CHAPTER 84: CHAPTER 83: ERYX’S HOT BREATHE

A thick, sharp-tipped arrow lodged deeply into his shoulder. Her breath caught so hard she actually choked on air.

"Oh my God...Eryx..."

She shot to her feet so fast the water splashed violently behind her. She didn’t feel the cold anymore. She didn’t feel anything except panic clawing up her throat.

She ran.

Her legs moved before her mind did, carrying her across the stone ground in an instant. Just as she reached him, Eryx’s knees buckled completely.

He pitched forward right into her arms.

She barely caught him, his full weight slamming against her smaller frame. Her legs shook, but she held on, gripping his back, her eyes wide in horror.

"Eryx..." her voice trembled, barely more than a whisper, "Eryx, what happened?"

His head dropped against her shoulder, hot breath hitting her neck, but his body was hot.

He groaned weakly, jaw clenched tight, trying to keep himself upright even though he was clearly losing the battle.

"Stay with me, Eryx."

Athena tried to pull him upright...but gods, he was heavy.

His deadweight slumped over her, every muscle on his body feeling like solid stone. She gritted her teeth, fingers digging into his arm as she tried to shift him.

"Why... are you so heavy?" she hissed under her breath, struggling, her knees wobbling. Is this a werewolf thing? Muscles... dense bones... or are you just built stupidly thick? She thought frustrated.

Eryx didn’t answer. Just groaned.

Low and painful.

Athena swallowed, panic tightening her chest.

"Okay... okay, we’re not doing this here," she muttered to herself as she dragged and dragged his body toward the nearest pillar. It felt like trying to move a boulder. She stumbled once, nearly falling with him, but she kept going, breath shaky. "Move, Eryx. Come on. Help me a little..."

But dear Eryx is so tired.

Finally, she managed to push him back until he slid down the pillar and sat with his back against it. His head lolled to the side, breath shallow, sweat beading down his temple.

Athena dropped to her knees in front of him, trembling.

Her eyes instantly locked onto the wound.

The arrow was still stuck deep in his shoulder, blood dripping down in slow, thick streams. It splattered onto the stone ground, staining the cracks, and her stomach twisted violently.

The smell of blood hit her nose.

Her vision swayed.

Memories she didn’t want to remember choked it’s way to her throat and panic rose.

Not again. Not again.

NOT AGAIN.

She forced herself to snap out of it, shaking her head, shoving those memories away as she crawled closer to him.

"Eryx..." She cupped his face in both hands, her palms hot against his skin. "Hey. Hey...look at me. Stay with me." Her thumbs brushed the sweat from his cheeks. "Eryx, open your eyes...look at me."

His eyelids fluttered lazily, unfocused but still a smile formed on his lips.

"Hmm..." A rough sound escaped him, the vibration weak under her palms. "You’re... bossy."

She choked half in disbelief, half in fear.

"Eryx," she snapped, breath trembling, "this is not the time to joke..."

He gave a faint, pained smirk.

"Could’ve fooled me," he rasped. "Thought... you liked giving orders."

Her mouth fell open.

Then her palm landed on his chest with a sharp thump.

"Idiot!"

Eryx groaned at the impact, his head tipping back against the pillar.

"Ow... shit.." He actually laughed.

A breathy, weak, broken laugh, but a laugh nonetheless.

Athena stared at him, shaking, disbelief and fear tangled inside her so tightly she couldn’t breathe. Her vision blurred.

Only then did she feel something warm slip down her cheek.

Then another. God, why was she crying?

Her hands trembled harder as she grabbed his jaw softly, forcing his face toward her.

"Stop laughing," she whispered, voice cracking. "Just stop...please. Don’t, don’t do that. Don’t pretend you’re okay."

Her tears dropped onto his chest one by one.

She hadn’t even realized she was crying.

Eryx blinked slowly, finally focusing on her. His golden eyes usually burning, were dim.

"Athena..." He whispered her name like he was tasting it. "Don’t cry."

"I’m not..." Her voice broke. "I’m not crying" she denied.

"You’re terrible at lying," he murmured, a flicker of that trademark smirk attempting to surface.

Athena hit his chest again, gentler this time but he still winced and let out a breathy laugh.

Her shoulders shook.

Her tears wouldn’t stop.

"Eryx... please," she whispered, forehead lowering almost touching his. "Stay with me. Just... stay with me, okay?"

His lips parted and his breath hitched.

His eyes softened in a way she had never seen before.

Athena tried to stand, but her knees buckled as she rose. She planted a hand on the cracked marble floor, using every bit of strength left in her trembling body. She had to get help, his friends. Eryx needed someone stronger, someone who didn’t freeze at the sight of blood.

But the second she tried to push herself up, a warm, heavy hand wrapped around her wrist and yanked her back down.

She fell against his chest with a soft gasp, his breath brushing her ear.

"Athena..." His voice was strained, a rough whisper dragged through pain.

Her heart flipped. "Eryx, listen...I need to call for help. I can’t..."

His grip tightened, pulling her even closer until her palms landed flat on his hard, blood-warmed chest. She could feel the shudder in his body, the labored rise and fall of his breaths. He lifted his head slightly, his gaze flicking to her lips for a second too long before dragging back up to her eyes.

