Page 24 of Wreckage

He let out a groggy groan, then a sharp intake of breath. His eyes fluttered open, unfocused, dazed. His fingers were still wrapped around Elena’s hand.

“Troy?” His voice was hoarse, barely a whisper. His gaze darted around wildly before landing back on her.

Then panic. My heart clenched.

“Elena,” he rasped. His body tensed as he tried to sit up. His free hand cradled her face, his bloody fingers trembling.

“Elena, wake up. Please, fucking wake up.”

I swallowed hard, watching him. I had never seen Adrian beg. Not for anything. Not ever.

My gut twisted.

I reached forward with shaky fingers, pressing them against Elena’s pulse point.

My breath caught.

Slow. Weak.

But there.

Barely.

I closed my eyes, swallowing the thick lump in my throat.

A tiny sound echoed in the night—a faint, barely-there whimper from her lips.

Adrian let out a ragged sob, his forehead dropping against her shoulder.

I let out a breath that had been burning my lungs, my body slumping against Adrian’s seat as I fell to my ass.

Adrian lifted his head, his fear-stricken gaze meeting mine in the moonlight.

“We need to get warm,” I rasped after a long moment. “Stay with her.”

I forced myself to stand, every muscle screaming in agony as I stumbled through the wreckage, searching for anything useful in the dark.

The cold was unforgiving.

We wouldn’t survive the night without warmth.

I found a pile of emergency blankets in one of the overhead compartments, half-buried under debris.

My fingers were numb as I yanked them free. I limped back to Adrian, barely able to breathe through the pain and exhaustion.

Adrian’s gaze snapped up the moment I approached. I handed him a blanket, watching as he wrapped it around them.

The way his hands trembled—the way his jaw clenched.

I looked away.

“I need to check on Dean,” I muttered.

Adrian nodded without looking at me, his entire focus on her.

I forced myself toward the cockpit, each step agonizing, my body barely holding itself together.

The sight inside made my stomach churn.

---