Finn

Chapter Forty-Three

Chapter Forty-Three

"Finley!"

Someone was yelling my name, trying to get my attention. They were pleading with me to stop screaming. I couldn't stop. My voice was hoarse, and every scream made my throat bleed, but I couldn't stop. My lungs were burning, begging for air, but it was all I could do to suck in a breath in between choked sobs.

"Shh, shh, it's okay. You're okay. Turin's okay. Howard is gone." The voice was louder now, closer to me. But they were lying. Turin wasn't okay. Howard shot him. I screamed louder.

"Finley."

A new voice said my name, and this one stopped me mid-scream. I felt like a bucket of ice water was dumped on my head as a shiver rolled down my spine. That voice. I know that voice.

Cillian.

Why is he here? He doesn't sound right. He's too quiet. He's too calm. He should be yelling at me, he should be angry. Why isn't he yelling?

"Cillian you stupid bastard! He used silver bullets! Why would you do that?"

My head shot up at the third voice. My eyes scanned the field around me, trying to understand what I was seeing. I was lying in the mud with the scratchy blanket around me. Nolan was next to me, watching me like I was about to explode any minute. Which, to be fair, I might.

I saw Howard first. His body was a few feet away from me, but his head had rolled several yards away. There was blood everywhere. The revulsion and relief battled at the sight of his dead body. When his severed head made eye contact with me, the blank stare piercing my soul, I leaned away from Nolan and threw up.

Nolan crawled closer to me and rubbed my back while I emptied the cardboard food I'd had earlier. I flinched at his touch, but I didn't have the energy to push him away.

"Finley..." Cillian's voice was hoarse, even more quiet than before. I spun my head around to find the source, and felt my stomach drop when I saw him.

He was lying on the ground a few feet away, his bare chest riddled with bullet holes. Blood was running everywhere. He was struggling to take breaths, and I saw a trickle of blood running from his mouth. Turin was cradling him to his chest and crying, scolding him quietly for being an idiot.

Nolan helped me crawl closer to the pair, but I stayed silent. My screaming, my crying, it had all stopped. The world was silent around us. The only sounds were Turin's quiet cries as he held onto his friend.

"Don't worry, Alpha, I got him. He won't hurt her anymore." Nolan whispered over and over as he joined them. He leaned his shoulder against Turin and took Cillian's hand in his. His eyes were watering as he tried to hold in tears.

The sight of the three of them quietly breaking down made me want to curl in a ball and scream and yell that this wasn't fair. They shouldn't have to say goodbye to their friend. They shouldn't have to watch him die.

But I couldn't speak. I was frozen, kneeling in the mud on the other side of Cillian. Silent tears were streaming down my face, but I was afraid to touch him. This couldn't be real.

"You shouldn't have jumped in front of me, you big, giant idiot." Turin told him, his voice shaking and lacking any actual anger. Cillian coughed in response, his body seeming to seize as he leaned over and coughed up more blood. He seemed to notice my presence then, and was quick to grab my hand with his friend hand.

"Finley..." Cillian's stare was so intense as he met mine. I realized he had his own tears streaming down his face, which is something I never thought I would see. Something I never wanted to see.