"Why can’t you do it?" he murmured.

Her breath caught. "W-What?"

He swallowed hard, jaw tightening against another wave of pain but for some reason it eased.

"The arrow," he managed, "Why can’t you take it out?"

Athena froze. She glanced at the arrow buried deep in his shoulder and her stomach twisted violently.

"I... I can’t," she stammered, shaking her head as tears blurred her vision. "I don’t know how. I’ll hurt you. I...please, I need to get your friends..."

"No." His fingers slid down to her hand, anchoring it over his heartbeat. His eyes shut tight as if she’s the only thing grounding him and maybe she was. "Stay. Here. With me."

She watched him through wet lashes, panic and helplessness clawing at her. Blood soaked through his shirt in thick, dark waves. It wouldn’t stop. She felt her breaths quicken, her pulse thundering in her ears.

Her eyes drifted back to the arrow.

She hated it.

She hated the sight of it.

She hated what it reminded her of...too much blood, too much loss, too many memories she’d shoved into dark corners of her mind.

"Athena." His voice broke, and that alone made her look at him.

His lids lifted, revealing those burning eyes, softening only for her.

"Do it," he whispered.

Her lips trembled. "Eryx, I...I don’t want to hurt you."

"You already are," he said with a faint, pained smirk. "By hesitating."

She almost rolled her eyes at him through her tears but the movement ended up looking sad, almost pitiful, because water spilled down her cheeks faster than she could wipe.

Athena inhaled shakily, forcing herself to look at the wound again. Her fingers trembled uncontrollably as she reached out. She brushed the edge of the arrow, and Eryx hissed, eyes snapped shut.

"You’re doing amazing," he murmured, even though his voice shook from the agony. "Just... pull it."

She clenched her jaw to steady herself and wrapped her small hand around the arrow. Her breath hitched. His hand slid from her wrist to the back of her head, anchoring her forehead near his shoulder.

"One..." she whispered.

He tightened his grip on her.

"Two..."

His muscles tensed beneath her palms.

"Three..."

She yanked.

Eryx screamed, a raw, guttural sound that tore right through her. She threw the blood-slick arrow behind her without looking where it landed.

Her breath broke in a sob. "Shh... shh, I’m so sorry," she choked out, already pressing her hands over his wound to stop the bleeding. "I’m so, so sorry, Eryx."

He slumped forward, forehead resting against her shoulder, breath hot against her neck.

"You stayed... that’s enough." He whispered against the skin of her neck.

Eryx buried his face in her shoulder, his entire weight leaning into her as if she were the only thing holding him to the world. His breath came out harsh and uneven against her skin, hot enough to make her shiver.

Athena tried, really tried to shift away.

"Eryx, you need to rest, I have to go get your frie..."

Before she could finish, his arm tightened around her waist with surprising strength for someone who had just screamed in pain. She gasped softly as he pulled her even closer, locking her against his chest.

"Don’t," he breathed. The word vibrated against her collarbone.

She froze.

His face nuzzled lower, tracing the warm space where her neck met her shoulder. His breath brushed her in slow, uneven waves. Athena felt her heart kick hard against her ribs. Her mind screamed at her to pull away, to stay focused but his touch...fuck his warmth, the raw vulnerability in him... it shook her.

"Eryx..." she whispered, barely able to breathe.

He inhaled deeply, shuddered and pressed his face deeper into the curve of her neck, his nose grazing her skin. A soft, involuntary sound left him, almost a groan.

"You’re so intoxicating..." he murmured, voice low and hoarse. Then a harsher whisper slipped out, broken by pain and something darker. "Fuck, Athena..."

Her entire body jolted. His breath was fire too hot, against her skin, too intimate. She felt her eyes flutter shut for a second, traitorously responding to the way his voice dipped, the way he held her like she was something he craved.

Think. Think, Athena. Focus...

But then she felt it.

A warm, wet glide across her neck.

She stiffened.

Was he?

Her breath stuttered as his tongue dragged slowly over the sensitive skin, a shaky, almost needy touch. A quiet hum left him, vibrating against her throat.

"Mmm..." he murmured against her. His lips brushed her next. "Athena..."

Her grip on his shoulders tightened.

"Eryx... I– I need to get your friends," she managed, her voice thin and trembling. "Please, I... we need help. You’re hurt."

She braced her palms against his chest, meaning to push him away only for him to shift suddenly. His hand slid down to her hip, gripping just enough to pull her off-balance.

With one tug, he brought her down fully until she was straddling him.

Athena let out a sharp breath as her knees hit the floor on either side of him, her body pressed directly against his. His chest rose against hers, hot and unsteady. His arm curved around her waist, refusing to let her go.

Her heart slammed hard against his so fast she knew he could feel every beat.

"Eryx." she whispered, breath trembling.

He leaned his head back, eyes half-open and burning, but unfocused.

"I just need... you," he rasped, voice barely there. "Don’t move... not yet."

Her lips parted as she stared down at him, feeling his grip, his heat, the way his body trembled under hers.

God, she was losing her mind.

"Please..." he murmured again, forehead pressing against her chest close to her boobs as if he couldn’t stay upright without her.

God help her.