Alpha Axel

Twelve

Hiya lovelies (: This chapter is long and heavy! As always, vote, comment, and show this story some love! 

Warning: this chapter does contain mature material at the end. If you do not want to read it, it will have no impact on the understanding of the story if you decide to move past it. 

Enjoy! 

Jackson and I approached the pack house with caution. It seemed like the entire power grid had been shut down, each house seeming cold and silent. It was as if the entire pack had gotten up and left, but I knew better. There's always a calm before the storm. I just had to be prepared to face it.

I pressed my back against the house, careful to not make any noise. I spared a glance at Jackson, his eyes shining with a warning in the moonlight. I took a deep breath before glancing around the corner quickly. There was nothing in the clearing. No people, no wolves, no bodies, not even the normal lightning bugs that twinkled in the grass. It's like death himself had come and taken everyone away.

I slid my body along the curve of the house, careful of where I placed my feet. The air was heavy and it caused my stomach to churn with uncertainty. There was still nothing to be heard, nothing seen, not even the faint smell of a fight.

Everyone just disappeared.

Jackson stood by my side, his body taut and ready to strike at any minute. His eyes met mine as he took the lead, his body sliding past mine. He stepped up on the porch, the wooden planks silent underneath as he stepped forward.

I was about to follow when a silver glint caught my eye. I looked to the treeline, holding my body steady, afraid to even breathe. I waited a few more moments before finally letting my breath out. It had just been a trick of the light.

I looked back to see my beta, his hand already on the door as he looked at me expectedly. I nodded, placing my feet where he had before reaching the door. His eyes met mine once again as I mouthed "One, two, three." On the last syllable, Jackson opened the door silently. I slipped into the right, my gun outstretched before me and I felt Jackson follow directly behind me.

I went toward the kitchen, my heart beating in my ears making it seem like I was the only thing alive in the room. I continued around corners, sweeping through every room, and still nothing.

It didn't make any sense. Whoever knocked us off the road clearly wanted us dead, but why not stay long enough to make sure the job was done? There were no signs of struggle anywhere in the house, not even lights on or things looking like they were interrupted. Everything looked abandoned as if those who cared for this place had left moons ago.

I lowered my gun, my frustration only growing. I saw Jackson slip back down the stairs, his confusion matching mine.

We spent the next hour searching through the remaining buildings on our territory, but there were no signs of life anywhere. When we met back in the pack house I let out a frustrated growl.

"Where the hell is everyone?" My voice was loud, the silence that suffocated the clearing finally too much for me to take. I went around to lock the doors, making sure to pull the curtains closed on each window in the pack house. I made my way into the kitchen, Jackson sitting at the bar with a few papers before him. He had always been my analytical beta, and with everything happening, I knew it was driving him crazy.

I had gotten a few candles and some matches from the closet as well as my hunting bag that I took to scout our raids. It held general necessities for pretty much any situation I could find myself in.