Chapter 28
Kieran's POV
The weather had changed too suddenly.
One minute the skies were clear—
the next, dark clouds swallowed everything.
Thunder rumbled loudly overhead.
I slowed my horse slightly, looking up.
Rain started pouring almost immediately.
The horses were getting restless.
I tightened my grip on the reins and turned my horse back toward the stable.
By the time I got there, the rain was already heavy.
I climbed down from the horse smoothly.
Jasmine came rushing out from inside the stable, soaked slightly.
"Good, you're back," she said breathlessly. "Everything just went crazy."
"Where are the others?" I asked immediately.
"I don't know," she answered, brushing wet hair from her face. "They're probably on their way back."
Something about that answer irritated me instantly.
I looked back toward the trails.
Rain blurred the woods heavily.
Dad and Grace were already approaching from the main building while one of the servants held umbrellas over them.
"Come on," Dad called over the rain. "It's time to leave."
Another servant quickly stepped forward to cover me with an umbrella.
I ignored him.
Behind them, Uncle Patrick and Aunt Erica were hurrying over too.
Then Grace suddenly looked around.
"Where's Nathan?"
Dad's eyes shifted toward me immediately.
Before I could answer—
I heard hooves. Fast.
Everyone turned.
A horse burst through the rain toward the stable.
Alone.
Nathan's horse. Empty.
My chest tightened instantly.
The horse looked panicked, breathing heavily.
"Hey," I muttered quickly, stepping forward and grabbing the reins before it could bolt again. "Easy, girl."
The horse slowed shakily.
My eyes slowly lifted toward the woods.
The rain fell harder.
If the horse came back without him—
then he was still out there.
"Where's Nathan?" Grace asked again.
I was already moving.
I mounted my horse again immediately.
"Kieran!" Dad shouted sharply through the rain.
But I didn't stop.
Didn't answer.
I pulled hard on the reins and rode straight toward the woods.
----
Zane's POV
I had gotten separated from the others not long after the rain started.
The weather had turned bad too quickly.
Thunder cracked loudly overhead while the rain poured harder by the second.
I pulled slightly on the reins, trying to see through the trees.
Then I heard screaming.
A girl's voice.
"Help!"
Melissa.
I immediately turned my horse toward the sound.
I found her near the slope, sitting on the muddy ground.
Her horse was gone.
Her ankle looked twisted badly, and blood slowly seeped from a cut just above it.
Rain soaked through her clothes completely.
The moment she saw me, relief flashed across her face.
"Zane—"
"It's okay," I said quickly while climbing down from the horse. "You're okay."
I crouched beside her.
The wound wasn't deep, but it was bleeding enough to make walking difficult.
I pulled out my handkerchief and wrapped it tightly around the injury.
Melissa grabbed my arm tightly as I tied it.
I glanced up at her.
"This is gonna hurt a little."
"It already hurts," she muttered through clenched teeth.
Despite the situation, I laughed softly.
"Good. Means you're still alive. What about the others, Nathan?"
"I have no idea, a thunder struck down a tree, I lost control of my horse and fell—hard,"
Another loud thunder crack echoed through the woods.
The horse shifted nervously behind me.
"We need to go," I said immediately.
I helped her stand carefully.
The moment she put pressure on her ankle, she nearly fell again.
"Shit," she hissed.
"Yeah, definitely not walking."
I wrapped an arm around her waist to steady her before lifting her onto the horse carefully.
Melissa held onto the saddle tightly.
Then I climbed up behind her and grabbed the reins.
Rain ran down my face as I turned the horse back toward the stable.
I really hope the others were at the stable.
----
Kieran's POV
Rain poured violently through the woods as I rode deeper into the trail.
"Nathan!"
Nothing.
Only thunder answered back.
I tightened my grip on the reins, scanning the area carefully through the heavy rain.
No sign of him.
My jaw clenched.
"Nathan!"
Still nothing.
Then I reached the edge of a steep slope.
The horse slowed uneasily beneath me.
I looked down—
and noticed branches hanging over the edge.
A piece of cloth was caught on one of them.
Dark fabric.
Nathan's.
Beside it were fresh tracks in the mud leading down the slope.
Thunder cracked loudly overhead again.
My horse panicked instantly beneath me.
I grabbed the reins quickly.
"Easy, boy. Easy."
I rubbed his neck soothingly until he finally calmed down.
Rainwater dripped down my face as I climbed off carefully.
The ground was slippery as hell.
I tried climbing down slowly.
"Nathan!"
No response.
Then finally—
movement below.
I looked down sharply.
There he was. At the bottom of the slope.
Motionless.
Something cold tightened painfully in my chest.
"Nathan!"
He didn't move. Fuck.
"Nathan!"
Slowly— his eyes opened.
"Kieran…?"
Relief hit me so hard it almost made me dizzy.
"Don't move," I shouted immediately. "I'm coming down."
But the moment I said it— lightning struck nearby violently.
A tree cracked loudly and crashed down beside my horse.
The horse reared in panic before bolting into the woods.
"Shit!"
I turned back toward Nathan immediately.
He was trying to push himself up.
But he couldn't move properly.
"Kieran—"
"I'm coming," I said quickly.
I pulled my soaked shirt off and wrapped it around my hands for better grip before continuing down carefully.
The rain made everything slippery.
Mud shifted beneath my feet constantly.
"Be careful," Nathan called weakly.
I looked down at him.
Blood streaked across the side of his face.
Then suddenly— my foot slipped.
I nearly lost balance completely.
"Fuck—"
"Are you okay?" Nathan shouted immediately.
"Yeah," I grunted.
But before I could steady myself fully—
I missed my footing again and slid the rest of the way down hard.
Pain shot through my shoulder as I hit the ground.
Luckily I was close to the ground, but it still hurt like hell.
For a moment I just stayed there breathing heavily.
"You alright?" Nathan asked again.
I pushed myself up immediately.
"Yeah. I'm fine."
I walked toward him quickly.
The closer I got—
the worse he looked.
His leg was swollen badly.
There was blood tangled in his dark hair.
A cut stretched across his hand and face.
Thunder rumbled overhead again.
Nathan looked at me weakly.
"How did you find me?"
I glanced toward the slope above us.
"Followed the tracks."
He nodded slightly. Then shivered violently.
"We need to get out of the rain," I said.
He tried pushing himself up again— and immediately winced.
His left hand barely moved. It looked like he couldn't move it. Shit.
Without thinking further, I bent down and lifted him into my arms.
Nathan sucked in a sharp breath, clearly trying to hide the pain.
I looked around quickly through the rain.
Then spotted it.
A small cave near the rocks.
I carried him toward it immediately.
The moment we stepped inside, the sound of rain echoed loudly around us.
I lowered him down carefully against the wall.
He was trembling badly now.
His lips had already started turning pale.
I used my shirt to press against the bleeding on his leg as best as I could.
Nathan suddenly grabbed my wrist weakly.
I looked up.
His face twisted slightly from pain.
"Thank you," he whispered hoarsely.
I frowned.
".....For coming back."
Something about those words hit strangely hard.
He slowly released my hand again, clenching his fist tightly instead.
Trying not to show pain.
Trying not to look weak.
Idiot.
I touched his forehead lightly.
Burning hot.
I immediately reached into my pocket for my phone.
The screen was shattered. Dead.
It must've broken when I fell.
"Fuck."
I looked back at Nathan.
His eyes were closed now, his body still shaking from the cold.
I moved beside him and pulled him against me, trying to keep him warm.
Outside, thunder roared again.
The fucking rain still wouldn't stop.