Howling Fury (Book 1) (Being Edited)

Chapter 31

Mark’s POV

“Ester? What’s wrong?” I ask softly. I can feel her panic rising and my own fear and worry mirror hers. In all the years I’ve been in charge, I’ve learned to pay attention to Ester’s feeling and worries.

She doesn’t answer me. Instead she to zone out completely. “Ester?” I ask again. I watch her face carefully for any signs of emotion. It floods with panic after a second and suddenly she is on her feet. Her chair is lying on the floor and there is a small dent in the wall behind where she was sitting. “Ester?” She sprints towards the window. “What’s going on?” I ask. She ignores me again and jumps right out of the window. I run after her but stop before the window and watch her wolf run into the woods.  

What on earth is going on here? A split second later, my question is answered by a scream. A high pitched scream full of agony coming from the woods. I know instantly that the scream has come from one of my wolves.

I spring into action, giving quick orders to my pack. “Fighters with me. We are under attack. Those who do not fight prepare to receive casualties. We don’t know how many there are or what they want, but we must be prepared for anything. Move out.”

I jump out of the window and shift, running into the trees as soon as I hit the ground. I hear dull thuds from the wolves who land behind me. Several doors open and I hear the sound of tearing cloths before more paws begin to drum the ground.

Pain flares and I stumble. I growl softly and turn my body towards my pack members who need me. One of them is seriously hurt. I dig my claws into the ground and my pace increases. Behind me, my pack shifts their pace in unison to match mine.

“Ester? Lucas? Skylar? Alex?” I ask through my mind. None of them respond; something seems to be blocking the mind link. After a second of silence, I ask hesitantly “Yale?” To my great surprise, I get a response. Not words exactly but emotions. A tidal wave of pain and anger overwhelms me for a second. I push the emotions away only to be drowned by my own. Despair and dread. I know which one of my wolves is hurt. Lucas.

I push through the trees into a clearing and spy Alex and Skylar. They are crouched over Lucas; Skylar pumping on his chest while Alex appears to be holding something to his throat. I can smell his blood from here and I sprint over. “Tell me what happened,” I say after shifting into my human form. Neither of the girls respond to my question. “His heart isn’t beating. How long have you been giving him chest compressions?”

Skylar finally raises her face to me, her body slumping slightly. There are tears down her cheeks and Lucas’ blood splattered over her face. She looks at me with misty eyes and it seems as though she isn’t even here. “Skylar!” Her eyes clear and she startles.

“Mark? Thank god. Lucas…he isn’t breathing. I’ve been trying to restart his heart so he can heal but…” I take a deep breath and motion for Alex to step aside. She does so, but keeps her hands on his throat to stop the bleeding and I move towards them, placing my hand on either side of his face. It’s cold and clammy and I shiver, almost as though the cold is creeping out of his body and into mine. It makes me feel queasy but I don’t remove my hand.

I use my alpha connection to reach out to Lucas; not physically but spiritually. Every creature has an essence, a soul. As an alpha of a pack, I have the ability to ‘feel’ every member of my packs souls. All of their souls are wrapped safely in their bodies.

Lucas though, has no essence. It’s simply gone. I remove my hands from his face and place them on Alex’s hands. “Girls. I’m sorry but he’s gone,” I state solemnly. Alex pulls her hands away and collapses onto the ground where she remains still. Skylar ignores my comment and continues to pound on his chest. “Skylar, he’s gone.” She shakes her head vigorously. “His souls isn’t there anymore. He’s just an empty vessel. You can’t save him. He’s gone.” It sounds harsh but it’s the only way to make her listen.