C H A P T E R 17 Day 3

ZANE:

The morning of day three started like every other: Alisa muttering something sarcastic under her breath and me pretending not to notice the way she kept glancing at me like I had some kind of secret she wanted to crack.

Because, let's face it, I did.

I hadn't stopped thinking about the kiss. The way she'd looked at me, her lips soft and inviting until-of course-the idiot tied up in the corner had to ruin it. And judging by the way she kept avoiding eye contact this morning, I wasn't the only one stuck replaying it.

We didn't talk about it, though. That would've been too simple, too easy. Instead, we did what we always did: we bickered.

"Do you even know what you're doing with that?" Alisa asked, eyeing the fire I was trying to stoke.

"Pretty sure I've been keeping us alive so far," I shot back, flicking her a look.

"Debatable."

"Uh-huh. Want to debate it while I go catch us breakfast? Or are you going to eat air?"

She rolled her eyes, leaning back against the cave wall. "Charming as ever, Star."

It was all so normal that I didn't notice right away when something changed. She'd been quieter than usual, but I'd chalked it up to the storm and the stress of the past couple of days.

Until she groaned, clutching her stomach.

"Alisa?" I said, instantly on alert.

She waved me off, her face pale. "I'm fine."

She wasn't fine. Not even close. A second later, she bolted out of the cave, stumbling toward the bushes. I followed, watching helplessly as she dropped to her knees, throwing up everything she'd eaten-which wasn't much.

"Damn it," I muttered, crouching beside her.

"I'm-ugh-fine," she said between heaves, her voice shaky.

"You don't look fine."

She glared at me, her face pale and clammy. "Gee, thanks for the observation, Dr. Star."

I frowned, putting a hand on her back as she retched again. She was burning up, her skin unnaturally hot to the touch.

This wasn't normal.

"Alisa," I said, my voice firm. "What's going on? Did you eat something weird? Did one of those guys poison you?"

She shook her head, but the motion looked like it took all her energy. "I don't know."

Panic clawed at my chest. I didn't do panic. Not ever. But watching her like this, pale and weak and in pain, made something twist in me.

I couldn't just sit there.

"Okay," I said, standing abruptly. "That's it. We're leaving."

"What?" she croaked, her voice barely audible.

"I'm not waiting for help to come to us," I said, scooping her up before she could protest.

"Zane, put me down-"

"Not happening." I adjusted her onto my shoulder, ignoring her weak protests as I started walking. "You're not dying on my watch, Alisa."

"I'm not dying," she said, though it sounded more like a whimper.

"You look half-dead. Good enough reason to move."

She didn't have the energy to argue, which scared me even more. Alisa never let me win an argument.

I left the cave behind, pushing through the trees as fast as I could while carrying her. Every step felt heavier, the uneven ground making it harder to keep my balance, but I didn't care.

Her breathing was shallow, her body too still.

"Stay with me, Alisa," I muttered, more to myself than to her.

"You're so bossy," she whispered, her voice weak but still laced with that familiar sass.

I huffed out a breath, relief flooding me. "And you're annoying. Keep talking if you want to prove you're alive."

She let out a soft, tired laugh, then went quiet again, her head resting against my shoulder.

The woods stretched on endlessly, the highway nowhere in sight. I didn't stop. Couldn't stop. Not until I got her somewhere safe.

She wasn't dying. Not her. Not on my watch.

###

Every step felt like I was dragging the world behind me, but I didn't care. Not when *she* was in my arms, pale and limp. My Alisa. She wasn't supposed to be like this—weak, fragile. She was fire and fury, impossible to break. Yet here she was, burning out in front of me, and I couldn't do a damn thing to stop it. 

"Alisa," I muttered again, my voice low and rough. "Talk to me. Don't you dare shut me out." 

Her head lolled slightly, her hair brushing against my cheek. She gave a faint groan, barely audible over the pounding in my chest. 

"Zane…" Her voice was a whisper, like she was trying to speak but couldn't muster the strength. 

"I'm here," I said fiercely, tightening my grip on her. "I've got you." 

I'd always had her, hadn't I? Even when she'd fought me, snarled at me, pushed me away with every ounce of that maddening stubbornness, she'd still been mine. Mine to protect. Mine to care for. Mine, period. 

And now, she was slipping away, and it was killing me. 

"You're not dying," I growled, more to myself than her. "You hear me? You're *not* dying." 

Her lips twitched faintly, like she was trying to smirk but didn't have the strength. "Bossy," she mumbled. 

"Yeah, well, I'm the boss, remember?" My voice cracked, but I pushed through it. "You're stuck with me, Alisa. I'm not letting you go." 

The trees thinned, and I caught a glimpse of the highway in the distance. Relief slammed into me, but it wasn't enough. Not yet. She was too quiet, too still, and every second felt like another knife in my chest. 

"You're mine," I murmured, my tone dark and possessive as I pressed her closer to me. "You've always been mine, Alisa. And I don't care who's after us or what it takes—I'll protect you. Always." 

Her hand twitched weakly against my chest, like she was trying to grab onto me but couldn't quite manage it. It broke something inside me. 

"Zane," she whispered, her voice barely audible. 

"I'm here," I said again, my voice softening just enough for her. "I'm fucking not going anywhere." 

Her lips parted like she wanted to say something else, but then she went quiet again, her breathing shallow. 

Panic clawed at me, but I shoved it down, focusing on the highway ahead. She was going to make it. She had to. 

Because without her, I didn't know how to exist. 

"I love you," I whispered fiercely, the words spilling out before I could stop them. "I don't care if you don't want to hear it. I fucking love you, Alisa. And you're going to fight, because I won't let you go." 

She didn't answer, but I swore I saw the faintest flicker of a smile on her lips. 

It was enough to keep me moving, my every step a vow. 

She was mine, and I wasn't losing her. Not now. Not ever.