Fighting with Fire #2 ✔

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟑𝟎 - 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐨

"NO!!! YOU FUCKING BASTARD!!!" Earsplittingly loudly, I yelled at the fucking bastard after he shot Ember in the chest.

With my chains now loose, I rushed over to her and caught her body before she hit the ground. Looking at the bullet wound, I saw no blood, only a slow fire starting to spread through her body — originating from the bullet that was most definitely made of iron.

"Ember, Ember, look at me," I pleaded with her, tears covering my dirty face (shut the fuck up). "Ember, it's gonna be okay; I've got you. I'm not going to let anything else happen to you, okay? You just need to stay with me for a few more minutes. Just stay with me."

The pack were coming to rescue us — Abi let me know during one of the many times I was unconscious — I just needed Ember to hang on, and then we could find a way to help her and save her somehow...

"Theo..." Her glassy eyes focused on me, her hand resting lightly on my forearm as I cradled her.

"I've got you, I'm right here," I told her, nodding as I stroked her dirty hair back from her face and kissed her forehead.

"Theo... You've got to listen to me." Her voice was weak, but she still had power. My strong and beautiful girl still had power and strength — even as she lay dying in my arms.

"I'm listening." Blinking back my tears, I nodded, expecting a message for me to pass onto her mother, or her uncle — or last words to me.

"I... I'll... I think I'll return." She struggled to breathe and her voice became ragged and strained as the fire reached her lungs; the bullet burning her up from the inside out.

I heard Abi's banshee scream and the sound of growls along the corridor; the pack were there, and they were coming to rescue us.

"Ember, it's okay." I pressed my forehead against hers. "You don't have to be afraid, I'm right here."

She shook her head. "You're... you're not... listening to... me."

"I am, I promise. But how will you return?" I questioned, frowning through the tears (shut up, shut up, shut up).

"I need you to trust me." She kissed my lips briefly, finding some strength. "When I die, I'll leave ashes. I need you to take my ashes and store them in an iron jar for three nights and three days. After that time is up, empty my ashes into a lake — the one in front of the ranch will be fine."

"How can you be so sure?" I asked, holding her close to me, kissing her hair.

"I'm not sure." She sighed softly, slowly shaking her head. "But I'm a Phoenix. And Phoenixes rise from their ashes."

"I'll do as you asked," I promised her, kissing her lips gently, her body beginning to shudder as it burned faster.

"If I don't return..." She cried out from the pain. "I need you to know something."

"Yes?" I prompted quickly as I heard the pack burst the doors open, taking on Evan Woodman and some of his strongest hunters.

Ember's body was burning up quickly, but I didn't dare look down at her body to see how much of her was left — to see how much time we had left. I kept my eyes focused on her gorgeous face, drinking in all of her features for fear I'd never see them again outside of my own mind.

"Theo..." Ember blinked up at me as she admitted, "I love you. I always have and I always will. Whether I come back or not, I will never stop loving you."

"I love you too," I sobbed, "And I will take care of your ashes for when you return to me. Besides, you've got to return to me now that you've finally admitted your love for me."