"How'd we get in this mess?"
5. got snagged in a hunter’s trap
Jackson was lying on the forest floor trying to slow his breathing and control his shaking body. Around his ankle is a bear trap, the jagged metal teeth scraping at bone and tearing his muscle. Marcus was at his side, petting his head and trying to calm him down.
"Jackson, just calm down, you'll be okay, I can get you out of this."
He knows his mate can help. He knows that. But he can't do anything if Jackson keeps panicking, keeps his heart rate up so his blood pumps faster and rushes out of his body. He has to calm down first.
"How'd we get into this mess," he heard Marcus mutter, more angry at the world than at Jackson at the moment.
"P-probably had someth-thing to do with us ch-chasing each other through the preserve a-and not watching where w-we were going--fuck." He winces, curling in on himself when his leg twitches and the metal teeth dig in farther into his muscle and nerves. "Just get it off me," he demands through clenched teeth, whole body twitching with the effort to stay still.
And with that, Marcus sighed and in one swift movement, and pried the trap off of Jackson's ankle as his bonded let out an agonized cry, eyes flashing a brilliant blue.