Dare {Book 2}

Chapter thirty-seven

Isabella
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Silent tears trickle down my face as my fangs retract completely. Something shifts inside of me. I watch the darkness seep through my chest; a black cloud of smoke. And then it's gone; disappearing from thin air. I sniffle, watching Tate with wide eyes. I couldn't have felt his lips move, could I? Was I imagining things? He's dead, the bullet went right into his heart. There's no way he could have kissed me.

I look over to Teresa, who is holding Ian's head in her lap. Her under eyes seem suddenly darker, rimmed with red from crying. It all happened so fast, and I couldn't do anything to stop it. If I hadn't tried to heal Lana's cut, no one would be dead. Now Lana is dead too, and healing her wound was a waste.

Teresa brushes Ian's hair from his face, kissing his forehead. Victor is next to her, holding onto Ian's hand and rocking back and forth. Cam and Kyle are holding Kat and Catherine, all four looking bruised and battered. Noah is with Darcey, silent tears falling down their cheeks. Jake and Jon are also holding their mates, looking from Teresa to me.

I look to Xavier's dead body, then to Ace's. I yell out, grabbing my hair and pulling. This can't be happening. Please tell me I'm dreaming.

After everything that's happened and my loved ones still get hurt. What are Teresa and I supposed to do without our Alphas? We can't run Packs on our own.

I set my forehead on Tate's chest and cry harder than I've ever cried before. If I hadn't gone with Ace all those months ago, this wouldn't have happened. If I had of mated with Tate when I had the chance, this wouldn't have happened. I didn't realize how precious time was back then. I thought I had the rest of my life with Tate.

"Tate" I sob heavily. "Tate please don't leave me, not again"

This time, he doesn't move. So I was imagining it. Tate is gone for good.

"Isabella" Cam and Kyle kneel down beside me. I let Cam set a hand on my shoulder. "We need to get going before more show up"

"I can't" I whisper, gripping Cam's arm. "Cam he's gone"

"I know" he murmurs, pulling me into his chest. Kyle joins in, pulling me into their arms. "We'll figure this out"

"I didn't get to say goodbye" I sob. "He left me" I burry my face in Kyle's shoulder while Cam rubs my back.

"It's going to be alright" Kyle murmurs. I can hear the sadness in his voice. Most of the Packs will have felt the loss of their Alphas now.

"How can you say that?" I pull back. "Tate is gone, as is Ian! Teresa and I are alone; mate-less. Do you know how much it hurts to know that your mate is dead? It hurts like hell Kyle! I'll never hear his voice again, I'll never mate with him! I'll never have his pups and the Packs Alpha bloodline will come to a halt until Violet has kids! That's my job! I was supposed to have Tate's kids and now I'll never know what they would look like!"

I curl myself into a ball and sob heavily.  My whole body shakes with sadness and anger. I know he's only trying to make me feel better but I feel like shit. Nothing will change that.  Tate was so excited to have a child of his own, and I was excited to watch him hold our pup like it was the most precious thing in the world; like he did with me.  Giving him a child was going to be the greatest thing I could have given him. And now, I can't.

"It's all my fault" I cry into my knees. "Kyle, it's all my fault they're dead"

"Isa-" I small, battered voice croaks out. "-bella" it finishes.

I look up to Cam and Kyle. "Was that you?" I whisper. They both shake their heads, looking down to a lifeless Tate. "Tate?" I murmur, setting a hand over his wound. The blood has stopped rushing out. In fact, under the bloody mess, I can't feel a wound at all.