Page 29 of Loki's Enemy Mate

“Just leave me alone!” I shouted. “I’m not ready to die yet! Not like–”

But my words were cut off as I took another step and this time, I didn't feel stone beneath my feet. My body tilted forward, all my weight falling into darkness. I cried out just as my head collided with the wall. Bright white-hot pain filled me from head to toe and then there was nothing. No falling, or my body hitting hard rock.

Only darkness.

Chapter Sixteen: Heimdall

There was a dull thud, like flesh striking stone as Loki’s cry was cut off. Immediately panic filled my entire body.

“Loki?” I called, getting as close to the river’s edge as I could. “Are you okay?”

I expected him to say he’d banged his knee or knocked his head on the stone. But there was no answer. My heart did a flip as adrenaline rushed through my body, my stomach twisting into a knot.

“Loki!”

Still nothing.

Without hesitation, I stepped into the freezing cold water and waded across the river. It started barely above my ankles but quickly came up to my knees before I reached the other side. Once I was up on the ledge, I realized it was too dark to see much. I could tell the cavern opened up in front of me from the sound of my breathing echoing off the walls. But I couldn’t see how far it went.

“Loki?”

No reply again. I took a panicked step forward, intent on rushing in without regard for my own safety. But then I stopped. If something had happened to my mate, I wouldn’t be able to help him if I too fell prey to the same trap. So, instead of doing what every muscle in my body was screaming at me to do, I forced myself down on my hands and knees. From there, I crawled through the darkness, feeling every inch of rock in front of me before putting my weight down.

It only took me a few seconds before I found the pit. I felt out the edge, stopping before I too went over the edge. I couldn’t see anything, but the moment I stuck my head out over the open space, a warm coppery scent struck me, filling my nose and making my stomach lurch.

Blood.

“Loki?” I asked again, this time my voice barely above a whisper.

My heart pounded so hard I could barely think. Blood pulsed in my ears, drowning out all other noise in the cavern. The wolf inside me was inconsolable, and it felt like it was running in circles, losing its mind at the thought that my mate, the one I’djustfound, could be dead.

But I wasn’t ready to give up just yet. I couldn’t. If there was a chance to save Loki like he’d saved me, I had to do it. I at least had totry.

I pulled back, searching the wall and floor near me for some sort of crevasse or stalagmite to wedge my feet into. My fingers only met smooth stone for the first few seconds, and I started to formulate a different plan. But then I found a small grouping of stalagmites near the wall. They weren’t very big from what I could feel, but they would have to do.

Jamming my foot between them, I stretched my body out over the edge of the hole, my toes gripping the rocks as much as I could. My entire torso was over the edge, and I kept my handson the lip of the pit, lowering myself down slowly. My feet shifted slightly and I let out a gasp, convinced I was going to plummet face first into the darkness. But I somehow managed to hold on, my leg twisting painfully as my foot jammed itself deep into the stone.

Taking a deep breath, I reached out, searching for Loki. At first all I found was open air. My fingers trailed over the smooth, cold sides of the pit. Everything was just a little damp thanks to the river, and the cold was sinking into my body quickly. But I knew Loki was soaked from the river. Even if he’d survived the fall, he might freeze to death if I didn’t get him out.

I worked myself further down the edge until I was completely hanging over the side. Reaching down into the darkness, I searched for something, anything that might give me a glimmer of hope that he was still alive. A gasp left my lips as I touched something soft and still slightly warm. Working both hands over the surface, I realized it was a foot.

“Loki?” I said, giving his foot a shake. “Loki, talk to me, please!”

There was nothing. But I stopped for a moment and held my breath, forcing myself to listen as hard as I could. And there, in the oppressive darkness, I thought I heard the shallow rasp of breath. A fire ignited in my belly the moment it landed on my ears. Loki was alive. He had to be. But he wasn’t responding, and I didn’t know how badly hurt he was. That meant there was only one thing to do, and I just hoped I had the strength to do it. After nearly two days in the cave without food and healing multiple injuries, I was far weaker than my normal self. But Loki needed to be pulled to safety, and I was the only person that could do it.

I just hoped I was enough.

Grabbing Loki’s ankle, I pulled him a little closer, wrapping my left hand around his ankle as tightly as I could. With my right hand, I grabbed the edge of the pit, digging myfingers into the little cracks in the stone. I’d have to lift him quickly because I could already feel my strength starting to wane. I took a few deep breaths to prepare myself, gritted my teeth, and pulled.

Loki was much lighter than me, for which I was very thankful. But working at such a strange angle made him feel like he was suddenly made of rocks. I groaned and strained, pulling him up the side of the pit with just my one arm. As soon as his foot was level with my face, I switched tactics and began to pull with the other arm, hoisting both him and myself back to the surface. My leg stretched and twisted painfully, my foot still wedged between the stones. It was enough to make me cry out, but I didn’t let Loki go. He was mymate, the one thing I wanted more than anything else in the world.

For a moment, my resolve faltered, and I wondered if it would be more humane to leave him there. There was no way out of the cave from what I could tell. Was I really going to save him just so he could die even slower, trapped with me in this hellhole?

“No!” I shouted, my voice sending a burst of power through my muscles. “I’m gonna save him and then I’m gonna get us thefuckout of here!”

With a growling cry, I hefted Loki even higher. Muscles in my arms pulled and tore, the pain flashing through my like lightning. But I didn’t stop. As soon as we were both level with the top of the pit, I used my legs to pull myself backward until I was over the edge. Then, wrapping my other hand around his foot, I pulled until Loki’s entire body came limply over the edge. I didn’t stop until he was in my arms, safe and sound once more.

It took me a moment to catch my breath and another painful few to get my foot unstuck. I’d twisted my foot badly in the process of retrieving Loki, but I didn’t care. A limp would go away in a few hours and the muscles in my arms would recovereventually. Despite the pain, it was worth it to have him back in my arms. And as soon as I had my feet under me, I carried him back across the river to the other side where the light was brighter and I could get a look at him. For once I was thankful for the cold water as it helped numb the pain.

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