Quiver

33

I gasped, the breath leaving my lungs painfully and staggered into Roman's side as grief hit me. Hit us all at the sight in front of us. Even though we knew Claire was here, I guess we never thought she'd do this... be so.. evil. Then again, she forced me to endure countless beatings and experimental tests, Cole to endure beatings and forced into a Lupus and she ran a facility that basically tortured all supernatural.

It still didn't stop the shock though that she had killed them. That she had killed the Elders. Sarah and Holden were in a bloody pile on the floor, Lilith had bruises and cuts marring her sleeping, unconscious face and Cole was in Lupus form, growling weakly, but it was obvious he was in pain and had endured quite a few beatings. Claire was grinning maniacally while four armed Jaecars stood by, sharing the same evil grin.

"It took you long enough to get here, apparently... too long," She said, laughing as she threw a glance at the Elders' dead bodies.

A growl raced up my throat and spilled out. Actually all of us growled, the sound loud and threatening.

"You're sick, Claire," Bree spat, her words shaky though the venom of hatred was still there.

"As if you didn't already know that, Miss Bítch. Oops, I'm sorry, I mean Witch," Claire sang, still smiling.

I wanted nothing more than to wipe that smile clear off her face. And judging by the way Bree's hands clenched and released so did she.

"Let them go, Claire," Bree said through gritted teeth, motioning to Cole and Lilith. "Don't you think you've slaughtered enough? Wasted enough Jaecar lives?"

Claire looked as though she was thinking things through as she twirled a messy blonde lock in her bloody hand and rolled her blue eyes to the ceiling.

"Uhmmmm, no. I don't think I have," she said, voice cold now, her smile gone as she raised a knife to Cole's throat.

A snarl came out of my mouth and before I could consider what I was doing, I lunged for her throat. My jaws sank into her weak flesh like butter but her knife managed to pierce my fur and skin just as easily. She gurgled out screams while I let out a wheeze as I struggled to keep my grip. I could hear all hell breaking out behind me, but it was fading as the white hot fire of whatever the knife was coated in poured through me.

Claire collapsed, wheezing her last breath as I fell on top of her, struggling to keep my own life. I glanced down to see the knife had slid into my stomach and I knew if I had the hands to pull it out, blood would pour. Instead as it sat inside me, it continued to poison my system. I struggled to turn my head to see what was going on, but finally, after what felt like hours, managed to.

My eyes traveled over to Roman immediately, checking to see his dark wolf form intact and taking down a Jaecar with Aurora. My eyes then snapped to Yorik and Annalise needing to know my leaders were okay and saw were more than okay as they tore apart one male Jaecar. I glanced to Bree next to see her coming for me -- or trying to as Trevor and Cody kind of kept her blocked in while I seen they were ripping into...

Jason!

I watched with slight horror and smugness as my ex friend turned Jaecar was torn apart limb from limb. Once his remains lay on the floor, I decided he did deserve it. He had helped in all this madness.

I felt myself grow weaker, my eyes struggling to stay open, but I needed to see everyone else was alright too. I spotted Chloe and Garrett hovering over Lilith and Eva and Winter were finishing off one, pleading female Jaecar though they showed no mercy. Damion was by my brother, checking him over anxiously and as I blinked heavily I noticed Luke, Roman's father come into my view. His eyebrows were drawn together and his dark blue eyes were staring worriedly as he began to look me over.

I couldn't hold onto consciousness as I seen the remaining threats fall, dead, to the room floor. Everyone was safe and that was all that mattered to me. I knew they could carry on, even if I didn't make it. The thought may have shocked me if I wasn't weak, if I wasn't dying. But I was... and I let the comforting blackness consume me entirely.

**

Everything was black. I had thought dying would mean...an afterlife, but instead all I was met with was blackness and silence. It was terrifying really and I wondered if I was just in limbo or...?

I felt as though I was floating, floating forever in the darkness and silence. It was peaceful, yet disturbing. However, as time went by I began to hear something. It was faint... a mumbled whisper in the back of my mind. If, well, spirits are considered to have minds.

Time passed further and with more time, I could hear a bit clearer and see flashes of light. I wondered if I was finally going to heaven or hell instead of this state of limbo. It made me restless and I wished I'd just be put wherever I was suppose to go.

Suddenly, I could hear clearly and the flashes of light were more intense. I could also... feel. I was hot, sweaty, feverish. I felt like I was burning and I wondered if I was in hell or going there.

"...no, no. She should be waking up soon. Don't worry," a soft, soothing...familiar voice murmured. I felt as though I should know the voice, but I couldn't remember.

"Finally. I can't wait until she wakes up," another voice said. This one gave me familiar tingles and I again felt as though I should know who was speaking.

Wait, wake up? Maybe... maybe I wasn't dead then. But then what was I?

I didn't know and the blackness tugged me under once again.