Saviour

I Love You

Ash

I lay on the cold, wet ground. I am drenched in my own blood, my injuries are too bad for me to heal and I am so tired. The rogues ganged up on me, they knew I was the not-so-secret weapon fighting for the light. They wanted to get rid of me fast. I can't move my body, my muscles won't listen to my brain. All I can do is lay here in the grass alone, cold and terrified. I am just so exhausted, maybe I can just close my eyes and...

No! My eyes open back up again for a brief moment. My eyelids are so heavy but I can't leave Braden. He is the only thing keeping me from succumbing to my injuries right now. Where is he? Is the war over? Did we win? I hope it's over because I can't fight anymore.

Something soft and warm touches my upper arm. I close my eyes at the touch. Jinx. You did great buddy. I'm so proud of you, I force a smile to my lips but I can't bring myself to open my eyes.

Another presence walks up to me and I immediately can tell by the electricity in the air that it is Braden. I will my eyes to open so I can look up at my mate, one last time.

"Hey," I smile at him, my energy draining by the second. I feel something in my throat and I cough to dislodge it. My energy plummets from the action.

"Hey," he replies with tears brimming his eyes, a few manage to slid down his beautiful face.

"Don't," I manage to tell him. I don't want him to cry over me. I want my last moments to be his smile, not his tears. Tears that I am causing.

"Don't speak," he demands, he can tell how hard speaking is becoming, "Just focus on healing yourself so I can get you to a hospital."

I was hoping he wasn't going to say something like that. I just don't have the energy. "I can't," my breathing picks up, "I'm too...tired." I take a few shallow breaths, "I'm sorry."

Jinx can feel me slipping with every passing moment. He comes up to my neck and snuggles in closely. He doesn't like to cuddle often so I know this is his way of saying goodbye. I close my eyes, savouring his silky fur.

"I love you so much, Braden," I can only whisper.

"I love you too, Ash, you hear? I love you and you can't leave me! Don't do this to me," he sobs.

My eyes sting, knowing that this is the last moment I will spend with my mate. The last thing I will see is my heart broken mate.

"Goodbye," my words are barely audible, they just slip past my lips. I know Braden hears them.

The next few moments pass by slowly. Time slows down and there is too much time to overthink.

"Ash!" His voice is filled with pain, no doubt because he can hear my heartbeat slowing. I don't want to leave him or my other friends I have made along the way. I want to live my life, I want to marry the love of my life, I want to help Frost move forward with his powers, and I want to see Cress when she eventually marries Jax.

"Asherah!" He shouts louder this time, but it only sounds farther away. I will never seen John again. He adopted me and I left almost immediately. What is he going to think of me? I was supposed to go back to him. I wanted him to come to my wedding. I wanted to explain to him why I had to leave so abruptly.

It is hard to breath, my chest no longer wants to expand and a pain erupts where my heart is. My time is up and everything I have wanted to accomplish is life slips away from my fingertips.

"Asherah!" His voice doesn't sound right now, it is distorted. Maybe it is because he seems so far away now, my consciousness is slipping away. The pitch of his voice rises, possibly due to him crying. It just doesn't sound right, almost...feminine?

"Asherah!" My eyes open wide and I almost fall over. I am so distorted as I take in my surroundings.

Chair, desk, window, Ms. Reid. I am back in...homeroom? How? What? I-I am back at school? Before I saw Malakai, before I got adopted, before...Braden. Was it all just a dream? It felt so real though, how can it be a dream? Tears fill my eyes quickly, threatening to spill over. I can't cry because of a dream, no matter how real it felt.

"You were asleep Asherah, you need to pay attention in class," Ms. Reid tells me just like she did all those weeks ago. Or did she? Did that even happen?

My head hangs down as my mind races with so many questions. Something catches my eye though. A glint of metal and stone. My smile spreads wide on my lips.

My engagement ring.