The Alpha's Fight

Chapter 30 - Call Me Selfish

"He isn't here," Scott jerked me out of the panic forming. His hand landed gently on my shoulder, but from the force my body seized, it could have been a zap from an electric cable. "Nicholas is putting the warriors through their paces."

A shuddering breath left my body and a tremble I hadn't registered made itself known.

"Whoa, Hunter, you good?"

Without me knowing, my arm was now draped around Scott's neck and the world suddenly came back into focus from the pin-hole tunnel it had constricted to.

"I'm fine," I shook my head. "It's just the heat."

"I know that's a lie, but I'll let it go. If you faint again, I'm throwing you over my shoulder, I don't care how bad you stink," he reluctantly lifted my arm free now that my legs were supporting me. "We don't have to go in there. We can go to mine and Jay's place."

"I can't avoid it..." I scanned the building that loomed in front, looking more desolate than ever. "It'll just get worse if I do."

Three very familiar faces greeted me in my bedroom. Jayden was in a world of her own, flipping through her phone with a set of clothes at her side. Sloane was busy straightening some books on the case and Imogen stared out of the window with her arms wrapped around her. Their eyes were on me before the door was closed.

"Hey," I said meekly.

Imogen's hand flew to her mouth, uncontrollable sobs pouring out of her. Sloane tried to reply but her words were soundless and Jayden's face was that of pure horror.

"And here I thought you might've missed me."

Imogen launched herself, gripping her arms around my bare waist. In the same beat, she pulled away, paling green and wincing.

"Oh, that's pungent."

"So I'm told."

As I moved past her, a small mewling cry left her lips. I looked over my shoulder to see her lip trembling and mouth hanging open, her eyes fixed on my back.

My lips pursed, feeling self-conscious and a strange tightness pressing on me. "Once I'm clean, it'll look better."

A glint of glass reflecting the light of the outside made me blink away the intrusion of the bright shine. The small plant terrarium I had put together for Taylor's birthday; it had passed while I was in the cells. His gift should have sat in his home... he should have been in his home.

The strange tightness intensified, concentrated in my chest like my ribs were folding in on themselves. My lungs seemed incapable of working, as though all the oxygen had been sucked from the room, provoking the dark edges of my vision again.

"I need to shower," I rushed to the bathroom faster than my feet could carry me.

"Wait hunter," Sloane tried to stop me. "We can hel-"

"I don't need help. I'm fine honestly," my voice came out too strained, too faint.

The walls were feeling too close, the air too thin, the temperature too hot, and my mind too quiet. The door slammed shut with more force than I meant, shuddering the wall, and I stumbled to the sink counter, trying to find where the oxygen had disappeared to out of the blue. What the hell was happening to me?

'Hawk... please... I need you...' I called out to an empty pocket of my mind, receiving no reply.

Lifting my gaze to the mirror, I studied my reflection for the first time and I was looking at a horrifying version of myself.

My hair was matted, dark circles framed my eyes, dirt and blood smeared my skin, no wonder so many stared. I would have stared. My beard was bushy and overgrown, I had lost a lot of weight and my muscles left behind were corded and over-defined.