Hidden Secrets (editing and improving the story)

Chapter 77 - Another tribulation

I dedicate this chapter and all the rest to come to my best friend Konstantin for his valuable help on writing! Thank you so much!!! <3 

Alex's pov:

Bartholomew's claws tore through my chest, and pain like fire erupted in its wake. Blood poured from the wound, each drop sapping the strength from my limbs. My wolf howled inside me, struggling to heal, but the damage was too great. I tried to push myself upright, but my arms buckled beneath me. A wave of dizziness crashed over me, and the world tilted.

This was it. I closed my eyes, bracing for the blow I knew was coming. Bartholomew's sneering face was the last thing I expected to see before oblivion. Yet... nothing came. No strike, no pain. A strange silence followed. I cracked my eyes open, and confusion swirled through me. Bartholomew was gone. Where was he? My gaze darted around, and then I saw him—his body sprawled a few meters away, motionless. Dead. The effort to sit up was immense, my muscles trembling with the attempt. Then, through the haze of my failing vision, I saw a figure approaching. The edges of the world blurred, the figure a shapeless shadow growing closer. I tried to speak, to call out, but my throat was dry, my voice lost. Darkness crept in from the edges of my sight, swallowing everything. And then, nothing.

Elektra's pov:

When I saw Bartholomew poised to deliver the final blow to Alex, I couldn't stand by any longer. The sight of Alex, beaten and vulnerable, shattered something inside me. Fear, anger, and desperation surged through my veins like fire.

My eyes darted to Alex's sword lying nearby. Without thinking, I grabbed it, the weight of it unfamiliar yet steady in my hands. In one swift movement, I was behind Bartholomew. He never even had a chance to react. The blade pierced his back, and a strangled gasp escaped him.

I didn't stop. My heart pounded, my mind blank except for one thought: protect Alex. I pulled the sword free, the sound of steel scraping bone echoing in my ears, and in one decisive motion, I swung again. The sword sliced clean through, and Bartholomew's head fell, his body collapsing seconds later.

Everything happened in a blur. I stood there, the sword trembling in my blood-streaked hands, staring at the lifeless body before me. For a moment, I couldn't process what I had done. Bartholomew, the monster who had tormented us, lay dead at my feet.

Then I heard a sound—a faint, strained groan—and turned to Alex.

He was trying to stand, his arms shaking, his face pale as death. His eyes flickered with determination, but his body gave out, and he crumpled to the ground.

My heart stopped. "Alex!" I screamed, dropping the sword and running to him. I fell to my knees, wrapping my arms around him, desperate to hold him, to keep him here with me.

"Alex, stay with me!" I begged, shaking him gently, my voice breaking. But he didn't respond. His eyes fluttered shut, and his body went limp in my arms. A cold wave of dread crashed over me, threatening to drown me.

"No, no, no!" I cried, pressing my head against his chest, trying to feel the faintest sign of life. His blood soaked through my clothes, warm and sticky, but his breathing was shallow, barely there. Footsteps approached, and a man knelt beside us. He reached out, his fingers pressing against Alex's neck to check his pulse.

-"His pulse is very weak," the man said, his voice calm but urgent. "We need to get him to a hospital immediately. A chopper is already on its way."

I stared at him, his words registering but not sinking in. My mind was a storm of panic and fear, and all I could feel was the void inside me—a chasm of despair that grew with every passing second.