bridge.”

Playing back then, when they were kids, they came up with all kinds of games and experiences.It was so surreal that now, as adults, they were actually reliving them.

There was a sudden gust of wind, and they had no choice but to hold on.

Panic gripped her.“We never said it was windy, Jaxson.We never did a rickety bridge when it was windy.”

“I know.I know.This is just part of the challenge.Making it across.We can do this.You and me.”

She wanted to argue with him, but there was no point.No reason.

The wind slowed, and they were able to move.Only, the next step Calliope took ended on a scream as she fell straight through.She tried to grab onto the rope, but it was no use.Jaxson grabbed her wrist.She felt tears spring to her eyes.

“I’ve got you,” he said.

“Please don’t let me die.”

“I’m not going to let you die.You’re right here with me.You and me, remember?”

He heaved her up and helped her onto the step in front of him.She could feel her whole body shaking.

“I will never let you die.I will never allow anything to happen to you.I promise.”

And with that, he kissed her temple.It was the strangest thing, because in that moment, she wanted to tell him she loved him.She didn’t even know why she wanted to tell him that, but she kept moving.

As they made it more than three quarters across, she heard the first snap.Glancing behind them, she saw what looked like the bridge was magically snapping.

“Run!”

There was no time to waste.She did as Jaxson ordered and ran as fast as her feet could carry her.The bridge started to shake as it loosened.She didn’t want to slow Jaxson down, and she saw the ending in sight, but the bridge suddenly gave way, and she tried to hold on.Once again, Jaxson caught her, this time by her ankle.

She looked down and it was like staring into death.The water didn’t look deep enough, and she couldn’t help but wonder if there was going to be a giant shark or the kraken coming out to eat her.

“Please tell me your wolf has super strength?”She was not a small woman.Not that her weight had ever bothered her.Sure, there had been peers who would tease her about her weight, but she ignored them.

“I’ve got you, Calliope.”

“I think I’m going to throw up.”

“The throw-up will only fall to the ground.”

She couldn’t hold it in.As the ground started to disappear, she threw up everything she’d eaten that morning.

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