Chapter 47 Caught Before it Fell
Calix Pov
Training field practice was mandatory for everyone on the sports team. Coach had us running endless drills. We were lifting heavy weights. We were doing exercises that were specifically designed to build strength and endurance. I went through all the motions without really being present. My body moved but my mind was somewhere else entirely. My mind was always somewhere else lately.
My thoughts were always on her. I was always wondering if she was okay. I was always fighting the constant urge to go find her. I was always hating myself for pushing her away.
"Hawthorne!" Coach yelled loudly. "Pay attention! You almost dropped that weight on Martinez!"
"Sorry Coach," I said. I set the weight down more carefully than before. I tried to focus my attention. I tried to be present in the moment. I failed miserably.
The mate bond pulled at my chest constantly now. It had gotten worse since I rejected her. It had gotten worse since I lied and told her the mark meant nothing. It hurt. It physically hurt. It felt like someone was squeezing my heart in a vice.
But the pain was worth it if it kept her safe. It was worth it if it kept the curse from touching her. It was worth it if it meant she continued to live.
"Alright everyone take five minutes," Coach called out. "Hydrate yourselves. Rest for a bit. Then we're doing obstacle course runs."
I grabbed my water bottle and found a spot away from everyone else. I sat down on the grass by myself. The training field was absolutely huge. There were multiple areas designated for different sports. There was football and soccer and track and wrestling. There was everything.
That's when I saw her. Maddie was on the other side of the field. She was in the section where they were setting up equipment for some kind of demonstration. She was with a group of students. It was probably a class. It was probably something mandatory.
My wolf perked up immediately in my head. "She's here. We should go to her. We should check on her. We should make sure she's safe."
"No," I said quietly to myself. "We're staying here. We're leaving her alone."
But I couldn't stop watching her. I couldn't stop tracking her every single movement. The bond made it impossible not to. It made me hyperaware of her location. Her emotions. Everything about her.
She looked tired. She looked thinner than before. It looked like she hadn't been sleeping well. It looked like she hadn't been eating. My fault. All my fault. Guilt twisted painfully in my stomach but I pushed it down. This was necessary. This was right. This was the only way.
The instructor for her class was showing them some kind of equipment setup. There were heavy wooden beams suspended on metal frames. It looked like they were demonstrating load bearing or physics or something. Students were taking notes all around. Maddie stood toward the back. She wasn't writing anything. She was just staring blankly.
Then I saw it. The beam. The way it was rigged. The angle was completely wrong. The rope looked frayed. That beam was going to fall. And Maddie was standing right underneath it.
"Coach!" I shouted. I started running before I even finished the word. "The beam is going to fall!"
But Coach was too far away. He couldn't hear me. Nobody could hear me. The instructor kept talking. He kept gesturing. He was completely oblivious to the danger.
The rope snapped. I heard it even from across the entire field. It was a loud crack. Then the beam started falling. It was heavy. It was fast. It was heading straight toward Maddie's head.
I ran faster than I had ever run before. I shifted some of my wolf power into my legs. I moved faster than should have been humanly possible. I moved faster than I should have been able to. I didn't care who saw me. I didn't care about anything except getting there in time.
Maddie looked up. She saw the beam falling toward her. Her eyes went wide with fear. She froze in place. She didn't move. She didn't run. She just stood there paralyzed with terror.
I reached her exactly one second before the beam did. I dove forward. I caught it with both hands. The weight was absolutely enormous. It felt like it might crush me completely. My muscles screamed in protest. My arms shook violently with the effort of holding it up.
But I held it. I kept it from hitting her. I kept it from crushing her skull. I kept it from killing her.
My body was pressed against hers. We were chest to chest. We were so close I could feel her breathing. I could smell her scent. I could feel the mate bond roaring to life between us. It was hot. It was insistent. It was demanding.
Her eyes met mine. They were wide. They were shocked. They were grateful. They were beautiful. I could see my reflection in them. I could see the gold of my wolf. I could see everything I felt written clearly on my face.
The bond burned like fire between us. It was hotter than it had ever been before. It was stronger. It was more demanding. My wolf was screaming at me to drop the beam. To wrap my arms around her instead. To claim her properly. To never let go.
"Calix," she whispered. My name on her lips sent electricity down my entire spine.
"Are you hurt?" I asked. My voice came out rough. It was strained from holding the beam. From fighting my wolf. From being this close to her.
"No," she said. "I'm okay. Thanks to you."
People were running toward us now. The instructor was running. Other students were running. Coach was running from across the field. Everyone was shouting and panicking.
"I need to set this down," I said. "You need to move. Slowly. Don't make any sudden movements."
Maddie stepped back very carefully. She got out from under the beam. As soon as she was clear I angled it to the side. I let it fall to the ground instead of on anyone. It hit with a loud thud. It made a deep dent in the grass.
"What the hell just happened?" the instructor demanded. He was pale. He was shaking. He was staring at the beam. "That rope was supposed to be completely secure!"
"The rope was frayed," I said. I pointed at the evidence. "Look. You can see where it snapped."
"Oh my god," the instructor said. He looked at Maddie with horror. "Are you alright? That could have killed you."
"I'm fine," Maddie said quietly. "Calix caught it before it hit me."
All eyes turned to me. Students were staring. Coach was staring. Everyone was looking at me with a mix of awe and suspicion. Because what I had just done wasn't normal. It wasn't humanly possible. I had moved too fast. I had caught too much weight. I had done something only a very strong wolf could do.