♥

My arms have never worked so quickly in my life. I don't even remember when I started crying but my entire face is wet and I'm trying to hold back my sobs so I can focus on finding Milo.

The thought of him being down here. Alone. Terrified.

If he's not alive–I cut off my train of thought before I break down.

My entire body shakes as I rip the dirt from the ground, as deep and rapidly as I can. I take two deep breaths to calm down my heart but it's racing like an alarm and I can't stop it. Not until I know that he's okay.

I focus on the scents around me but now I cannot detect Milo at all. What does that mean?

What if he's not even here and I'm wasting time?

A thousand different questions run through my head and I attempt to push them away for a moment. I have to focus on one thing at a time or I'll never find him. The beast inside me lingers at the surface and gives me a boost of energy to dig this hole deeper until my knuckles hit something with a thud.

For a second I pause and suck in a breath, my vision blurry from my tears. I knock on it again and find my skin connecting with heavy wood. I grit my teeth and push up more of the dirt so I can get a better grip on the vertical door.

My stomach churns. Did Henry bury him alive? Oh God. I think I'm about to vomit.

How long has he been down here?

I can't be too late. Fuck. My hands shake violently. Whatever I'm going to find, it's going to shatter me to pieces regardless.

My fingers hook under the ridge of the door and I step out of the hole to pry it off. At first I growl out loud as if it's been bolted on and no one can enter. But I refuse to sit here and give up. Not when I could lose my mate forever.

"Come. On." I grit my teeth together and feel the pull on the tips of my fingers. I almost rip through my nails but right now it's the least of my worries.

I shout at the top of my lungs as the top of the door pops off and I feel my shoulders drop with instant relief. Once it's peeled from the top, I yank it from the bottom. I glance down to meet my beautiful Milo's face.

My lips quiver at the sight of him. His lips are turning a light shade of blue, his skin so pale that I fear to touch it and his entire body is wrapped up in silver to the point that his wrists and legs are smeared in blood from the depths of the cuts.

"Oh my God," I whimper as I lean down to retrieve his lifeless body. "Milo. MILO!"

The silver burns my chest and arms as I attempt to tug him out of the wooden coffin and onto the grass. I grit my teeth at the pain against my bare skin, reminding myself that I am not a priority here.

As soon as he's laying flat on the ground I rush to take off the silver binding his limbs. I groan and hiss at the agony that races through my body but with all the adrenaline inside me, I don't care that I'm hurt.

I yank it off with determination, a large slash cutting my palm open.

When Milo is silver free I check his pulse. He's not breathing. Fuck. He's not breathing.

"Fuck," I cry and press a hand to my forehead. "Fuck. Fuck!"

My tears drip down my cheeks and onto his face. For a moment I panic. I'm in shock. I can't stop staring at his perfect face. "Do something," I yell at myself when my limbs seize up. "Do something, Nate."

I grit my fists together and push down the bile that rises in my throat. I can't stop trembling aggressively. I lean over his body and press the heel of my hand in the centre of his chest, I cup it with my other, my fingers sliding against one another and start pressing down.

"Come on," I whisper harshly. "Come on."

Milo's body jolts when I press down over his heart but shows no signs of life.

My lips quiver, seeing him like this is so fucking painful that I can barely look. I have to close my eyes before I start breaking down and losing my rhythm. Blood thrashes around every vein in my body but I can't let him down.

He was alone. I exhale a cry. He was alone when he slipped into the darkness.

I tighten my eyes together and shake the thought from my head. I'll live with it for the rest of my life if I can't save him. No no no no. I can't go home without him. I refuse. I refuse to do this without him.

My Milo. My mate. He's mine. I'll never want anyone else.

As I continue to pump against his chest, my wrists burn from the angle but I'm determined to keep going. Even if I'm here for hours. I don't care what it takes. I'm getting him back, even if it breaks me in the process.

I don't know how many minutes pass but it's too long. "Please," I choke out. "Please. Milo. Don't leave me. I need you. Fuck."

My palm burns as I stop for a moment, I rest my head down onto the centre of his chest. I can't control my emotions, I'm leaking tears non-stop. "Oh Goddess," I beg through a wobbly voice. "Please. I need you so bad. I can't do this without you. Milo. Please. Please come back to me."

I peek my head up and cradle the side of his handsome face. The coldness of his skin makes me flinch and my eyes shoot wide, more tears escaping my lids. My chest constricts and I wrap my arms around him to warm his body but it's no use.

"Please," I whimper again. "Don't leave me. I don't want to be here without you."

