Becoming Were

Chapter 13

~DYLAN'S POV~

"You understand that as our future Alpha you have certain responsi-" Dad tries to explain. He raises his eyebrows when I interrupt him.

"Do you smell that?" I ask quickly. Dad takes a deep breath in, his nostrils flaring, closing his eyes. When he opens his eyes they're glowing. 

"Rogues!" Dad yells. "Get everyone out of the house NOW!" I run as fast as I can from the underground cellar, which despite it's name is a very intricate area underground that's more spacious than the packhouse, where our Alpha talk has taken place, to the packhouse which now has thick, black clouds of smoke hovering above. One thought is enveloping me with dread: Alice. I see the deadly flames escaping out of scattered windows. I listen, trying to hear anyone attempting to mindlink but all I hear are the screams of my pack. 

I run to the packhouse door and feel a hand grab my shoulder, I look up to see both my very alarmed brothers. 

"We didn't even know what was happening-" I cut off Carson.

"It doesn't matter! Get everyone out!"

"We've cleared the first level, only a few injuries to a handful of the younger kids." Max explains.

"Where's Alice?" I demand. Max turns his face quickly to Carson and both their eyes widen. "WHERE. IS. SHE?!" I yell.

"We-she was in the basement-" Carson stutters.

"Get everyone out!" I scream as open the doorknob only to be met with a curtain of flames. "Shit!"

I turn to my brothers to see them both climbing halfway up the packhouse, breaking through windows and grabbing limbs to haul people out. Weres young and old are weeping and screaming on the safe ground, not being able to go in for their loved ones. Alice. If anything happens to her, I don't know what I will do. I can't let her get hurt.

I leave my brothers and run as fast as I possibly can to the opposite side of the house where I know the basement window should be. As I turn the corner I see people jumping out the broken windows. Emily and Hilary are on the ground, shouting at some of the younger Weres to jump. A few of them jump through the smoke, the girls catching them easily. I run around them, heading to Alice when Hilary grabs my arm.

"I think there's still someone in there." She says. "I can't get up that high, neither can Em."

I look up and see the thick layer of smoke curling out. I run at the wall, using the layered logs to brace myself. I haul myself into the window and immediately can't see a thing. It takes a moment for my eyesight to improve, even as a Were this smoke is too thick. 

"Hello?" I call. 

The flames are illuminating the empty room and I'm about to run out when my eyes land on a closet door that is blocked off by a dresser. I run to the closet and throw the dresser across the room, opening the door to see a little girl curled up in a ball. The flames are covering her and I feel stings where my body burns from the fire. I wrap my arms around the girl and feel how hot her skin is. I turn and see the flames have already spread across the room, I turn my back to the fire and run backwards through the flames, keeping the little girl protected. Once I get to the window I jump out, and hit the ground hard.

The crowd that has started stare wide-eyed. No one says anything but Hilary grabs the little girl.

"Dylan, look." Hilary whispers as she turns the girl's face towards me. My breath catches in my throat as I see her skin burnt down to the bone around her forehead, and her once beautiful hair, now only a few burnt strands here and there.