"She couldn't have gotten far, hurry up and find the girl," the man shouts and I clamp my hand over my mouth to not draw any attention to us. Can't they just give up already? 

I latch my hand around the gun strapped to my thigh, taking deep breathes to suppress the images. It's okay, it's okay. His hand touches mine and my mind is immediately settled.

I look into those evergreen eyes that hold so much love and life compared to the ones I first saw. His eyes were always the most unpredictable - they would either reside with more emotion than I could bare or not enough. Either way I could never read them.

I still find difficulty in trying to figure out how he is feeling but sometimes he lets me in, sometimes he lets me see the feelings that he fights so hard to hide. 

"You ready?" Colton whispers and I furrow my eyebrows in confusion. Ready for what? 

"What..." I trail off. He wants to fight his way out. Why am I even surprised? Colton never lets go of an opportunity to kill our opposers - I don't know if that's a good thing or not. "Yes," I finally whisper and he nods his head.

"Stay alive," he says, kissing my forehead. I laugh, letting the sound fly away into the night.

"Stay alive," I repeat before we both get up, guns at the ready and step out of the dark alleyway.

Colton leads as we retreat from the our hiding space, my legs trembling and breathing shaky as I follow. No matter how many times I do this, it never gets easier.

A bullet skims me and I have to suppress a laugh. God they have terrible aim. Immediately Colton raises his gun and plants a bullet firmly into the side of the mans head. He drops to the floor, blood pooling around him like a halo.

Also something I will never get used to.

Another man comes running at us and it's my turn to lift the gun and shoot. The bang sounds through me, shaking me to the core. The man falls like a domino. 

Another person, another shot.

Where are they all coming from?

Turning quickly as someone runs straight for me, I lift the gun but don't shoot in time. Their knife slices at my hip as they fall. A pain I have felt plenty of times before courses through me. I grit my teeth and carry on.

"You okay?" Colton shouts besides me as more shots sound around us, him dodging one as we speak. 

"I'm fine... we need to go," I shout back and he nods his head.

Before any second thoughts we both set off in a sprint, leaving the dead bodies laying in the road. It's a blessing that we have even gotten this far. I lift my hand to my hip, trying to stop the blood flow - my hand turning a wondrous crimson. 

The throbbing in my temples is just as relentless. None of the pain subsiding. 

Well... this was a sorry excuse of trying to find Maximus. I'm starting to think that he is more trouble than it's worth.

Colton is right, this is too dangerous - I need to stop. 

But I don't think I will be able to overcome the guilt if I find out that he's dead. I would have practically handed him straight over. Like a lamb to the slaughter.

We run down uneven streets and jagged sidewalks, the pale moonlight the only thing helping to illuminate the way. I look over my shoulder, expecting to see a wave of people chasing after us, but see the space void of anyone.

I almost collapse in relief. 

I am surprised my body hasn't completely given up on itself yet after everything that I have put it through today. It feels like a lifetime ago that I was tumbling down that godforsaken hill. If I had just stopped a mere second earlier, I wouldn't have plummeted down it and wouldn't have had to of climbed back up the damn thing.

Might I add, whilst being bloody shot at.

"How'd you find me?" I shout into the wind, Colton slowing slightly to drag me along. Our breathing is ragged as we round another corner.

"That, my love, is a conversation we can have later when you're not bleeding out and we're not running from blood-hungry psychos," he says, breathless. I would laugh at the comment but I, quite literally, do not have the energy. 

"You're going to actually talk to me now," I huff and Colton stops. I use his sudden halt to catch my breath and to rest my sore muscles. My whole body aches, I don't think I can go on for much longer.

"I'm sorry, okay. I've been stressed and everything is just complete and utter chaos right now. All I am focusing on is trying to protect you and getting rid of the people who are stopping me from doing that," his voice raises and I pinch the bridge of my nose.

"So let me help you... talk to me, tell me why you're stressed... I just want to help you," the desperation in my voice could be heard from universes away but I couldn't care less.

I move closer to him and hold his face in my hands, brushing the pad of my thumb over his cheek. "Please," I plead and he sighs.

"I will, I promise, I'll tell you everything," he whispers and touches his hand to my head. I wince and pull away. "How'd that happen?" he questions.

"I sort of... fell down a hill," I explain, feeling my cheeks flush in embarrassment. That has got to be one of the most humiliating things that has ever happened to me.

