MATED TO SERIES COLLECTION

40. VALERIA: THE ACCIDENT

One minute we were driving and the next the truck was rolling.

My screams echoed in my ears along with metal tearing and glass breaking. When the truck finally came to a stop we were upside down. I couldn't hear anything apart from the loud ringing in my ears. Something warm trailed down my arm. I slowly turned my head to the left when I heard a low moan. Devon opened his eyes and blinked. He glanced at the roof of the truck and then out the window. A hoarse curse fell from his lips.

"Val?"

I had to swallow a few times before I found my voice. "Y-yeah?"

"Can you move?" He turned to look at me. "How badly are you hurt?"

"I don't k-know." I carefully moved one leg and then the other. Pain shot through me but I ignored it. I turned my head to glance at David. Panic hit when I realized that he wasn't moving. I glanced at his chest. It rose up and down with every breath he took. He was alive but unconscious. I turned my head back to Devon when he gave a low grunt.

Devon used his claws to cut through the seat-belt that kept him in place. It gave way without a sound when his claws cut through the material. I winced when gravity got to work. He hit the roof of the truck hard. For a few seconds, he just laid there with his eyes closed.

"We need to leave before they come," he rasped. "Should've agreed to back-up."

I glanced up at my body. My arms had a few scratches, but it was nothing serious. It didn't feel like I had any broken bones. My head hurt and my knees throbbed. Once we got moving, I was sure that I'd feel all the other injuries I had, but couldn't identify at the moment. Devon shifted, drawing my attention to him again. I frowned when he moved under me.

"Place your hands on my shoulders," he ordered softly. "I'm going to count to three and then I'm going to unclip your seat-belt. I'll try to brace you as much as I can."

"Wait," I breathed, but I reached down to place my hands against his shoulders as he ordered. "You're hurt. I'll fall on top of you."

"That's the point, Val. There's glass on the roof. I don't want you cutting yourself."

"Devon—"

"One."

"Wait—"

"Two."

I gasped when I was suddenly free and falling. He didn't move fast enough to slow my fall and I was too surprised to lock my arms. I landed on his chest hard enough to knock the air from my lungs. Devon sucked in a sharp breath and bit down on his lower lip.

"I'm sorry." I pushed myself up onto my hands and knees to ease my weight off him. Glass crunched beneath my knees. "Are you okay?"

"Think I cracked a rib," he muttered. "I'll be fine, baby."

A low pained groan made both of us glance up at David. He didn't open his eyes but he shook his head slightly. I moved forward and leaned down slightly to get a better look at his face. He had a bad cut running along his left eyebrow that was bleeding profusely. My eyes darted over his body and stopped on the piece of glass stuck in his thigh.

Before I could react, David reached down, felt around until his fingers brush the glass, and then wrapped his hand around it. I gasped when he just pulled it out like it was nothing.

"Stay here, Val."

I barely paid any attention to Devon when he crawled out of the cab. I lay down on my back and reached up to cup David's cheeks. His eyelids fluttered before he slowly opened his eyes. His were unfocused. I gave him a small smile when his eyes locked with mine. David licked his lips.