The Luna Queen's Rebirth (Ellie and Dominic) novel Chapter 74

Chapter 74

Dominic POV

The moment her head disappeared beneath the surface, something inside me tore open.

I didn’t feel myself running. I didn’t feel the rocks under my hands. All I felt was a pull, and it was enough to drive me forward like an animal.

I dove deep, eyes burning, lungs screaming.

It was dark. I couldn’t see. Shocked by how deep the lake got so close to the shore.

I was starting to panic, frantic, until my fingers closed around something smooth.

Her arm.

Found her.

Ellie floated limp, hair drifting around her like pale ink in dark water, eyes closed, mouth slack.

A dead weight.

My heart stuttered violently.

No. No, no, no.

I dragged her up with one arm and kicked hard, breaking the surface with a gasp. She didn’t even flinch when air hit her face. Didn’t cough. Didn’t fight me.

“Ellie!” I barked, already swimming for the shore. “Ellie, wake up!”

She didn’t.

I hauled her onto the rocks, messy, but I couldn’t bring myself to care. I got her onto the sandy patch of earth and dropped to my knees, pulling her head into my lap, water dripping from my lashes onto her skin.

Her face… gods. She looked wrong. It was pale, a small bleeding cut on her forehead.

My hands shook as I pressed two fingers to her neck.

Come on. Come on-

There. Weak. Shallow.

But no breathing.

r

Sarah collapsed beside us, sobbing so hard she could barely breathe. “Oh m gods! Ellie! Oh-1-1 didn’t mean-Ellie-Dominic, is she-oh gods, I didn’t-”

Jake tried to hold her back, but she kept reaching for Ellie, hysterical.

Vivian stood frozen several feet away, lips parted but silent for once in her life as Karina watched wide eyed, her brow furrowed.

Marcus already sprinted toward the trail in wolf form, yelling for help.

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But none of it mattered.

My world had narrowed to one trembling girl in my lap.

“Ellie,” I whispered, tapping her cheek lightly, then harder. “Ellie, look at me. Come on-look at me.”

Nothing.

A cold dread spread through my stomach. Everything felt hollow and merciless.

I leaned over her, tilted her head back, pinched her nose-

And pressed my mouth to hers.

Her lips were cold. Nothing like what I remembered.

I breathed into her, willing her chest to rise, willing her lungs to remember how to work.

“Come on,” I muttered, voice cracking. “Come back. I’m right here. Come on.”

Another breath.

Another.

My hands were shaking now, fingers tangled in her hair. I didn’t care if anyone saw. Didn’t care what they would say. Didn’t care what it meant.

I just needed her to open her eyes. I breath into her again

Her lashes twitched.

Her lips parted.

Then-

A gasp.

Ellie jerked, coughing violently, her whole body seizing as lake water spilled from her mouth.

Relief hit me so hard I sucked in a breath like I was the one drowning.

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“That’s it,” I said, one hand supporting the back of her head, the other bracing her shoulder when she tried to sit up too fast. “Slow down-Ellie, stop-hey-hey.”

Her eyes were wild, terrified, unfocused. She didn’t even recognize me at first.

“Where-Dpm-what-”

“Don’t move,” I ordered, my voice cracking despite me. “You hit your head. You almost drowned.”

She blinked up at me, shivering. Her hand fumbled weakly at my shirt like she meant to push me away but couldn’t get the strength behind it.

The rush of fear, adrenaline, and relief tangled together until they spilled over in the only way my body knew how. My voice cracked, breathless, but all i could get out was-

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“W-What the hell were you thitiking?” I snapped, sharper than intended. “Falling like that-getting between them-have you lost your mind?”

Her brows drew together, hazy and offended.

There she was.

Alive. Breathing. Angry at me.

My Ellie.

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Ellie POV

I was slipping. Then impact. Water swallowing me.

And just-falling.

Then everything went black, and suddenly I wasn’t in the lake anymore.

I was somewhere else. Some when else.

A knife slid between my ribs, hot and cold at the same time. Memory I knew well.

Blood filled my mouth.

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