"Sort of?" he questions and chuckles lightly. 

"Plummeted really... a rock broke my fall," I hear him suck in a sharp breath and laugh. "Very painful, so painful that I actually can't quite feel it anymore," I say and want to shove the words back into my mouth at the sight of the face that Colton is giving me.

"We need to go," he says and pushes me forward.

I groan, my exhaustion trying to take over my body, as we break into another sprint - heading straight for the facility. 

***

I almost fall to my knees as we reach the facility doors, my body sleek with a mixture of sweat, mud and blood. 

Colton, obviously seeing my struggle, whisks me into his arms and my heart melts. 

"I'm sorry," I mumble as he carries me down the corridor. I slump my head against his chest, sleep trying to lure me in to its trap.

"Stay awake, I will not be responsible for letting you bleed to death," he says, his voice nothing but serious. "You have nothing to be sorry about, my love, you only did what you thought was right," his voice softer now.

"I won't bleed to death trust me," I admit, my mind going back to my time at the rebel's base.

The amount of times they would cut me, a lot worse than the wound I currently obtain, and it would barely render me unconscious. No matter how badly I begged to just die, for them to kill me.

I was in a dark place at that time. The days were passing by in no more than a blur and I had almost succumbed to all of the pain and grief that filled me. Almost lost myself to my own mind.

"I'm not taking any risks," Colton huffs and I have to refrain from rolling my eyes. 

I marvel at being so close to him, the feeling of hearing the steady thrums of his heart beat beneath his chest. 

Sleep almost overcoming me until Colton gently places me down on a cold surface. I open my eyes and brace the counter to keep myself upright. My hip causing more pain than I fear I am able to bare.

We're in Colton's bathroom. I didn't even realise we were going to his bedroom. I roll my eyes at him and his incessant need to be overly protective.

I watch from my place on the counter as he fills the sink with water then soaking a towel in it. Colton turns to me, standing in-between my legs, and places his hands on the waistband of my leggings but stops and looks into my eyes.

"Can I?" he asks and I nod. He begins to slowly pull them down, to get better access to the wound, but I latch my hand onto his as my hip seethes in pain.

I shut my eyes closed and bite down on my lip to suppress a scream. "Keep going," I groan, just wanting to get this over and done with. 

He pulls them off in one swift motion and tears prick my eyes. I am gasping for air as I look down to see the severity of the wound. It's only a gash but it hurts like a bitch.

"It won't need stitches," Colton confirms and I rest my head back against the wall, begging for the pain to abate.

***

Colton

I watch as Rose's eyebrows furrow, the pain must be unbearable. I try my best to be quick but also gentle as I clean the wound. Tears stream down her face and I know how hard she was trying to keep them at bay.

I bandage the site carefully and run my hand down her arm when finished. "It's done," I confirm and she lifts her head before profusely wiping at her eyes. I pry her hands away from her face and wipe the tears myself.

"Thank you," she whispers and I press a kiss to her lips. The same rush of electricity bounds down my veins and warms my heart. I could never tire of this.

"I still need to patch up your head," I say against her lips and she makes a noise somewhere between a laugh and a whimper. 

I pull away and take the steri-strips from the medical kit - cutting them down to the right size before gently placing them on the cut on her head. She winces slightly but makes no move to stop me.

"I need a shower," she huffs. Her hair and clothes are covered in mud and blood but she is still as beautiful as ever. 

"We both do," I say and grimace. 

A smirk tugs on her lips and the sight turns me on more than I care to admit. I shut it down before it can get too far. "Not tonight, you need to sleep," I say with more conviction in my tone than I feel.

I would love nothing more than to bury myself in her, to feel her around me. 

But she is hurt and needs to rest.

"Suit yourself," Rose shrugs and I'm practically aching for her. 

I can't shower with her, I won't be able to contain myself. As soon as I see the beauty of her naked body, I won't be able to stop.

"I'll go get us some food," I say as I trail my hands up her bare thighs. I watch as her pupils dilate and I can't help the smug grin that tugs at my lips as goosebumps rise on her skin.

I trail my hands higher and she lets out a small moan. I kiss down her neck and squeeze her thighs. "Your such a tease," she sighs when I finally pull away.

"You know me too well, my love," I smirk.