Iris:
I groaned tiredly as I realized we still had a long climb ahead.
We had only been climbing for ten minutes, yet I was already so exhausted that I regretted never focusing on my physical strength until now.
I an, I had learned to fight over the years, or mostly just watched and kept an eye on the fighters, but this, actually getting involved in sothing physical, was different. It was hard.
The morning sun had barely touched the side of the mountain, and the wind stung my face, leaving my cheeks raw and cold.
"Be careful," I heard Luca utter to .
The rocks were so uneven that every ti I grabbed one, the rough surface scraped my fingers.
Dust made them slip again and again.
Each pull upward made my arms ache, but the thought of stopping made feel like a failure of a mother, soone not trying hard enough to find a cure for her son.
So I kept going.
"We should have left the weak ones behind," I heard Lara’s comnt and my jaw clenched.
Lara was far ahead of us. She moved lightly, her feet balanced perfectly, thanks to the training from her alpha father.
She stepped from one edge to another, pushing herself upward with graceful strength.
Her small braid swung each ti she climbed higher, and she never stopped to rest or look back.
That’s what happens when you’re the daughter of an alpha.
Behind her was Kash. He climbed like soone who had done it all his life.
His boots always found steady ground, his movents were strong.
He never hesitated before gripping a rock.
Even with the rope and extra gear on his back, he moved over the mountain as if it were his second ho.
Then there was Luca. He stayed close to , though I could tell it was effortless for him.
The only reason he lagged behind was because of . His hands and boots held firm, not slipping once.
I could see the veins in his arms, and for once, he didn’t crack a single joke. He was just silent.
I, on the other hand, wasn’t so lucky. The mountain seed to hate .
The wind seed to pick a fight with . Everything felt against .
Each ti I tried to lift myself, the rocks under my feet shifted.
My arms trembled, my knees scraped against sharp edges, and my whole body shook.
"Keep your eyes on your movents," Luca whispered to .
Sweat trickled down my neck despite the cold.
I groaned again as I hauled myself up. Then I froze, staring at the long drop below. If I slipped now, I’d fall, not just break my bones, but shatter every part of into a million pieces.
I’d die.
The others were already much higher, and I felt smaller with every second. I couldn’t keep going. Fear had already taken root inside .
I started to wheeze, holding still and refusing to move. I pressed my chest against the mountain, unwilling to take another step forward.
Then I lifted my head and saw Kash turn around. He bent one knee on the solid ledge and stretched his hand toward .
"Co on, hold my hand. I’ll pull you up," he urged.
The urgency in his voice told he was worried, though he tried to keep a calm expression.
I tried to release the rock I was clinging to, but I realized how badly I was shaking.
"I shouldn’t have looked down. No, I’ll fall," I whispered, my voice trembling.
When I looked up again, I saw that everyone had stopped climbing.
"Co on, I won’t let you fall," Kash reassured .
My eyes locked on his hand. It was big, muscular, and steady. I knew if I managed to grab it, I’d be fine.
"But you always let go."
I didn’t know why it slipped out. When I looked up, I saw his eyes fill with sadness and maybe even shock that I had said it.
I started to raise my hand toward his, but another hand caught mine first.
Luca’s grip held firm, like a steady shield. Kash’s jaw tightened, and I looked up at him again.
Luca shifted his body, climbing down slightly, then wrapped himself around from behind, making sure I knew I was safe.
"It’s okay, it’s okay. I’ve got you," Luca murmured near my ear.
One of his arms wrapped around my waist while the other hand remained gripping the rock. My body relaxed.
Before anyone could focus on us, Lara shrieked. Her foot slipped on a loose rock, her body tilting backward.
It was a near fall until Kash dropped his hand from and reached for her, catching her quickly and steadying her in his arm.
"Oh my God, that was so stupid of ." Her nervous laugh echoed faintly against the rock walls.
She quickly regained her balance and started climbing again.
Kash shot Luca and a disdainful glance before patting Lara’s back.
"Co on, guys, let’s keep going. Let’s move," he said in a rough and raw voice.
We resud our climb, but this ti Luca made sure to keep hold of my hand every so often.
In fact, most of the ti he seed more focused on keeping safe than on climbing ahead.
Finally, we reached the top. Kash and Lara made it first.
Luca leaped up after them, then turned and grabbed by the elbows, pulling up with ease.
By then, I’d stopped resisting. I let him pull up completely, my body limp as he lifted onto the hard surface.
Even when I stood upright, he didn’t release my elbows. I guessed he noticed I was still shaking and on edge.
When I steadied myself, I slipped out of his arms and looked around. We were so high up that a fall from here would kill and there were many people who would love to push down.
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