POV: Zina
The world blurred as we ran. My lungs burned, every breath slicing through my chest like broken glass. Blood seeped from the gash in my side, staining the shredded remains of Jared's shirt that I pressed against the wound. Each step sent jolts of pain through my body, but I didn't stop. I couldn't. Not when Asher's life hung by a thread.
Jared carried Asher in his arms, muscles trembling but steady. His face was pale, streaked with dirt and sweat, but his grip on my son never loosened. The forest closed around us, endless and suffocating, branches clawing at our skin, roots curling around our ankles like they wanted to drag us into the earth.
"Nova will catch up," Jared panted, his voice shredded and uneven. His gaze darted over his shoulder, searching the darkness like he expected Xaden to appear at any moment. Or worse.
I swallowed the bile rising in my throat. "She better," I rasped.
