Page 187 of The Heart of Winter

I had to do it this time.

I HAD TO!

My strength was draining fast. If I didn’t lift the rock now, it would be over. I wouldn’t have anything left in me to try again.

"Winter, get ready," I warned. "I’m going to give it everything I’ve got. When I lift it, you have to move fast. This is my last shot."

I braced myself, channeling everything into this one final attempt. I had to reach the alpha within me. I closed my eyes, forcing myself to focus as if the entire universe depended on this.

Clenching my eyelids tighter, I clenched my fingers around the rock’s edge, took a deep breath, and positioned myself properly, not lifting with my back, but driving the force from my legs and hips.

Then, with a guttural, agonized roar, I pushed up. The weight was monstrous. But I fought against it.

The rock shifted. I felt it move.

At the same moment, I sensed Winter rolling toward me, freeing himself.

A wave of dizziness hit me. My vision darkened. Something hot and metallic dripped onto my lips.

I let go of the rock. It slammed back down. I staggered before collapsing to my knees. My body trembled; my fingers were numb. I was seconds from blacking out.

But Winter was safe.

After a few moments of battling the darkness flooding my vision and the intense disorientation, I reached out blindly, my hands running over his back, feeling for broken ribs.

"We have to—" I gasped, barely able to force the words out. "We have to get out of here."

But I wasn’t even sure if I could stand. My head was ringing so hard it felt like the blood vessels had burst in my brain, and my shoulders ached too, as did my back.

But then, the volcano’s growing rumble snapped my mind back to reality.

I forced my eyes open, blinking rapidly to clear the haze. I had to move.

I wrapped my arms around Winter and pushed myself upright.

Oh, wow, his weight was NOTHING compared to that rock.

Carrying him, I stumbled toward the exit, nearly tripping over the fallen stones littering the cave floor.

When we finally made it outside, I saw ash. Tiny, grayish clumps, like fused chunks of dust, were drifting down like snow. Near the cave entrance, the two blankets I had thrown off earlier were still there, now covered in a thin layer.

"Fuck, the volcano exploded for real…" I murmured, as I laid Winter on the blankets and turned him onto his back. Thankfully, he was still dressed in pants, a shirt, and a jacket, so he wouldn’t freeze right away.

He was blinking, his lips slightly parted as he took deep, steadying breaths.

"Winter, you need to tell me if anything hurts," I said, running my hands over his chest, pressing firmly along his ribs, inch after inch, searching for fractures.

I checked his head next, feeling carefully for injuries. His eyes met mine as I did it, and there was something vulnerable in his gaze. I sent him a reassuring smile. Fortunately, I didn’t find any wounds. The mattress had protected him surprisingly well.

The rocks, if you totaled their weight, should have been more than enough to shatter his ribs. But maybe the smaller stones fell first, creating a gap that kept the biggest one from pressing down with full weight on him?

Just to be sure, I checked his ribs again. No reaction. No pained groans. He had probably just been winded, but now he was starting to recover.

Winter took another deep breath, still gazing at me. His pale-blue face slowly regained its normal color. His eyes, locked on my face, suddenly sharpened.

"We need to go, Sariel," he choked out, "The lava will come down that gully…" He blinked, then blinked again, as if trying to clear dust from his eyes.

Then he added, his voice urgent, "Your nose, Sariel! You’re bleeding."

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