30. STAY

On trembling legs, I rose with my mate in my arms, limp, and cold. I wanted to bawl. I wanted to scream. I wanted to run and never stop. Everything was spinning. Everything was blurring. The pain in my chest was indescribable. The scream was caught in my chest, suffocating me.

In a way I could not process. In a way my mind could not get past the point that I had just been holding and stroking her body not long ago. How could she be gone?! My mouth opened and closed.

I shut my eyes, the tears raining. I opened them, seeing my warriors all standing, staring, even those that had been knocked out. She was gone, her spell faded away.

My chest was closing in as I heaved.

What was I supposed to do? This couldn’t be it?

Down I crumbled, my knees hitting ground.

“Take her to the queen!” Sunny’s voice broke through my daze and finally it clicked.

He did not have to say it twice. I was up and stumbling forward before they could even take their next breath.

My feet were weak but grew stro