Chapter 342 Free Fall
“Impossible!”
“Absolutely not!”
Alpha Henry and Mateo’s voices crashed together as they shouted over the wind, rejecting Aubrey’s words without a heartbeat’s pause.
They gripped her hands even harder. But Aubrey could already feel her fingers going numb. The only reason she hadn’t slipped free was because both men were holding her with everything they had.
Then Henry slammed into the cliff wall again. Pain exploded across his ribs and a mouthful of blood spattered into the wind. As he steadied himself, he felt it—Aubrey’s grip loosening.
Every hair on his body stood on end.
“What are you doing!!”
“Aubrey, don’t move!” Mateo barked, voice raw. He too felt her hand slipping. He tried to tighten his hold, but the swaying rope gave him no control. He clutched only her slender fingers, his palms slick with sweat despite the cold. The harder he tried, the slipperier it became.
A moment later, Aubrey’s hand slid out of Mateo’s grasp completely. Only Henry still clung to her right hand.
Their faces turned ashen at the same time.
“Hold on to me!” Henry growled, his voice like iron.
But Aubrey knew how impossible it was–for him to hold her, shield her from the rock, and fight the wind all at once.
She looked deeply at Henry, then at Mateo straining to reach her again. Two men had risked everything for her. In this lifetime, that was already enough.
Aubrey smiled faintly. “Forget it. I don’t want to drag you down with me.”
Her fingers slid another few centimeters from Henry’s palm.
Henry’s expression twisted. “Damn it! Don’t you dare! Don’t you dare let go! You let go throw your father, your teacher, everyone you care about down this ravine–try me!”
and I’ll
“Then you should throw yourself first.”
Aubrey closed her eyes, helpless. No matter like or hate, near or far, through two lives, Alpha Henry’s presence had always been too strong. She couldn’t help but care.
“What?” The wind was too loud. Henry didn’t hear, but it didn’t matter. His palms were slick, his heart hammering.
“Grab me! Hold on!”
Aubrey wanted to. She truly did. But after running, fighting, and barely surviving all day, she wasn’t pretending. She wasn’t being dramatic. She had no strength left.
The helicopter was still climbing steadily, but their interlocked hands slipped another few centimeters.
“Aubrey!”
“I’m sorry…” Victory was so close, but Aubrey’s body had reached its limit. She wanted to squeeze his hand tighter, but her fingers were numb. Was this fate?
A pale smile ghosted across her lips.
“I regret a lot of things. There’s so much I’d redo. But the one thing I don’t regret… is liking you.”
She released her hand.
And Henry lost his grip.
For a heartbeat, time froze. Henry and Mateo’s pupils constricted in unison.
Then Henry moved–no thought, only instinct. He yanked his harness release, the buckle snapping free, and dove after her into the void.
Mateo’s hand went to his own harness automatically, ready to unclip. But at the final second, his fingers stopped. Jumping here–even with full gear, even for a top Alpha–meant a survival rate of barely three percent.
The wind howled on. And below, two bodies fell.