I jump and swing on the rope climb and go down instead of up. I can’t allow him to trap me up there and be forced to make me fall. Then I run under the structure towards the opposite side where we have blocks elevated on poles at varying heights so it looks like a garden of metal and wood flowers sprouting from the ground. As we both pass under the center, the structure creeks again, but this time the creaking doesn’t stop, then I hear wood splinter and snap. The sound of wood thunking as the whole thing tilts to one side. I am frozen in place. Everything is in slow motion. All the training I did, the focus, the speed drills, strength training and it means nothing as watching one of my favorite forms of escape start to crumble is what does me in.
“SKYLAR, MOVE!”” The shout and the shove break me from my thoughts. I am thrown from my place under the obstacle structure. I hit something with my back then roughly collide with the ground. Then all I hear is a loud set of snaps then a cloud of dust from the training ground floor as the deck of the obstacle course smashes into the dirt. A few yells and screams, then silence.
I can’t see anything. There is dust and dirt flying everywhere. I stand up, sore from my impact, but I can’t see the Alpha, he was right behind me, he should be right here. Now I’m moving faster, adrenaline kicking into high gear. Where is he?
“ALPHA!!” I shout, and I can hear other commotion around me. “”ALPHA! Can anyone see him?” I shout into the air.
Naturally Oliver gets to me first. “Bitty, are you okay?”
“Fine. Where’s Alpha Lucas?” I cut his perusal of my injuries off.
Then I hear the groan. “”ALPHA LUCAS?!” I shout, moving towards the fallen obstacle platform.
Now that the dust is starting to settle, I can see it’s tilted to one side, all of the two foot thick support structures snapped and bent at odd angles. That shouldn’t be possible, those should not be the weak breaking points. Focus, Sky. I shake my head. The platform decking is all splintered too, sharp wooden spears sticking out everywhere.
The groan again, then I see a hand reaching out from under the decking.
“THERE! Help me! He’s trapped!” Oliver and I race forward. I touch the Alpha’s hand and it moves. Renewed endurance surges through me. “We have to get this off of him, now, he’s hurt.”
I hear footsteps near me, then hands all around to slowly lift the fallen piece of planking. I slide under to assess his injuries as they move the boards. We don’t want to pin him down worse by tilting it wrong. He’s on his stomach, head turned towards me, eyes closed, but I can see he’s trying to breathe watching the dust stir around his nose.
“Alpha Lucas, I need you to talk to me. I know you have some kind of ‘don’t talk to Sky’ thing going on, but I need to know where you’re hurt. This is an emergency, push past it, please.”
“Luna…” He grumbles.
“I’ll have someone check on her, but I need to know about you. Tell me where you’re injured so I can help.” I turn my head to the random legs behind me. “I need someone to get Luna Ava, NOW!!!”
