Page 36 of Follow the Rhythm
She tried to hang on with just her arms, but her grip gave out too fast. Her body fell, and she landed directly on her left hip. She cried out, almost loud enough to cover the audible crunch of bone.
“Oh god, are you okay?” I asked, rushing to cover the last few feet between us. I knelt beside her and reached out to do something, even if I had no idea what.
“Don’t touch her!” Stevie yelled as she ran to us. “Someone call an ambulance.”
“I’m fine. I don’t need a fucking ambulance,” Ursua said through gritted teeth. Her face was pale and already covered with a fine sheen of sweat. She tried to roll over.
“Don’t even think about it. You just fell like eight feet, so yes, you do,” Stevie said, placing a hand on her back to keep her in place. “Go get Charlie,” she ordered.
I nodded and ran backstage to where I knew Charlie was working. Despite my best efforts, whenever we were in the same place, my awareness always circled back to him. My only consolation was that it seemed like he had a hard time ignoring me, too.
But now was not the time to think about that. I darted into the bowels of the venue and followed the faint trace of Charlie’s scent.
I found him on the phone in a backroom.
“I’ll call you back,” he said immediately when I burst in and hung up. He rushed towards me and reached out to touch my arm. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. But Ursula fell from some scaffolding.” I led him back out to the stage.
Things had deteriorated in the few minutes I’d been gone. Techs were standing around, watching, but keeping their distance. Ursula was white as death and groaning under her breath. She’d curled over on her right. Stevie was still kneeling by her side, almost as pale.
“The ambulance is on its way,” she told Charlie.
Charlie joined her at Ursula’s side. “You okay, Urs?”
Ursula shook her head. “I fucked up. Sorry.”
“Don’t apologize. We’re going to make sure you’re alright,” he said kindly.
“I’m going to help flag down the paramedics,” Stevie said, and I took her place next to Charlie.
“That you, Tiny?,” Ursula asked, her eyes finding mine. I grabbed her hand, and the papery feel of her skin made my anxiety worse.
“Yeah, I’m here. You’re going to be fine,” I said, but I didn’t even sound convincing to myself. “Now stop talking and wait until the ambulance is here.”
Ursula sighed and closed her eyes.
Charlie placed his hand on my back. “Areyouokay?”
“Yes, why?” I asked, annoyed.
“Your scent is… You seem anxious,” he replied.
Oh, great. He was in tune enough with my scent to tell when I was stressed. I waited for the usual sense of violation that usually accompanied an Alpha trying to sniff me out, but it didn’t come. Instead, it just felt kind of… nice that he was checking on me.
That was so much worse.
The sirens of the ambulance sounded from outside, which saved me from replying. Paramedics rushed in, and we got out of their way as quickly as possible. Charlie stuck close to my side as we watched them work, and I found myself taking long inhales of his scent to calm down.
“Are you sure you’re alright?” he asked, not quite touching my back with one hand. I nodded shakily. The adrenaline was receding.
“Jess!” I heard a voice yell. Of course, it was Kieran. He emerged from backstage and barrelled towards us on those long legs, like a Viking on the hunt. Before I could stop him, he had one hand on my shoulder and one cradling the side of my jaw. “I heard the sirens. Are you okay, love? What happened?”
“I am fine,” I said, more annoyed than ever. I shook off his hands and stepped back. “Ursula’s hurt, not me.”
“Love?” Charlie repeated, looking between Kieran and me; he looked as if he’d been slapped.
Kieran noticed Charlie for the first time and raised an eyebrow at him.
