Selene [COMPLETED]

Chapter Three

"End of discussion Tomas, you are staying here. The pack needs its Alpha. I'll be fine with Mark and Chris." Chris was the Head Warrior, and both were fantastic fighters; they would keep me safe, and I had powers. "What would happen if, god forbid, we both went, and something happened to us? The pack needs a leader." I reasoned with him. 

We had been arguing ever since I said I could take two people to the meeting. It was now getting close to when I would have to get on the packed jet to leave, and Tomas was trying to go with me. I understand why he wanted to come with me, he tried to protect me and be there by my side, but the pack had gone without its Alpha and Luna for months just a little while ago, and it wasn't fair to do it again. 

"I'm your mate; where you go - I go." 

"We're also Alpha and Luna of a huge pack that went without us for weeks, and with the amount of visiting Betas and warriors we have, a strong hand is required. It'll only be a few hours; you'll live. Have dinner warm for our return." I smiled as I kissed his cheek and picked up my bag before heading for the car flanked by Mark and Chris. 

I pulled the curtain back from the changing area, where I had changed into workout clothes, which I had put under a small blouse and pants. I was ready for anything. Mark and Chris were packing side pieces, but I didn't feel the need - on the count of my powers. 

"We should be landing in about 15 minutes, so what's the game plan?" Mark asked. 

"Well, we go in, chat, and if it goes sideways, I don't want their leader dead because they'll just turn him into a martyr and replace him." 

"And what if they refuse the terms and leave?" Chris asked. 

"Then we let them." The boys did not seem too comfortable with my answer, but if we forced it, it would worsen the situation. 

We turned up at the old council building, which was as dark, depressing and eerily quiet as last time—no cars, pedestrians and, this time, no security. When we left, we boarded the windows and locked up the doors. I had asked the old security company to unlock the doors for today, so when we turned up, the front door was open. 

"Alright, let's go," I said as we exited the SUV and headed towards the front door. I could smell different werewolf scents around the front door, ones I hadn't sensed the last time I was here. The boys and I headed into the council building. The place was freezing, the overhead lighting barely shone, and some flickered. The marble still made our feet echo as we walked along it. 

"I can see why no one ever liked coming to the council building," Chris said, his voice echoing around us. He looked around in disgust, and I couldn't blame him. 

We headed down the hallway towards the central ballroom, and...it was empty. No one was there, the lights weren't on, and it was freezing. It was like no life had been in it since my fight with my brother, but the scent of the new wolves was all around this room, so why weren't they here? Maybe they were towards the back or in the other room. As a precaution, the boys got their guns out, and I felt around for the light switch. As soon as I flicked the button, a blinding light filled the room, followed by a bang that reverberated and shook the whole room and fire that spread up the dusty old curtains. It was a trap. 

The whole place went up like a Christmas tree, and the blowback from the bomb sent me flying. I hit the wall, which cracked, and my spine cracked. The fire spread quickly throughout the room, roaring and licking up the curtain walls and blowing out the windows. Glass fell every which way; some bits of it sliced me, and my blood splattered on the floor but then sizzled as it came into contact with the fire. The crack spread up the wall, and pieces started falling while thick black smoke engulfed the air, obscuring my vision and other senses. 

"MARK! CHRIS!" I called out into the darkness. I got onto my knees, and even that hurt; I cracked my back mostly back in place and screamed out, but my wolf started knitting my spine together. 

"SELENE!" I heard Mark yell and saw him come towards me with his coat over his nose and mouth. 

"MARK!" I waved over to him. I could feel the fire heat up around us and start to lick up my limbs. I could smell roasted flesh and burnt clothes. My skin felt raw, and I started coughing from the thick black smoke. The ceiling started falling gradually, letting sunlight in and smoke billow out. It was now impossible if the place was dark and brutal to see before this attack. 

Mark got down on his knees next to me and helped me to my knees. My hands were burnt, bleeding and raw. We were both covered in soot and charred in areas. Mark's clothes were singed and, in some areas, sticking to him. His skin was blistering, and he had wounds from the blast in the form of a broken arm, raw skin, bloody cuts and blood everywhere. 

"Where's Chris?" I coughed over the flames' roar and the ceiling's crash as more started to fall, bringing more light in and letting more smoke out. 

"I don't know, but we must get you out of here," Chris called to me as he got to his feet and cradled me in his arms, but I could see the pain in his face from his broken arm and wounds, but he still did it anyway. It hurt me, too, because of my back. 

"But what about Chris?" I yelled as he carried me out of the building. I watched over his shoulder as more of the ceiling crashed into the raging inferno.

The clean, crisp air hit my lungs like I had been reborn, making me cough. With every cough, the soot came out of my lungs, and the burns stung even more on the cold February afternoon. My blood dripped out of my wounds onto Mark and the floor. A thread handed on my clothes; they were blackened and burnt, and my skin was raw and blistering. 

Mark took me to the SUV and lay me across the back seat. His arm was even more messed up since he carried me out of that raging inferno. Mark cradled his arm and turned back to the old council building, ready to find Chris when he watched the building collapse. 

"CHRIS!" I called out in horror as I watched the flames take hold of the mess in the building. Sirens blared in the distance, and three fire trucks got out to tame the blaze. Two came over to help with our injuries, and we told them about Chris. 

Two hours later, the blaze was contained, but there was no luck in the search for Chris. I was getting concerned now, and as the day wore on, my hopes were diminishing quicker than the fire. 

"She's right here, Tomas." I heard Mark say as he approached me with a bandaged arm and a phone in his unbroken hand. Mark handed me the phone. 

"Are you okay?" Tomas asked, and I could feel his anger through the phone. 

"I'm okay, a bit shaken up and burnt, but alive, which is more than I can say for Chris right now." I looked sadly towards the smoke that was billowing out of the pile. "Tomas, the ceiling collapsed before we could get Chris out." I cried. 

"It's not your fault." 

"I don't blame us; I blame Paul and his cult of murderers." 

"You think they set the trap?"

"I could smell new werewolves all over the place! No one has been in this building since I closed it!" 

"Fucking mutts!" Tomas growled. 

"I know; we'll deal with it when I get home." 

"When will that be?" 

"As soon as they have found Chris. I am not leaving here without him." 

By 5 pm, unfortunately, Chris had been found in the wreckage. He was burnt and sooty, and his head had a massive wound in the back. The firemen said Chris had been blasted back into the wall, which cracked his head open and snipped his neck. Before his healing ability took hold, he had been poorly burnt and died. All I could hope was that it was quick. 

We thanked the firefighters, made arrangements to get Chris back home, and made our way back to the jet, much to the firefighters' annoyance, who wanted us to go to the hospital, and headed home.