Page 243 of Feralheart

“Your shoulder,” I said.

“Don’t care.”

“Fen—”

“I said I don’t care.” His voice rasped, scraped raw. He climbed to his feet, still holding me in his arms. “You jumped off your dragon for Aristus. You broke three collars. I’ll never let you fall.”

“I’m alright,” I whispered.

“You’re not.” His throat worked. “But you will be. I’ll make sure of it.”

For the first time in longer than I could remember, I let someone else help carry the weight.

The pack bond cried out with emotion I couldn’t process. Fen’s awe and terror tangled together. Reece’s stoic gratitude. And Lyndie’s tear-filled shock.

“I need to get to Selira.” The words came out weaker than I wanted. “I can walk.”

“I know you can.” His arms didn’t loosen. “Let me hold you anyway.”

I wanted to argue, to prove I didn’t need him even though we both knew I truly did.

“Just to my dragon,” I said.

“Just to your dragon.”

“I think I need to ride her to the top.”

He studied my face. “You’re sure?”

“I am.”

When he reached Selira, he gently lowered me to my feet beside her, his arm around my waist keeping me steady.

“I don’t know if I can hold on,” I said. But I had to. The certainty of that had sunk into my bones.

“I’ll help you.”

A strand of hair had fallen across my face and stuck to the sweat and grime. Fen tucked it behind my ear with a gentleness that brought tears to my eyes.

“There,” he said. “I need to see your face. Then I know you’re still here.”

I turned my cheek into his palm and kissed it before pulling away.

“Still here,” I said, doing my best to remain upright.

Fen pressed his forehead against mine, and his breath ghosted across my mouth.

This was staying when we could go. Choosing the harder thing because it mattered more.

“Don’t die,” he whispered.

“I won’t if you don’t.”

He cupped the back of my neck, his thumb stroking my nape, his touch so sweet it made my throat close tight.

“Promise me,” he said.

I did. I made a promise I had no way of keeping, and he promised me back.