My words barely make sense through my babbling but I wipe my tears and tell myself to carry on. This time I suck in a breath and clear my throat. The tips of my fingers itch as I place them down onto his chest above his heart. I start pumping, even more determined than before.

I will not give up. I will never stop until he opens his eyes again.

My heart cracks. I never even got to say goodbye.

This makes me press down on his chest harder. I feel his sternum beneath my palms creak, as if I'm about to snap it in two any given second. I've heard that breaking ribs and sternums is common when giving CPR. It proves you're doing it hard enough but I don't want to hurt him. I never want to hurt his perfect body.

I gasp suddenly, the bond inside me dimming by the second. "No," I rasp as I shake my head. "No. Do not leave me. Don't fucking leave me."

The magic that used to be there is fizzling out. Dying.

"Milo," I growl between my teeth, tears reaching my mouth. "Don't you fucking dare. You come back to me right now. You fucking fight, do you hear me?"

I'm hyperventilating. Something cracks down the middle of my heart. I throw my head back and scream out in pain. It feels like my entire existence is being ripped to shreds and there isn't a single thing left of me.

No happiness. No life. No light. I'm empty.

"F-Fuck," I heave as my hands slow.

Milo's face looks peaceful but I refuse to let him go. No matter the fact the bond is slowly slipping away. Never have I experienced anything so painful–except finding Milo down here.

Both of them together are fucking unbearable.

I lower my face to his and stroke back the hair on his forehead, tears dripping onto his cheeks. "I'm right here," I whisper under my breath. "Come back to me. I'm right here, waiting for you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to spend the rest of my life making you happy."

My lips press to his cold cheek and then his forehead. "Please," I murmur as I study his face. So handsome. He was mine. Completely mine. No, this will not be the last time I see him. "I'm sorry. Please come back and let me hold you, let me kiss you. Let me make everything better. Please. I need you more than I need anything in this entire world."

After a few moments I push myself up and ignore the breaking matebond. I press my hands over his heart and I don't stop, I don't cry. I focus on his chest and I pump and pump until I am physically shaking with exhaustion. But that still doesn't stop me.

I keep my eyes firmly on Milo's face. "Come on," I grit with clenched teeth. "Don't give up on me. Not when we have the rest of our lives. Our lives, Milo."

"I'm right here and I'm not giving up for anything," I state as I continue to press down onto his chest. The rhythm is a little sloppy from my erratic emotions but I keep going. Not stopping one. "I will never give up on you. Never again. I'm sorry for not being there. I should have been there for you. I will never forgive myself."

As a few moments pass by, something in Milo's cheek twitches. I exhale a breath that sounds strangled and I keep going. Another twitch of a muscle, and another. My eyes flick over his face rapidly before Milo takes his first gasp of air.

I crumble. I physically crumble.

His eyes attempt to open but they're sore and red but he's awake. I see that sliver of blue across the slits. My lips part to release a loud cry as I drop my hands from his chest and bundle them around his body, holding him tightly in my arms. I rest my head against the top of his and I let everything out.

Every last emotion I've felt in the last two hours.

The bond inside me begins to grow again and I clutch him impossibly tighter, scared that it's going to be taken away from us again. Milo continues to gasp and I cry harder at the sound, he's okay. He's alive.

Our skin on one another vibrates and glows. I attempt to warm up his freezing cold body, wrapping my jacket around us to try and keep him comfortable.

"You're safe, baby," I coo through a strained voice. I cup his head and gently begin to rock us, his cold body warping around mine. "I got you. I got you."

His shaky hand raises and clutches onto my arm for support. I twist my head and kiss his forehead over and over until my racing heart slows. I clench my eyes shut, the last batch of fresh tears rolling down my cheeks.

When I open them again, I inspect his face. His eyes are barely open but he's still breathing. The colour of his pale skin sends waves of nausea across my chest. "I got you," I whisper when his weak eyes meet mine. "I will always be beside you, Milo. Always."

I am never taking a moment with him for granted again.

♥ ♥ ♥

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Author's Note

GAAAAHHHH. This chapter has me in tears!

Milo is okayyyyyyyy, honestly that felt like a close call!😭💔❤️🥺

Merry Christmas guys! If you don't celebrate, happy holidays💛. The next update will be on Thursday. I hope you enjoyed!

Their love for one another will continue! We've still got a fair few chapters to go. It's not over yet😬😬😬😬

Don't forget to vote and comment, it makes my day!✨

Love Savanna x

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