Page 74 of Aryn

Cato grunts beside me, shooing Ronan away with a swat. “I’m awake,” he grumbles. Ronan seems satisfied, even if he mutters under his breath as he marches back to his sleeping bag.

“Want me to take your shift?” I ask through my grogginess. “I could leave you here where it’s warm. Let you get more sleep.”

“Mm, don’t tempt me,” he murmurs as he rolls over and swings a leg over my thighs. His gloved hand wraps around the back of my neck, teasing the skin before he tugs me closer. It takes all of my self-control not to give in and meet him halfway.

“Cato,” I scold quietly as his eyes open a sliver. “We can’t.”

“We can,” he argues as he rocks his body closer to mine. There are too many layers between us for it to be anything more than friction from the fabric, but it tugs at my threadbare restraint.

“All or nothing,” I remind him. “I’m not pressuring you, it’s just—”

“How it has to be, I know.” He deflates with a sigh and curls into my chest. I’m not sure if it’s because he wants to keep this closeness between us or because he’s leaching my body heat, but I wrap my arms around his back and hug him closer.

“Do you want me to take your watch?” I ask again.

“As tempting as it sounds, I’d feel too guilty. I’d be awake, anyway.” He pulls back, brushing a few rogue strands of hair from my face. “Get some more rest. I’ll come get you in a few hours.”

“Alright,” I agree as he slides out of our joined sleeping bag. It’s not nearly as warm without him here, but I fall back into a dozing slumber. It’s the kind that’s half-aware while still resting, and by the time Cato wakes me up to take his place, I’m refreshed.

Watch is uneventful, and in between my pacing loops of the tree, I get a head start on the day by building a fire for breakfast. We won’t be here long enough for it to attract anyone, and the veil of branches will contain the worst of the smoke. The others stir as I toss oats into the boiling water, and by the time everyone is awake and moving, breakfast is ready.

We eat quickly and pack, then resume our path following the river. Around midmorning, the water gains speed. It flows faster as the angle shifts, until white-capped rapids slam against the rocky sides. The terrain becomes harsher as we go, and the further we walk, the more the flat ground climbs uphill. It becomes steeper and rougher, with jutting rocks making us step carefully and loose pebbles sliding under our feet.

Eventually, the only way to go forward is onto a narrow ridge trail. Ronan pauses, turning to face the rest of us. “This is a lot more dangerous than it looked on the map. Maybe we should turn around.”

“We’ve already lost a full day,” Cato argues. “If we turn around now, we’ll lose another, and we’ll be right back where we started. Our supplies are getting low, and we left signs of life behind.”

“That’s true,” I agree with a grimace. “I didn’t take a lot of care to hide the fire this morning. It’s possible someone spotted it.”

“The murder monsters,” Cameron adds.

Cato examines the path, staring at the narrowest part for a long time before scanning further ahead. “It opens back up pretty quickly. We’ll be over in an hour instead of wasting three fucking days.”

Ronan clenches his jaw, pushing out a long breath as he studies the map. When he determines there’s no other way around, the only choices we have are to continue or backtrack.

Ten long, heated minutes later, we move forward. The trail is narrow enough that we fall into a single-file line, and there’s nothing between us and the dizzying drop to the river. I peek over the side, staring down the sheer plunge to rocks and churning white water far below.

My instincts are on edge the entire time. No one speaks as Ronan leads us at a much slower pace, testing each footstep. As we get further, the path widens again, but just as my guard lowers, Taryn’s foot comes down on what looks like solid ground, and the edge of the trail collapses.

Snow, ice, and rock give way beneath her, and she drops with a terrified scream. I shout her name, but Cato is closer. He lunges forward, grabbing her wrist with both hands. For one heart-stopping moment they’re both sliding, but Cato digs his boots in and yanks her back with every bit of raw strength he can muster. He hauls her onto the trail as Lillith comes thundering back for her mate.

The momentum shakes the ground beneath us, and I watch in horror as the cracks spread under Cato’s feet. The world moves in slow motion as the ledge disintegrates beneath him.

He tries to run, but it’s too late.

His wide eyes land on mine as he falls, disappearing from view. One hand desperately grips the broken edge, slipping even as I watch.

Pure terror rips through my body as I roar his name and charge, not even stopping to think as I throw myself over the edge. My tail lassos a branch as my abdomen slams into the sharp stone, nearly knocking the breath from my lungs.

My fingers close around his forearm just as his grip fails. His weight yanks hard on my tail, nearly pulling me over with him. Pain explodes through my spine, but I lock every muscle as my other hand grips his pack.

Below me, Cato dangles over nothing but deadly rocks and roaring water. His face is pale, eyes wide as loose stones tumble past him into the abyss.

“Hold on!” I snarl through gritted teeth, gripping him with everything I have. My arms shake violently as my tail strains against the branch. “I’ve got you, alright? Hold on!”

For several agonizing seconds, I’m sure we’re both going to fall. My tail slips, and the branch creaks under our combined weight. It hits me with terrifying clarity that I can’t hold us much longer. My grip is failing, and the roots are separating from the rock, jolting us down inches at a time. Cato’s eyes don’t leave mine as I tighten my fingers with desperate, adrenaline-fueled strength.

“I’m with you,” I promise him, voice cracking as I refuse to look down at the rocks and churning river below.