Chapter 3

Max

The smoke is thick in the fair making it nearly impossible to breathe. The flames are huge and hot, I don’t have much longer before the walls are gonna give in. I have to hurry, Sloane is unconscious in my arms as I try to navigate to the smoke and flames that now consume our family home. She doesn’t have her wolf yet, so if I don’t get her out of here soon, she could die. This day went from bad, to worse in a heartbeat and it’s not over yet.

Today started normal, I woke up went to training, and gave the trainees a pep talk before their assessments tomorrow. Had breakfast with my family and help my dad with pack business. It was around lunchtime when the mind-link from Beta Sam came in saying there were 2 dead warriors at the border.

I took off immediately, I only just arrived when I received a frantic link from my sister saying we were under attack. I told her to go to the bunker. I shifted in Maddox and ran as fast as I could but by the time I arrived at the fight we had lost several of our warriors. Some of the pack members were running for the safety of the bunker while the warriors desperately tried to protect them all. It was chaos. I saw 3 wolves I don’t recognise closing in on one of my pack members, I see red, and Maddox is enraged. Maddox leaps forward grabbing a hold of one’s throat and ripping it out. Blood sprays everywhere. With one down Maddox turns to face the remaining two, who have now turned their attention away from my pack member allowing her to escape and head to the bunker. They come towards us from both sides, the one jumps towards my back as the other one reaches for my throat. Maddox is too fast for them, he quickly turns and kicks the wolf in the jaw, while he simultaneously reaches for the other wolf’s throat. A satisfying cracking sound reaches our ears, as Maddox bites down on the other worthless wolf’s throat and does let go until he went limp. A metallic flavour floods our senses as the blood of our enemy drips from our mouth.

I looked around to see you will be next when a desperate mind-link comes in from my father, he sounds out of breath and hurt, “Find your sister, I can’t reach her”

“Where are you? You sound hurt, I’m sure she is fine, I told her to go to the bunker”. I look around to try and find him, I see him fight against two wolves and a third is closing in. Before I could go to him, his voice comes through again, more commanding this time, he is using his Alpha command, “Find Sloane, she was still in the house when it all happened and nobody in the bunker has seen her. Find your sister MAX! I will be fine, Sam is here”

Just as he finishes his sentence Beta Sam arrives to help him fend off the attackers.

“Ok Oldman, be careful, there are a lot of them, and they don’t smell like rogues” I begrudgingly agree to leave him there.

I turn to go to the house and my heart stops all I see are flames. Oh no, Sloane! Maddox races toward the house, we shift, and I barge in screaming for Sloane. The house is full of smoke and it’s difficult to dodge the flames. I make my way to her room as fast as I can. Her door is half broken but still, on the hinges, it looks like someone tried but failed to get in.

“Sloane!” I frantically call out. I break down her door, and the room is clouded with thick smoke, it’s hard for me to breathe.

“Sloane!” I call out again. I see her, she is lying near the window, but she isn’t moving. I rush towards her and pick her up, her heartbeat is faint but it’s still there.

“Sloane, I got you, I’ll get us out of here” I promise to her unconscious body. I look out the window, the porch roof is on fire and even though I would survive the jump, if I drop Sloane she could die. I have no choice but to go back the way I came. I grab a blanket to cover my sister and make my way to the door.

I try to navigate through the burning house, the smoke is getting worse, and Maddox is struggling to keep my lungs clear. I am at the stairs now, they creak under our weight and as I take a few steps I realise they are not going to hold up. I rush down and barely make the last few steps when the entire thing collapses. The living room is ablaze, and the flames are impossible to dodge, I can feel my flesh burning, as I try to shield Sloane from the flame. White hot sheering pain goes through my body, but I keep heading for the door. Just because wolves can heal quickly doesn’t mean they don’t feel pain.

If we don’t get out of here, we both will burn to death. The house creaks and debris is falling from the roof. I make a run for it, I run as fast as I can. I see the door and run faster. Maddox is giving me all his strength. We surge through the front door. Just as I reach the front lawn of the house. I can hear the sound of my family home collapsing.

I lay Sloane down in a safe area and mind-link the pack doctor to come quick. He doesn’t respond but moments later Jules, a nurse at the hospital, and Harry, a warrior show up. In the event of an attack, all medical staff gets assigned a warrior so that they can treat pack members in the field without worrying about protecting themselves. Though shifter heals fairly quickly, we are not invincible and do need medical attention if the injury is bad enough.

“The Doctor sent me; he is in the middle of the fight trying to save as many as he can” she explained as she rushes towards my sister. I nod towards her, but I don’t say anything. She pulls out a small portable oxygen tank and places the mask over my sister’s mouth and nose.

I look around and see the carnage, I can feel the pack bond breaking as we lose warriors, it’s worse than the fire. I need to go and help, but I can’t leave, my sister. As if she could hear my thoughts, Jules speaks up “Go help Alpha, we will take care of her, Phoenix is on her way to help us get her to the hospital and Harry will protect us. I know it’s pointless, but you need to have those burns looked at Alpha.”

I’m torn between my sister and my pack. I don’t answer her, I just look at Harry, He is a skilled fighter and I know he will defend my sister with his life. I nod towards him not breaking eye contact, and he bows his head slightly exposing his neck. No need for words, he understands that he can’t fail. I turn, shift and rush toward the battle.