85 - Kennedy


    I could hear Ryker muttering something from above, but judging by his silence andck of movement, he must realize I''m right—or at least he agrees enough not to follow me down. Despite the heat of the moment, I can''t help but feel a strange warmth at how protective he is of me. Even Alpha kept in touch during the entire trek through the woods, his presence felt in the faint brush of his tail against my leg. It was oddlyforting.


    Carefully, I scramble down the steep slope, the descent proving much longer and more treacherous than I anticipated. Admitting to myself that Ryker might have had a point about scouting before leaping, I push the thought aside. I can''t stop now- Emily needs help, and I''m the only one who can safely navigate this terrain without risking injury.


    From our vantage point at the top, her small frame was barely visible. I hoped she was like most werewolf children-resilient, almost indestructible. Memories flooded back of ying with Jeremiah and the others when we were young, envying how quickly they healed from injuries. I recalled the one time I tumbled down a hill, rolling uncontrobly, and ended up with a broken arm. Months in a cast had been agonizing, but at least I learned to use my left hand better, bing ambidextrous.


    “Em, honey, can you hear me?” I called softly as I neared the bottom. I needed a sign—any sign—that she was conscious, moving, alive. Ryker had said he could hear her heartbeat, but that wasn''t enough for me. It felt like I was trudging through thick sand, my body refusing to move faster despite my desperation. Panic wed at me, but I fought with every ounce of strength to reach her.


    "Kennedy, what''s going on? Your emotions are off the charts. Is she okay?" Ryker''s voice crackled through thems.


    "I don''t know," I whispered, a sob catching in my throat even though I wasn''t shouting. “She''s not moving, Ryker. What if we''re toote? I''m the only one who cane down here without getting hurt. It''s bad-she crushed a lot of those purple flowers on the way down. I can smell them in the air."


    "The pack doctor is on site. Move carefully and tell us what you find," came the calm reply.


    Taking a deep breath, I forced my legs free from the clinging dirt and quicksand-like earth, then hurried toward her. "Em? Emily, sweet girl, can you open your eyes for me? I''m going to check you over quickly to see if I can get you out of here. Tell me if anything hurts, okay?"


    I scanned her body carefully. Thankfully, none of her limbs were twisted or bent unnaturally. That was a relief—no obvious breaks. “She''s lying on her back. There''s a decent gash on her forehead. It bled a lot, but it looks like it''s clotted now. Other than that, her body seems unharmed. I''m scared to move her, though-I can''t see if there''s anything wrong on her back."


    “Kennedy, darling, gently cross her arms over her chest and roll her onto her side, away from the head wound. Move slowly and try not to jostle her head too much. We''re just checking for any debris she might be impaled on," Doc Bradshaw instructed patiently. Over the winter, since my "popsicle phase," I''d grown close to the lead pack doctor.


    Following her advice, I settled beside Emily''s left side and carefully turned her toward me, making sure she had no further contact with the wolfsbane flowers and stems that had caused so much trouble. "Hey, sweet girl, I''m just checking you out, okay? I want to make sure it''s safe to move you from this spot.”


    A faint, weak whimper escaped her lips, and I froze instantly.


    “Luna, you''re doing great. Keep talking to her while you check. She''s responding to you," Ryker encouraged through thems.


    "Keep going, baby. Her heartbeat sped up when you touched her," Ryker added, his voice full of hope.


    I continued my examination. "I don''t see anything but scratches on her skin. I can''t tell if there''s anything under her clothes, but I think I can move her. Are you ready to get us out of here? I can''t climb both of us up alone."


    "We''re ready for you, Luna. Head back to where you climbed down, and we''ll get you set up for the climb," Greta''s voice came through.


    I shifted into a kneeling position, cradling Emily''s head gently against my shoulder, tucking it beneath my chin. When I stood, I moved her arms over my shoulders and wrapped her hips around my waist, locking my hands under her bottom. Deadweight kids were no joke-she was heavy.


    "Hey, sweet girl. I know you can hear me. I need you to hold on so we can go home, okay? Can you do that for me?" I whispered softly as I made my way toward the sheer wall towering at least forty feet above us. I still couldn''t believe she fell from that height and only had a few scratches.


    I needed one of the warriors to scout the area and figure out exactly where she''dnded. Adjusting her carefully in my arms, I felt her tense just a little.


    "Luna, Be''sing down to help you get set up..."


    "Absolutely not!" Emily flinched in my arms, and I held her tighter. "No, talk me through it. And before anyone growly-Alpha or Gamma-calls me stubborn, I''m not. I promise. It''s really bad down here. The scent is like acid and rotten dirt. If it''s bothering me, it will harm all of you. Please, just talk me through this."


    "Fine,” Be grumbled, and I caught Ryker''s disapproving re over the edge.


    They lowered the makeshift harness to me and guided me through putting it on. I watched as Ryker and Be paced along the ledge, while Josh joined the others on the opposite side after a thorough search of the area. Once everything was set, I barely had to do anything except walk my feet up the embankment to keep us from sliding. I was leaning back, and Emily rested against me like a fragile bed.


    As soon as we reached the top, everyone rushed toward us.


    “STOP!” I shouted sharply, and I must have put some of my Alphamand into it because they all froze like a scene from a movie. "Sorry, you can move, but stay back. Let Doc Bradshaw clean us up and check her out." I moved toward the pack doctor, doing a little shimmy to slip the harness off my legs.


    "Ryker, I love you, but don''t touch me until I''ve washed all this poison off," I said firmly as I strode past him without looking back.