Nicolas POV
“Zara!” I tapped the side of her cheek and shouted out in fright. “Zara, wake up!”
I was freaking out. Seconds ago, I had pulled Zara from the water and brought her to shore. She had swallowed a lot of water and wasn’t breathing. I attempted to administer drowning CPR to her, but it appeared to be ineffective.
“Come on, Zara!” I let out a scream as tears streamed down my cheeks, stinging and making it nearly impossible to see. “Zara! Wake up!” I roared, losing hope.
In my desperation, I pounded my hand against her chest. I gave up trying. This was hopeless! I have lost her! I have lost my mate!
Zara startled me with choking noises under my hands and then began to cough up water.
My first instinct was to try to drain the water out of her by quickly turning her on her side and patting her back.
“That’s it. That’s it. Get all the water out!” I mused. “That’s a good girl! Now breathe!”
Zara fell silent as she ceased to cough up water.
“Zara, Zara, can you hear me?” I called to her. “Zara?”
As she flopped onto her back, Zara locked eyes with me. Her gray eyes dimmed, revealing a faint smile on her lips. Caressing my cheek, she softly extended her arm to me.
“Thank you for saving me,” she whispered, her voice raw with emotion.
I cradled her in my arms and scooped her onto my lap.
“You gave me one hell of a fright!” My body erupted in tears. “I thought I had lost you!”
In my direction, Zara cocked her head.
“You will not be able to get rid of me so quickly, Mister Alpha,” she informed me. “I am a difficult one… No matter what, you’ll have to deal with me for a very long time.”
This forced me to laugh through my tears. I really enjoyed Zara for her humor when she had it.
“Let’s go home,” I said. “It’s getting late.”
As night fell, the sky started to change into a gorgeous pastel.
“I want to stay,” she said.
“But we don’t…”
“There is a cabin on the other side of the waterfall,” she said, inclining her head in that way. “No one is around. Perhaps we can spend the night here.”
“Zara, I don’t think-”
“I want to,” she said. “Plus, I’m not in a fit state to go back to our reality. Now that my heat has grown, and…”
My eyes were drawn to Zara.
“It has seeped into the mate bond,” she went on to say. “Now it’s hurting you as well. The bond must be completed. Getting around it is not an option… I will not tolerate any more pain; I will not stand by while you suffer. Perhaps we won’t be so lucky the next time around.”
“Are you sure?” I wanted Zara to know that I wasn’t trying to force her to mark or mate.
“I am,” she declared, her expression growing grave. “Besides, I love you, and I want to spend my life with you.”
Upon hearing those words, my heart leapt out of my chest, and my lips met hers. My heart ached to pour out its love to her.
“I think it’s time to leave!” As the intensity of our kiss grew, Ray dropped hints. “Whatever stopped Zara’s heat the last time won’t do the trick this time. Time is of the essence. I know for a fact.”
“You are entirely correct,” I replied, stepping away from Zara and kissing her adorable head.
I didn’t want to find myself in a situation where my pants were on my ankles again. Attempting to rescue Zara also brought me perilously near to drowning.
Just a few moments ago. I hurried to the water’s edge as Zara screamed in pain and vanished under, but the searing agony surged through me before I could get there.
My breathing became labored. It was as if my lungs had completely dried up, making it difficult for me to breathe.
My legs seemed to have a mind of their own, as if they were someone else’s.
Then, out of nowhere, a white flaming inferno raced through my entire being. The heat was so intense that it was as if the flames were trying to kill me.
I persisted, though. With a little concentration, I crawled into the water. I would never allow Zara to drown.
When I finally got to the edge, I let out a sigh of relief and sank into the water on my stomach.
The cold was almost a gift, setting the inner fire ablaze. I was able to regain some control over my body after the pain subsided a little.
Zara had stopped fighting in the water, and I wasn’t sure how long she had been underwater.
In an effort to locate her, I dove to one side of the water and ascended the rocks.
“Oh, Goddess!” Ray muffled the words that escaped my lips upon seeing her. “Save mate!”
When I saw her, I dove toward her and swam under the cascading waterfall.
Ray, help me battle against the water storm. There were gallons of water falling from the sky.
I reached out and took Zara’s hand as I swam to the shore.
Zara’s lips were blue, and her mouth and eyes were partially open.
A wave of terror washed over me. Searching for a heartbeat. I thought I had lost her.
“Is everything alright?” My focus shifted to Zara as she asked, erasing the horrific recollection from my thoughts.
“Yeah,” I said. “Let’s be going.”
I quickly stood up and reached out a hand to Zara. Without any hesitation, she grasped my hand, and I helped her stand up.
“Will you be able to walk?” The sudden movement of Zara’s hand to her head startled me.
“Yeah,” she responded. “I think I am fine.”
We began our journey to the cabin as I wrapped my arm around Zara’s waist.
“Look how pretty,” Zara yelled out in amazement as she pointed to the newly lit path. The sun had set, and it was getting rather dark. “Isn’t it amazing?”
“What are those?” I lowered Zara and inquired, crouching down to get a better look.
“Fireflies,” Zara exclaimed with astonishment, her voice trailing off into a giggle. One sat on her index finger when she extended it. “They must be scenting our pheromones!”
“I have never seen anything like this before,” I replied, getting back on my feet.
As my eyes returned to Zara, I noticed the fireflies encircling her, casting a radiant light that seemed to emanate from an angel.
I was in such awe of her beauty that I let out a little gasp.
I stepped closer to her, my breath quickening, and swept her up in a bridal manner, racing to get her to the cabin.
What happened next was unexpected…
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