Forever in the Past and Forever in the Future

| crouch down and try to make myself look as small as possible. | feel a lump of tears in my throat but | refuse to let him see me cry, as | plead again, “Ryan, please don't do this. You don’t want to do this.”

My teeth chatter and | shiver as the frigid wind swirls around me. | look over the side of the deep ravine. The river at the bottom is raging dark red in the moonlight with giant chunks of ice and snow swirling in the current. Blood River. If | try to jump, I’m going to die on the rusty rocks just below the surface. If | were in wolf form maybe | would have a chance. Maybe. That’s not an option now. | turn back around to face my fate. "Please! Please don't do this, Ryan! Dagger, please let me talk to Ryan!" | beg for mercy. The wind gusts hard against my bare skin, chilling me to the bone. | am shivering violently, wishing | was somewhere warm. | hug myself, in a hopeless attempt to protect my naked body. Dagger takes advantage of my distraction and takes a step forward, lowering his head in preparation to attack. Only ten steps separate us now.

In the distance, howls can be heard and hope flickers in my heart. Please Goddess, Mother, please help them get here in time. We both look in the direction of the sound. From down the mountain, the thundering sound of wolf paws gets closer and closer but it still sounds so far away.

| look back at Dagger and notice glimmers of light reflecting in my peripheral vision. | flick my eyes into the distance behind him, three wolves are silently stalking Dagger in a triangular formation. Two large dark brown wolves and a giant white wolf in the center with one green eye. Saint! My heart leaps at the sight of him. Saint and the other two wolves are downwind. Dagger doesn't seem to notice, | have to keep distracting him before he catches his stalkers’ scents. | just need to give them enough time so they can get close enough to catch him.

“Ryan please, come on, just shift and we can talk about this. No one has to get hurt,” | continue to beg, giving Saint and the other two wolves time to get in position.

“Ryan, if you want me to go back with you, w- we can figure something out," | choke out the words as | lie to him.

Dagger paws the ground as if he is considering his next move. He thinks for a moment, then growls deep and angry just before he launches his giant body at me. | brace for impact, fully prepared to be thrown off the edge of the ravine but the impact never comes. Saint leaps at the same time, grabbing Dagger firmly by the neck. They sail toward the edge of the cliff, wrestling for control.

wolves fly over the edge and disappear into the night. “NOOOOOO!!” | wail as | turn and looking at the space where they were just suspended in the air. |

it's being ripped in athousand pieces. An endless hole opens up inside of me and starts to swallow me whole. The pain of the mate bond breaking is excruciating. It feels like it will never end. “SAIINNNTTT!!!! BROONNX!!!” | howl at the

before I'm able to throw myself off the cliff after

have to save Bronx,” | cry hysterically and growl as Milo drags me away from the ledge. | hopelessly try to

have to get back down the mountain,” his voice is firm and calm. How

shock? | don’t know. Is Milo really giving up that easily on his Alpha? His best friend? Isn't this just a dream? | just want to wake

on top

to the pack hospital. I'll mind

He's gone. Bronx and Saint came to save me and they died. They're dead because

runs. | don’t care. It doesn’t matter. Nothing matters now that Bronx is gone. | am hollow. Infinitely empty. | close my eyes tightly trying to block out the world as the wolf races down the mountain. The sun is up now. Lenora, Ashley, and Delilah all come running out of the packhouse. They pull me off