Don't Hold Your Breath

Chapter Twenty

Jason fell to the ground, his eyes grimacing in pain as the arrow hit its target. I tried to form a force field, but it was unsuccessful. I gunned down the remaining rebels instantly, then raced over to Jason. I dropped my gun on the ground, the clang resounding through the now empty shaft.

I bent down. "Come on, come on, I'll get you out. I'll get some help out here, come on, Jason," I said hopefully. He shook his head.

"There's no... way you can... carry me...," he gasped between sharp breaths. 

"No no I can do it, I can! Come on, Jason, please let me help you," I whispered. I reached down and grabbed his hand and slung it over my shoulder. He winced, but let me hoist him up onto his feet. Immediately, he doubled over in pain, hacking painfully. I felt a fire burning in my chest as he dropped to the ground.

"Can't... do it..... hurts...." he whispered.

"Jason, we can't stay here," I whispered. "Please try one more time." He let me lift him up again. He groaned in pain, but we hobbled about twenty steps when I saw them. The bombs. One step past their motion sensors, and we'd be trapped in the cave with no way out- the doors on either side were sealed, and were made of bulletproof metal enhanced with dark magic.

"Jaso-" I started to say.

Just as Jason's foot stepped past the motion sensors. Instantly the bombs started to set off, and I threw my other hand protectively on front of Jason. He fell to the ground as the walls collapsed around us, the broken arrow shaft painfully sticking out of his ribcage. The only reason he hadn't died was because his wolf was fighting to stay alive. The rocks settled, and I lifted my hand that was scarcely shielding us from the falling debris. But it was no use. We were trapped.

He slumped against a wall, his hand trying to stopper the bleeding from his body in vain. I ripped the bottom off of my forest green tshirt and wrapped it around him tightly, hoping that it would last until I could figure out a way to push past the rocks. I desperately pushed against the rocks, but nothing happened.

I kneeled down next to Jason and took his hand in mine.

"Why'd you do it?" I breathed.

He gave me a shadow of a smile. "So I could be him," he whispered.

"Who?"

"The one that would take an arrow for you. The one that needed you. The one that proved to you that you were his world. The one that would," here his already soft voice dropped. "Die for you." He squeezed my hand. My eyes began to water and I shook my head.

"No. No. You're not gonna die, Jason. You're gonna make it. Please just hold on," I said, trying to stop the sobs that were struggling to stay in my throat.

He shook his head painfully, slowly. "I don't have... much time.... please....." he begged. His breathing slowed, his chest rising and falling irregularly. He squeezed my hand harder.

"Jason. Jason look at me," I said firmly. "I'm gonna get you out of here, okay?"

He shook his head again. "Alyssa, stop," he said gently, coughing as soon as the words left his mouth. "You can't do it. I'm going to die," he whispered.

And at that moment, as I looked him in the eyes, I knew Jason was going to die. The pain was too great. The wound was too deep.

A single tear spilled down my cheek.

"Why?" I repeated.

"Because if you had died, I would never be able to live with myself. I would have no one else," he gasped. "But you have Ethan. Kris. Jake. You have people to live for. All I have is one person, you. To die for," he whispered. "I could never live without you, Alyssa. But you could live without me."

"All those years-" I whispered, but Jason answered before I could finish.

"I looked for you. I went to all the nearby packs, searched online. Nothing," he whispered.

"I'm sorry," I breathed. But he shook his head again.

"I'm sorry. For not being what you needed sooner," he said, coughing violently.

He gasped for breath. I felt his pain, searing my chest.

"Sing for me," he whispered. "One thing I never heard."

I started a song I'd known my whole life. One I remember hearing as a child. Before my mother hated me, before she changed. She had told me it was an old song, about love and loss. (a/n:listen to the song on the side, from THG soundtrack)

"I remember tears streaming down your face

When I said, "I'll never let you go"

When all those shadows almost killed your light

I remember you said, "Don't leave me here alone"

But all that's dead and gone and passed tonight

Just close your eyes

The sun is going down

You'll be alright

No one can hurt you now

Come morning light

You and I'll be safe and sound," I sang softly. The tears flowed freely down my cheeks, and Jason weakly raised an arm to wipe them away. I squeezed his other hand as I finished the song. "You and I'll be safe and sound," I cried softly. My body shook with sobs as I watched him fade.

The boy that died for me.

A single tear fell down his cheek. "Beautiful," he whispered. "As the girl who sang it. We'll be... safe and sound." He struggled to smile as he gripped my hand. 

I covered my mouth with my hand as my vision blurred from tears.

"Alyssa," he whispered. "Promise me one thing," his eyes full of pain and love.

"Anything," I breathed. And I meant it.

"Never forget what I told you. Never forget me," he said. "Please," he begged. 

"Never, Jason. I'll never forget you," I promised. His grip on my hand tightened as the life left his body.

"I love you," he breathed.

"Jason," I sobbed. "I- I love you too," I cried.

And I meant it.

A shadow of his real smile, the one I loved, hinted on his lips. I leaned forward and gently kissed him for the first and last time, feeling a warmth I'd never felt before. I pulled back slowly, watching his eyes, filled with pain. So much pain. But so much love. He looked at me like I put the stars in the sky. I put my hand over his chest, feeling his heart beat its last. Ignoring the beeping coming from my bomb alert. The alert that would destroy everything within a ten mile radius.

"I love you," he breathed again, squeezing my hand for the last time.

He looked towards the sky, as if imagining it above. He smiled.

The last breath of Jason Grey left his body.

Just as the bombs activated. And the world went dark around me, as I collapsed to the ground, still holding his lifeless hand.

*

I came to as I heard the sound of rock being moved around me. I didn't open my eyes as I heard voices, barely coming through the fog in my mind.

"Drag the bodies in. They dead?" a gruff voice asked.

I felt a rough man's hand on my back.

"No, the girl's alive," another said.

I felt something cold against my wrists.

Handcuffs, I realized, my mind struggling to fight through the haze.

A moment too late.

I was a prisoner of war.

END OF BOOK ONE