CHAPTER 80: 80-A RISKY CLIMB

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 mean, 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 something 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 me.

The rocks were so uneven that every time 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 me feel like a failure of a mother, someone 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 comment 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 time 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 someone who had done it all his life.

His boots always found steady ground, his movements 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 home.

Then there was Luca. He stayed close to me, though I could tell it was effortless for him.

The only reason he lagged behind was because of me. 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 seemed to hate me.

The wind seemed to pick a fight with me. Everything felt against me.

Each time 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 movements," Luca whispered to me.

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 me 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 me.

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 me.

"Come on, hold my hand. I’ll pull you up," he urged.

The urgency in his voice told me 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.

"Come on, I won’t let you fall," Kash reassured me.

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 me 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 me 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 me and reached for her, catching her quickly and steadying her in his arm.

"Oh my God, that was so stupid of me." Her nervous laugh echoed faintly against the rock walls.

She quickly regained her balance and started climbing again.

Kash shot Luca and me a disdainful glance before patting Lara’s back.

"Come on, guys, let’s keep going. Let’s move," he said in a rough and raw voice.

We resumed our climb, but this time Luca made sure to keep hold of my hand every so often.

In fact, most of the time he seemed more focused on keeping me 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 me by the elbows, pulling me up with ease.

By then, I’d stopped resisting. I let him pull me up completely, my body limp as he lifted me 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 me and there were many people who would love to push me down.