Transmigrated as the Crown Prince's Mate
Chapter 59: "I’m right here..."

Chapter 59: "I’m right here..."

Damian woke up suddenly, his heart racing as the gentle pulse of the mate bond came alive again. He felt Storm’s presence roared strongly in his mind.

"She’s close!"

Damian didn’t waste a second. He reached over and shook Jasper’s shoulder roughly. "Get up. She’s close."

Jasper groaned, rubbing his eyes and muttering under his breath. "You sure this isn’t just a dream, Your Highness? Because you look like—" He stopped mid-sentence when he saw Damian’s expression.

"Now, Jasper," Damian snapped, already standing. "We’re leaving."

Jasper scrambled to his feet, grabbing his gear with haste. "You’re the boss," he said, though his tone lacked its usual levity.

Damian was already getting on his horse, staring at the far-off horizon. He felt a weak but constant connection, like a soft voice urging him to move ahead.

He gritted his teeth and pushed his horse forward, hardly waiting for Jasper to get into his own saddle.

The dense, shadowy forest let in the morning sun in scattered spots. The tough path was filled with roots and rocks, but Damian hardly noticed as he focused on the fragile tether pulling him.

"She’s in pain," Storm said grimly. "We have to hurry."

"I know," Damian replied aloud in a strained voice.

Jasper rode close behind him, his sharp eyes scanning the surroundings. "So, we’re just following the bond?" he asked carefully.

"Yes," Damian said shortly.

"Not to question your wolfy instincts," Jasper added, "but if we’re wrong about this—"

"We’re not," Damian interrupted. "I’d know if we were."

The two men pressed on, the mate bond acting as their only guide. The terrain grew rougher, the trees thicker, until they reached a steep incline.

Damian slowed his horse, his brow furrowed as the bond wavered slightly, flickering like a dying flame.

"Don’t stop now," Storm urged. "She’s close. I can feel it."

Damian dismounted, his boots sinking into the damp earth. "We’ll have to go on foot," he said, tying his horse to a nearby tree.

*******************

Evelina’s eyelids fluttered open, her body feeling like lead. Every movement sent sharp, jarring aches through her limbs.

Her mouth was dry, her tongue thick and parched, and her throat burned with thirst. The pit was still dim, the light from above barely piercing through the dense canopy.

She looked over at a muddy puddle that was just a few feet away from her. The water in the puddle was dark and murky, obviously contaminated by God knows what.

However, despite its unappealing appearance, the intense feeling of desperation that she felt made the water seem strangely alluring to her.

"I can’t," she whispered hoarsely, turning her head away.

Her stomach growled angrily, reminding her of her starvation.

Evelina’s hands were trembling, weak and scratched, and her leg throbbed in protest whenever she moved it. She leaned her head against the cold, hard wall, letting out a deep sigh.

She felt overwhelmed by a sense of hopelessness, as if the weight of the world was on her shoulders. It left her feeling heavy and drained, unable to find a way out of the darkness surrounding her.

"This is it," she murmured.

From the corner of her eye, she spotted movement—a scorpion skittering across the dirt near her feet. Evelina blinked slowly, the absurdity of it almost laughable.

"I should just let it sting me again," she muttered bitterly, reaching down for it slowly.

"Come on, Evie. Just hold on a bit. Someone’s going to come for us. HE is going to come for us."

Eve let out a weak scoff but gave no response.

Her fingers closed around the creature, its legs twitching against her palm. She stared at it, the tiny predator wriggling in her grasp.

For a fleeting moment, she considered it—a painful sting followed by the end of her suffering.

"Maybe this is how I get out of here," Evelina whispered. "Maybe dying here will send me back to my world."

Relia’s voice broke through. "And what if it doesn’t? What if this is it, Evie?"

Evelina froze, her grip on the scorpion loosening. She let it drop to the ground and watched it scurry away into the shadows.

"I’m not ready to die," she whispered to herself.

*******

Damian moved swiftly, the bond growing stronger with each step he took. Storm guided him like a compass, the faint thread of Evelina’s presence pulling him deeper into the forest.

"Evelina!" he called out, his voice echoing through the trees.

Jasper followed closely behind, his sharp eyes scanning the area. "Lady Evelina!" he added..

The forest was silent save for their voices. Damian’s silver eyes darted around, searching for any sign of her. His heart pounded as the bond wavered again, flickering like a dying flame.

"Faster," Storm urged. "She’s close, but she’s weak."

Suddenly, Damian stopped, his head tilting slightly as he caught the faintest sound—a soft rustling. He turned to Jasper. "Did you hear that?"

Jasper nodded, gripping his blade as they followed the noise. It led them to the edge of a deep pit, its jagged edges hidden by thick roots and overgrowth.

Damian peered over the edge, squinting his eyes to see down to the bottom.

Then he froze, his heart clenching at the sight below.

Right there at the bottom of the pit was Evelina, laying crumpled, her face pale and her body still.

"She’s alive," Storm confirmed. "But barely."

"Evelina!" Damian called out.

Turning to Jasper, "She’s here, Jasper. Evelina is in there."

Jasper swore under his breath, his gaze scanning the area. "We need something to pull her up. A rope, a branch—anything."

Damian shook his head, already unbuckling his sword belt and tossing it aside. "No time," he said firmly.

Jasper reached for his arm, trying to stop him. "Your Highness, wait! If you jump in, how are we getting you both out?"

But Damian wasn’t listening.

Without hesitation, he leaped into the pit, landing with a controlled thud near Evelina.

"Your Highness!" Jasper shouted from above, but Damian ignored him, his attention solely on Evelina.

Dropping to his knees, Damian gently cupped her face, his hands trembling. "Evelina," he murmured. "I’m right here."