Page 75 of Fat Arranged Mate
"The lottery wasn't a mistake," I tell her, voice raw. "I was wrong. So wrong about everything."
She smiles despite her split lip, the sight more beautiful than anything I've ever seen.
"Not everything," she whispers. "You found me. And I knew you would.”
A branch snaps in the distance—perhaps a hundred yards away. We both freeze, the moment shattered by reality's harsh intrusion.
"They're still searching," Sera whispers, body tensing. "I lost them at the ravine, but—"
"We need to move," I agree, shifting instantly back to tactical mode. "Can you walk?"
She nods, though I see the pain it costs her. "We have to warn the pack. The operation—"
"Two days," I confirm, helping her to her feet. "Full moon. They've mapped every running path, every gathering place."
"How did they—"
"Doesn't matter now. We need to reach Silvercreek by tomorrow."
I assess our situation quickly. We're approximately twelve miles from pack territory. Under normal circumstances, an easy run. With Sera injured, in the dark, with pursuers...
"We head southwest," I decide. "There's an old ranger station five miles from here. We can rest there until dawn, then push for the territory line."
Sera sways slightly, and I catch her elbow to steady her. "I'll slow you down," she says, frustration evident. "My head—everything's spinning."
"We go together or not at all," I tell her firmly. "I'm not leaving you again."
The conviction in my voice surprises even me. Two weeks ago, I might have considered the mission more important than any individual. Now, I know better. There is no mission without her.
She searches my face, finding whatever confirmation she needs. "Together, then."
I slip an arm around her waist, supporting her weight. "I've got you."
We move into the darkness, following the stream's path southwest. Her body leans heavily against mine, head occasionally resting on my shoulder when dizziness overwhelms her. I adjust my pace to hers, senses stretched to their limits for any sign of pursuit.
"Dylan?" she murmurs after we've covered nearly a mile.
"Hmm?"
"If we make it through this—when we make it through this—I want to try. Really try. Not because of the lottery, but because I choose you."
The words fill a hollow space inside me I hadn't realized existed until this moment. I pull her closer, pressing a kiss to her temple, tasting salt and copper and hope.
"I choose you, too," I whisper into the darkness. "I think I have since that first argument in the medical center, when you stood your ground while I was being an absolute ass."
Her soft laugh is the most beautiful sound I've ever heard. "You're still an ass sometimes."
"But I'm yours now," I reply, the lightness in my chest unfamiliar after so much darkness.
"Yes," she agrees, voice suddenly serious. "You are."
Behind us, voices call through the trees, distant but determined. Ahead lies uncertainty, danger, the impossible task of warning our pack in time. But between us now exists something neither Silvercreek's lottery nor Guardian bulletscan touch—a choice freely made, a beginning rather than an obligation.
We walk on, bound by fate and choice and the promise of a future neither of us had imagined possible.
Chapter 27 - Sera
My world has narrowed to the rhythm of placing one foot before the other. Each step requires concentration, my body a collection of complaints—head throbbing with nauseating intensity, muscles screaming from overexertion, veins burning with lingering silver. But I keep moving because stopping means death. For both of us.
