Alpha Hole

Ch. 49

*Trigger Warning* Extreme Violence and depictions that might make some readers uncomfortable. Please read with discretion.

The halls of the pack house were a battlefield of chaos, filled with smoke and the acrid scent of burning wood. The stench of blood and death hung thick in the air. I stumbled, my legs feeling like lead, my throat raw from screaming.

"Jaxson!" My voice was hoarse, barely audible over the din of the ongoing carnage. Panic surged through me as I tried to navigate the smoke-filled corridors. What was happening? The last thing Jaxson had told me was to stay put, but hours had passed since he left me in that suffocating safe room. I couldn't just wait any longer.

Tears blurred my vision as I took in the devastation around me. Bodies of pack members, people I had come to know and care for, lay scattered across the floor. The unbearable sight brought bile to my throat. My heart pounded painfully against my ribs as I clamped a trembling hand over my mouth to stifle a sob.

"Eric!" I spotted him lying on the ground, a pool of blood spreading beneath him. My heart sank. I rushed to his side, dropping to my knees, my fingers shaking as I reached for him.

His eyes flickered open, a faint glimmer of recognition in them. He tried to speak, but no words came out. The gurgling sound from his throat was horrifying. I pressed my hand against his wound, desperate to stop the bleeding, but it was no use. Blood kept pouring out, warm and slick against my skin.

He couldn't die. Not like this. Not because of me.

I looked around wildly, hoping, praying for someone to come help. But the corridor was eerily silent now, the sounds of battle moving farther away. When I glanced back down, Eric's eyes had closed again, his chest barely moving.

"Eric, please, stay with me," I begged, tears streaming down my face. My hands were soaked with his blood.

Before I could process what to do next, an ominous presence loomed over us. I looked up to see a man standing there, his eyes cold and fathomless, his hair stringy and black. My body convulsed in fear as he moved closer.

"Layla," he seethed, his voice sending a shiver down my spine.

He couldn't get to Eric. I had to protect him. I scrambled to my feet, my body moving on autopilot. "If you want me, then take me, but please don't hurt anyone else," I said, my voice trembling despite my attempt to sound brave.

The man tilted his head and laughed, a sound that made my skin crawl. "So willing," he mocked.

"Just take me!" I repeated, more forcefully this time, though the fear still laced my words.

A male voice boomed out from behind the stranger. "No!" It was Jaxson, his voice a mixture of anger and desperation.

I turned to see him standing there, his clothes ripped and covered in blood and ash. Relief flooded through me, but it was quickly replaced by dread. He was in no condition to fight.

Jaxson's eyes met mine, a silent communication passing between us. He would never run. He would never leave me to face this alone.

Jaxson lunged, but. As he did the vile man smiled, pulling a spear from his heavy cape.

"No!" I screamed, but it was too late. Jaxson lunged at the man, the spear piercing his chest with a sickening thud. Flesh and muscle tearing.

"Jaxson!" I may have been screaming as I knelt before him, my hands trembling as I reached for him. Blood gushed from the wound, soaking my hands. His eyes, full of pain and determination, locked onto mine.

"Layla..." he gasped, his voice barely a whisper.

Before I could respond, the man's hands were on me, pressing a cloth over my mouth and nose. The sharp, sweet scent of chemicals filled my senses as the world began to spin.

The last thing I saw was Jaxson collapsing to the ground, the life draining from his eyes as I slipped into darkness.