Not Just an Omega

A Favor

Chapter 12

   "Kaila! KAILA!" Max roars at me, forcing me to open my eyes. "Tuck and roll—tuck and roll!"

   I follow her order, deciding that this was not the way I was going to die. So I brace my arms over my head and draw my knees to my chest. Rolling, falling, crash-ing through the bushes and knocking off against trees, Max and I fall down the embankment. I might've yelled, Max might've yelled. But it seemed like forever until I feel the world not spinning around me.

   Slamming into a tree finally stops me from rolling. I groan as I uncurl, holding my right ankle. It doesn't feel broken, but it does feel like a serious sprain. My shirt's torn and my jeans are dirty. Other than that, nothing's broken. Thank goodness. If it wasn't for Max's warning, I would've—wait.

   MAX!

   Frantically, I look around the forest for the familiar blue hoodie and ink black hair. I don't see her. Limping, I keep searching, not daring to yell loudly. This pack and forest is still a stranger to me, and I don't know what's what or who's who. So I can't risk giving myself away when Max is still unaccounted for. Still, I look behind trees, under bushes, and between rocks, and continue to up empty.

   Maybe she fell farther down than me, I think desperately. I sigh as I step down, feeling my feet slip from underneath me. I yell in shock as I once again roll down the embankment. This time I do scream as I fall a short distance, my head just grazing a rock. Gasping, I clutch my head as I struggle to stand.

   "This must be the ravine Max was telling me about," I say to myself. Wiping the blood away that drips into my eye, I squint and look around. "Great, a sprained ankle and a concussion. Max, where the heck are you?"  I mumble angrily, shuffling through the ravine. Then I hear the sound of running water.

   A creek! I hobble over and gingerly fall to my knees in front of the clearest spot. After washing my hands, I splash the water on my face. I cup my hands and gulp down the water, not caring for the state of the water. It's not green and it's not muddy brown, so it's not contaminated. It's also the freshest water source I have right now.

   Wiping my mouth, I climb on top of a tree that's fallen partway into the ravine. Adding pressure to my ankle hurts, but I have to get out of here and find Max. So I scale the tree and step back up to where I originally recovered.

   "So she must've grabbed onto something after she shouted at me," I deduct out loud, heading up. I should've checked there first, then maybe I wouldn't have fallen in the ravine. But I also found the water, so I guess that balances out. But if I can't find Max, then... I'm lost in a forest of wolves. It's going to get dark soon, and any book tells me I do not want to be out at night.

   "Stupid pack. Stupid Malakai. Stupid, stupid, stupid!" I cry out. My wall breaks and I collapse against a tree, crying about what's happened. Crying for the protesting pain in my side. In my ankle. The headache that grew as I walked. Crying for Max, who might be laying dead some-where. I'm laying here, weak and broken, unable to fend for myself in the forest.

   "Kaila!" I hear Max's voice yell. I sniff loudly and break into a wobbly smile as Max, in all her faded blue hoodie and bare-foot glory, crashes through the trees. I see a bleeding gash on her temple as she drops to her knees next to me. "Oh my gosh, Kaila! I'm so sorry I couldn't find you sooner. I hit my head and passed out," she apologizes hysterically. "Are you okay?"

   "Yeah, I'm okay. I fell down a ravine. I think my ankle's sprained and my side really hurts. Is your forehead okay? And—Max, your shoulder!" I gasp in shock. A dagger from her bandolier is stabbed in her left shoulder, two inches of the blade remains out. I reach out to touch it, but Max slaps my hand away. She holds her wounded shoulder with her opposite hand and growls at me.