Chapter 87 Freckles
Chapter 087
DARIUS
My Alpha speed was not enough. Even with every ounce of supernatural power coursing through my veins, pushing my body faster than any human could ever move, I was not going to reach Ravenna in time. I watched in absolute horror as she crumpled, her body going completely limp as gravity pulled her down towards the hard ice.
Atlas screamed inside my head, a sound of pure terror that I had never heard from him before. The panic in his voice made something inside my chest feel like it was being ripped apart. He pushed forward with desperate force, hastening my speed beyond what should have been possible.
I slid across the ice at the last possible second, positioning myself between Ravenna and the ground just as she fell. Her body hit my chest instead of the unforgiving ice, and my arms wrapped around her instantly, pulling her close and steadying her weight against me.
Her eyes were unfocused and blurry, barely registering my presence. Her skin was burning hot beneath my hands, feverish and concerning. But at the same time, her face looked pale and drained of color in a way that made fear spike through me.
My breath came out unsteady and ragged as I looked down at her. I gently shook her face, trying to get her to focus on me. "You are fine. You are safe. I have got you. You are in my arms now."
The words tumbled out in a panicked babble that I could not control. "I am so sorry I was not here earlier. I should have been here. I could have stopped you from working yourself this hard. This is my fault. I am sorry. Please wake up."
Atlas was completely torn inside my mind, his emotions flooding through our connection with overwhelming intensity. I felt something like a thread pulling tight in my chest, stretched to its breaking point. It felt like losing a mate, like watching the most important person in the world slip away whilst I stood helpless.
I shook her face again, more urgently this time. "Wake up, Ravenna. Please. You need to wake up now."
She stirred slightly, a small sound escaping her lips. But then her eyes closed completely and she went still in my arms.
Pure terror made my hands shake as I carefully lifted her from the ice. I carried her over to the sofa positioned on the side of the rink, the one we used for breaks during long practices. I laid her down as gently as I possibly could, making sure her head was supported properly.
My mind was racing, trying to remember basic first aid whilst panic threatened to overwhelm my ability to think clearly. I rushed to my locker and grabbed the plastic bottle of water I normally kept reserved for after practice sessions, along with a clean rag I found tucked in the bottom.
I ran back to where she lay unconscious and poured some of the cold water onto the rag. My hands were still shaking as I placed the wet fabric on her forehead, hoping it would help bring down her temperature. After holding it there for a moment, I began carefully cleaning her face and neck with the cool water, wiping away the sweat that covered her pale skin.
"You are going to be fine," I told her firmly, though I was not sure if I was trying to convince her or myself. "I will not allow you to overwork yourself like this anymore just because you want to prove yourself to some ass like Martins. Do you hear me? This stops now."
Ravenna suddenly stirred beneath my hands. She coughed, the sound weak and rough. I immediately moved to support her, patting her back gently whilst pulling her up against my chest so she could breathe easier.
She ended up cradled in my arms, her weight resting against me whilst she struggled back to consciousness. When her eyes finally opened fully and focused on my face, I realized just how close we were. Our faces were hovering mere inches apart, close enough that I could feel her breath mixing with mine.
Atlas surged forward with overwhelming force, his emotions slamming into me so hard it nearly knocked the air from my lungs. He was no longer panicked or depressed. Now he was something else entirely. Possessive.
I could not control the intensity of what Atlas was feeling. My eyes shifted to golden without my permission, the wolf taking partial control whilst I struggled to maintain any sense of composure.
My hands came up to cup her cheeks gently, framing her face whilst I stared down at her. "I was terrified when I saw you fall," I admitted, the words spilling out before I could stop them. "Please do not scare me like that again. I cannot handle watching you hurt yourself."
Ravenna chuckled weakly, the sound barely more than a whisper. "Would you not be happy if I got hurt or died? Then you would finally have your ice and your academy all to yourself without me ruining everything."
Her words made my chest ache in ways I could not explain. I was silent for a long moment, just looking at her whilst trying to sort through the chaos of emotions inside me.
"I do not know if I still feel that way," I finally responded, my voice quiet and uncertain. "I do not know if I still hate you the way I did when you first arrived at this academy. I do not know if I actually want you gone anymore either."
I paused, struggling to find the right words. "But what I do know is that I need you on this team. Whole and healthy and ready to compete. Because we would never be able to find anyone to replace you for the tournament. Your skill is too valuable to lose."
Ravenna laughed weakly at my response, though there was something sad in the sound. "I should have known that is all you care about. Me being on the team. The tournament. Winning. The glory of it all."
Her words hit harder than any physical blow could have. I looked down, unable to meet her eyes whilst my heart whispered the truth, I could not bring myself to say out loud. I care about you. Not just your place on the team or your value as a player. You.
But I could not make those words come out, terrified that if I admitted it, she would start feeling entitled or use my feelings against me somehow.
"Fucking say it," Atlas growled furiously inside my head. "Tell her the truth about how you feel. This is the perfect moment. Stop being such a coward."
He pushed me forward slightly, and suddenly our faces were even closer than before. We stared at each other, the air between us thick with tension and unspoken words.
"I did not know you had freckles," I murmured, noticing for the first time the small brown spots scattered across her cheeks.
She shrugged slightly in my arms. "They are not very noticeable unless you are really close like this."
My fingers came up without conscious thought, gently caressing her cheek where the freckles were most visible. Her skin was still too warm beneath my touch, but the color was starting to return to her face.
I leaned in closer until our lips were hovering over each other, so close I could feel the heat radiating between us. My eyes dropped to her mouth, studying the shape of her lips before forcing myself to look back up and meet her gaze. She was watching me with wide eyes, her chest rising and falling rapidly.
I turned my head sideways and began counting the freckles on one side of her face, my fingers trailing across each tiny mark. Then I turned to the other side and did the same, taking my time whilst she remained perfectly still in my arms.
"Twenty freckles," I announced softly. "Ten on each side, perfectly balanced."
She smiled at that, the expression lighting up her entire face despite how exhausted she clearly was.
"I should probably give you a proper nickname now," I continued, unable to stop the grin spreading across my own face. "It is only fair since you have already given me three different ones."
"What nickname?" she asked, curiosity clear in her voice.
I leaned closer and whispered it directly into her ear. "Freckles."
Her eyes widened in surprise, and she unconsciously wet her lips with her tongue. The innocent gesture made heat flood through my entire body.
"I think you owe me a kiss," I murmured, my voice dropping lower as I moved forward again. "For all the panic you just put me through. For making me think I was going to lose you. That seems like fair payment, does it not?"
I continued moving closer whilst whispering words that probably should have stayed inside my head. "I want to taste those lips that have been driving me mad for weeks. I want to feel you against me properly instead of always fighting and pushing each other away. Want to know if your mouth is as sweet as I imagine it is every single night when I am lying in bed thinking about you."
My lips were almost touching hers now, the barest fraction of space between us. I could feel her trembling slightly in my arms, though whether from exhaustion or anticipation I could not tell.
The door to the rink suddenly burst open with a loud bang that echoed through the empty space.
Dorian came rushing in, his face flushed and concerned.
He stopped dead when he saw us. The moment shattered completely.