Page 38 of Forbidden Virgin Mate

Mason nods but then looks back at me. "She's moving, but there's quite a lot of blood. It looks like she rested next to a tree and perhaps treated her injuries because that's where most of the blood is located."

"We need to get down there," I say, preparing to shift.

"Agreed," Diego says. "Half of us will go down, and the other half will take the trucks back down and follow the trail toward the old Johnson place where the river passes. She might have made it that far. I bet she'd look for shelter there."

I don't even wait for Diego to finish speaking before I shift and begin my descent. Whatever led Tanya out here, none of it matters right now. My wolf's only mission is to find his mate.

Chapter 19 - Tanya

I've got to keep going. I've got to keep going.

I repeat the words to myself over and over, muttering them to myself as my teeth chatter from the cold. I don't think I've ever felt such crushing disappointment than when I realized the road I'd been hoping to find was, in fact, a wide stream. Looking back up the embankment, I know there's no way I can climb it with my injuries. My only hope is to follow the stream and try to find a house or road further up.

At least the ground is flatter here and slightly easier to maneuver using the stick as leverage for my leg. Shifters have a higher pain threshold, but I know my injury is bad. I can feel the broken bone twisting beneath my skin with each step, and the sensation makes my stomach roil.

I stop for a moment, leaning against a tree trunk so I can readjust the scarf tied around my leg. Perhaps if I can make it tighter, it will stop the bone from moving. I yank hard on the ends of the scarf. The pain burns, and I see stars for a moment, the whole world shifting around me as I try to stay conscious.

It's no use. Blood continues to seep from the wound, and if anything, I think I've made it worse. I'm no medic, and I’m completely unequipped to deal with this. The only thing I can think of is to try shifting again. Maybe if I can just cope with the pain, my body will complete the shift and speed up the healing. From what I can tell, the wound has too much debris and glass in it to allow me to shift. I consider trying to wash some out, but I don't think the water from the stream would be clean enough. The last thing I need is an infection.

Still propped up against the tree, I try to shift again, this time fighting to push through the pain. I scream, struggling to continue the shift. Suddenly, I'm falling, and the last thing I remember is feeling wet snow on my face before everything goes black.

I don't know how long I'm out for, but when I come to, I'm lying on my side, my face frozen as snow falls on me. My legs are practically covered in fresh powder, and it’s turning red with my blood.

I know I can't stay here. I've got to get up, got to keep going. I pull my phone from my pocket. Still no signal.

I hoist myself back up, using the fallen stick to help me stumble over the uneven ground. As far as I can tell, the forest stretches on forever. I can't see any sign of civilization anywhere, and I'm not sure how much longer I can continue. The blood rushes in my ears, and I'm starting to panic. I know it takes a lot for a shifter to die from the elements, but we're not completely invincible. How long can I last out here if I'm not found and don't heal?

My thoughts turn to Zack. I've been gone for hours now. He'll obviously know I've taken his truck. He probably thinks I changed my mind and ran out on him. He's probably angry. He should be.

What will he think when I don't make it back to town with his truck or pick my things up? Surely, he'll come looking for me at some point. But do I even want him to find me if I can't fix this? Do I even deserve to be found? There are only a few more hours before the final transfer will be complete. I can't stop it if I don't get out of here.

With renewed determination, I begin to move faster. I think I can make out a roof or some kind of structure through the trees ahead. I'm so busy trying to determine what it is that I lose my footing and scream in pain as the loose rocks give way beneath my feet. I instinctively put my hands out to break my fall, but my head hits something hard, and everything fades to black again.

My last thought is of Zack as I fight and fail to stay conscious, my body completely broken.

Tanya.

Tanya.

Tanya.

Something is touching my hair and face, though my skin is so numb, I almost can't feel it. There's a sound—someone saying my name. They sound more and more urgent, and then I feel someone shaking me.

"Tanya, wake up. Please wake up." A man's voice becomes more distinct now, and I try to open my eyes. They feel frozen shut.

Recognizing the voice, my wolf seems to drag me to the point of consciousness by sheer willpower alone. I open one eye, dazed and nauseous. My eye tries to focus.

"Thank god," the man says. "Tanya, can you hear me?"

I focus on his words and his face, my one open eye, fighting to see clearly.

"Z-Zack?" I say, my voice barely a whisper.

"She's here!" I hear him yell, to whom I'm not sure, but I hear a commotion in the distance. "I need help! We need a stretcher."

He's yelling instructions, and I hear the sound of others approaching, but the pain is making it difficult to focus.

"Zack?" I say again, gripping his jacket tightly with my fingers.

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