Page 49 of The Wolf's Prince
“I had to,” he said. If he hadn’t—
Soren swallowed back the thought and tugged Nikolai roughly into his arms. They held onto each other, gripping tightly, like they couldn’t get close enough, just breathing.
“We’re alive,” Nikolai finally said, and Soren suddenly started laughing, relief sweeping through him.
“We’re alive,” he agreed.
Nikolai pressed his lips to Soren’s, kissing him desperately until the trembling finally left their bodies.
Sighing, Soren looked up to where they had fallen from. It was quiet now.
“We should probably head back up now.”
Nikolai nodded, carefully untangling from Soren’s arms to stand. He did so gingerly, limping on one ankle but considering the alternative, he was pretty much fine.
Soren on the other hand, was far worse than he’d realized. It took waiting for the shock to leave his body for him to really feel the pain he was in.
Standing hurt. Walking was worse.
Probably a broken rib or two judging by the way they hurt at the slightest movement. At the very least, he was sure to be covered in bruises from top to bottom.
“Are you okay?” Nikolai asked, carefully assessing his every movement.
He nodded.
“I will be. It’s nothing life-threatening.”
He reached out, taking Nikolai’s hand, and began to lead him back up toward the nearest path.
To his surprise, a group met them on the way including Andrey, and Anzu’s mate Enkai.
“Oh, thank god!” Andrey shouted, leaping forward and hugging Nikolai.
Nikolai winced but returned the embrace.
“I’m okay,” he said, patting Andrey’s back until his brother pulled back, sniffling.
“I thought—”
He took a shuddering breath and then turned to Soren.
“Thank you,” he said.
Soren reached out, squeezing Andrey’s shoulder.
“I will always protect what is mine,” he promised. “You don’t need to worry about your brother while he’s with me.”
Andrey managed a nod.
“How are you?” Enkai asked Soren earnestly.
“Sore,” he admitted. “But standing.”
“Well, let us help you back up so that we can assess the damage.”
It was nice to get assistance, especially in the steeper areas. When they reached the remainder of the party, it had clearly taken a somber turn.
The sky was starting to get dark, and the fire was blazing, but those sitting around it were talking in whispers.
