THIRD PERSON POV
The ground was damp beneath Emma's knees, but she didn't notice. Her hands were coated in Ian's blood, her fingers pressed desperately to the open wounds that refused to stop bleeding, her body shaking as she hovered over him.
The world around her was blurred and distant, every sound muffled except for the fading heartbeat beneath her palms. She had never known fear like this. Not even in her darkest moments. Not even in her nightmares. Nothing compared to watching her mate die in her arms while she screamed his name, again and again, until her voice became something unrecognizable, something broken and raw and entirely helpless.
"Ian," she whispered through trembling lips, her tears falling freely now as her forehead rested against his. "Please… please stay with me. I am right here. You promised me."
