Page 138 of Second Chance Mates

Her pale skin wears black and blue bruises, and blood trickles out of her mouth. Scratches cover her entire body. I swipe her hair away from her face. Don’t you dare leave me, Ava. You hear me? Don’t you dare.

I’m sorry. Her voice is weak in my head.

“No,” I heave. Tears build behind my eyes. “Don’t say you’re sorry. Hold on for me, baby. Hold on. Please.”

My sister slides to my side and inspects her wound. “Oh, fuck. Oh, fuck,” she rasps. “She needs medical attention. Now. She’s going to bleed out.”

“Heal her.”

“I can’t,” she says frantically. “I can’t heal injuries this seve–”

“Just try! Fuck. Lucy, just try. Please. Please.”

Lucy doesn’t hesitate; she leans over to Ava’s wound and cups her hands across the oozing skin. Her eyes close as her arms begin to shake. “Come on, baby,” I whisper. “Don’t give up. Don’t you dare.”

Ava’s blood covers Lucy, but she doesn’t give up. She keeps going. I study the stab wound, but nothing happens. It doesn’t start closing up. It doesn’t heal. Nothing. Nothing is happening.

My sister slumps back with a groan, sweat covering her brow. “Fuck. I’m sorry. I can’t do it. I’m not strong enough.”

“Where are the healers?”

“Coming.” Lucy nods and keeps her hands pressed to her wound to try and stop the bleeding. “They’re almost here.”

I cradle her closer to my chest and kiss over her frozen face. The bond stretches uncomfortably, and I can’t grasp it. I can’t slow down time. This isn’t going to be the last time I see her beautiful face. No. It’s not. I hold onto every last hope.

I study her angelic face, and my heart cracks inside me. I smooth back her hair when more tears threaten my eyes. She’s a fighter. My girl is a fighter. I know it.

“I love you,” I whisper along her forehead. “I love you, Ava. Please hold on. We’ve got so much to experience. So much life to live. This is not the end for us.”

My sister releases a sob from beside me, but I don’t look at her. I don’t glance away from my mate for a second. I press my palm to her cheek and hold her impossibly closer, attempting to warm up her ice-cold body.

The bond is barely hanging on by a thread. All of Ava’s pain is making my head throb, and I can’t take it away. I want to take away every last piece. Because she’s endured too much in this lifetime.

Ava’s eyes flitter open for a second weakly, meeting mine before they shut once more. I can’t. The words make my brain deteriorate. The lack of hope. The lack of strength. I’m sorry, Jax.

“No, no, no, no,” I chant over and over. “Ava? Ava!”

She falls completely limp in my arms. I press my forehead to hers, a tear rolling off my cheek and onto her broken skin. This isn’t even pain anymore; it’s suffering. With her, I am living. Without her, I’m merely existing.

“Please,” I beg. “Please, hold on. The healers are going to be here any second.”

My fingers slide across her slender neck, and I press down, searching for a pulse. That’s when I realise she doesn’t have one. My heart is ripped out of my chest and thrown across the room. My wolf claws at my skin, howling in despair and devastation. I bellow at the top of my lungs until my throat burns red.

“Ava,” I shake her body, but I know the truth.

I don’t want to accept it.

Lucy places her hand on mine. “Jaxon.”

“Ava,” I say through gritted teeth. “No. No.”

I groan at the torture that deteriorates my emotions. Tears leak from my eyes endlessly as I shake my head. I break down into pieces. I hold her body tighter and cry into her neck. The agony is ready to rip me apart and throw me into the deep end with an anchor and no way of resurfacing.

“She’s gone,” I yell through a haunting sob as Lucy slides a shaky arm over my shoulder. “She’s gone, Lucy. She’s dead.”

47

JAXON

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