Lemon Water // Paul Lahote

ninety seven

Serena

I barely registered being released from Riley's hold, just that I fell to my knees before scrambling up, sprinting towards the edge of the cliff. I prayed that I was quick enough. That I could get to them before Luke killed her.

As I neared the edge, I could hear the wold behind me gaining on me. They would try to stop me before I jumped to my impending doom, but I've been training for this. I knew just how fast I had to be to beat them.

Without hesitation, I threw myself off the edge of the clidd, barely feeling the tug on my shirt and the ripping of fabric. Plunging towards my doom, I held my breath, preparing for my next battle.

Paul

She knew what she was doing and I had to trust her, but all of me wishes that she didn't go in the woods after Birkley. All of me wonders if they would have even killed Birkley still if Serena didn't follow her.

We chased after the four of them, trying to be as quiet as possible to throw the leeches off guard. I could hear their conversations we were getting so close.

I could hear Serena pleading with the leeches, begging them to kill her instead which only made us run quicker. Once her efforts failed we split up, Jared and I going to the top of the cliff, the rest breaking for the bottom.

As we broke through into the clearing, Serena was scrambling to her feet in the middle, immediately breaking into a sprint. She was heading for the edge but if she went over, she would definitely die.

I pleaded with her mentally, trying to somehow reach her even though I knew she couldn't hear me. We were gaining on her, but all the running she had been doing the last week was paying off. She was quick.

I reached out as she threw herself over the edge, trying to catch enough of her shirt to stop her from going over, but all I got was a scrap. Staring down after my imprint, all I could do was pray that she was alive when I got to her.

Serena

My body tensed in shock as I hit the water. The wind was knocked out of me and the water was so cold my body suddenly didn't know how to move. As I regained movement, I began frantically searching the water for Birkley in hopes that she was still alive.

The harsh waves threw me around as I swam, making it incredibly difficult to make any progress. By the time I reached the surface for air, I was already being thrown back under. Finally, after what felt like hours, I caught a glimpse of Birkley sinking towards the bottom of the lake.

Using the last of the strength I had, I pushed myself harder, swimming towards he as fast as I could. I had to be quick because she has been underwater for so long. She clearly wasn't conscious, and that terrified me. 

As I reached her, it took everything I had to grab her and being pulling her towards the surface. My lungs we burning but I couldn't give up, I had to save her.

Water filled my lungs as I struggled, but I was close to the surface, and I knew I wasn't far from the shore. When we finally broke the surface, relief filled me, I was going to save her.

The harsh waves continued to push us under the water, but I persisted, the only thing on my mind was getting her out of the water and to safety.

When I finally reached the sand, I was pooped, but I had a little bit of energy left to make sure Birkley would be ok. Laying her on the shore, I felt for a pulse, but I couldn't find one. 

Panick struck as I continued to feel for her pulse, still getting nothing. Looking at her, I didn't see movement from her breathing. As tears began to pour from my eyes, I put my head on her chest, listening for he heartbeat yet coming up empty handed again.

With no other option, I began cpr, hellbent on saving my best friend. I spent at least five minutes on cpr before I was gently pulled away from her by a warm body.

Another person took my place and resumed cpr, but I knew that it wouldn't work. It took me until then to register that I was screaming and sobbing, begging for Brikley to come back to me. The person who pulled me away held me in their arms, rubbing their hands up and down my arm to try and bring some warmth back into my body.

I didn't realize it, but I was turning blue, no doubt on the brink of hypothermia despite the wolf genes keeping me at a higher body temperature.

Sounds started to clear as I watched Berkley's lifeless body. Somebody was on the phone with 911, an ambulance was on the way and they would try to save her too.

As the seconds drew on like hours, I heard the sirens pull into the beaches parking lot, paramedics sprinting to where we were. "Rena" The person holding me begged and I finally heard them. 

I turned to look at Embry with a blank stare, tears still pouring out of my eyes and sobs still leaving my body. "Rena we have to get out of their way, they're going to try and save her"

I think I nodded, but I couldn't really tell. We were now standing about ten feet from Birkley, watching on as the paramedics couldn't save her. "Time of death- 7:24 pm" I heard one of them say before the rest of my functions shut down.

I broke away from Embry without knowing and sprinted towards the woods, running as fast as I could hoping that I would wake up from this terrible nightmare and I would see Birkley at school in the morning.

I don't know if anyone was chasing me, I didn't even know where I was or how far I had gone, all I knew was that when I finally stopped and looked down, I wasn't looking at my feet. I was looking at paws.

END OF BOOK ONE