Brave One (Completed)

Chapter 14, Axel

My heart nearly stopped when I heard the first gunshot. My patrols were already freaking out about a breach in security after a scout pair were found dead with their throats slit.

More mind links were crowding my mind but one in particular really froze my blood solid.

"Mable was shot!"

That was echoing in my mind, pounding at every corner of my head like some wrecking ball.

She was just dead, lying in my bed and haunting me with her sunken features and blue lips. And now she was shot? Was she dying again?

Don't I ever get a break?

I was up from my sulking seat and bolted towards the door where more gunshots could be heard, followed by the screams and panics of my family, my pack. My human legs have never pushed so far as I barreled through my front door, literally breaking it as my body morphed into my massive brown wolf, my fur has a sort of sheen like melted chocolate.

My animal instincts felt like they were on fire, working a thousand times faster than my human mind as I sprinting straight towards the commotion that was still going on. The constant sound of machine guns were starting to burn through my ears and haunt my mind as I got closer.

Though as I reached the source of the gunfire all I saw was my pack mates all taking cover on the ground and the trees. Many of my warriors were on top of their mates and children, shielding their bodies from bullets and splinters from the trees.

For some reason the gunfire was lessening, and the screams and yells were coming more within the forest rather than outside.

I scanned the cowering crowd, desperately searching for a midnight head of hair among the women who were shivering in fear.

**Mable shifted as is in the forest!** A voice that sounded like Rachel echoed in my mind and I was already bounding into the woods straight towards the commotion. I was only focused on finding my mate.

I need to make up for all my mistakes.

I need to make sure she will be alright.

I need her.

It wasn't supposed to be like this. This mess of a life I caused just because I was scared.

Scared I wouldn't be able to love a mate like she would deserve.

I am a coward, a joke of an alpha to think, even fathom, that I could do this by myself. My mother, when she was alive, ran half the show. She and my father really were the perfect duo: my father worked with other alphas, dealt with territory feuds and rouges; whereas my mother worked within the pack with training regimes and pack events.

Everyone thought they were perfect. Together and independent.

But under all that was the hatred against those who were more gifted than us. Those with powers and those with beautiful coats. The hatred of those weaker than us. Those who are best serving rather than leading and those with meek minds.

I knew my father's side were not fond of those wolves.

I knew my father was poisoning my mother.

And I was terrified of the hatred consuming me too. My mate was an omega when I met her, and she is still an omega, and now she is a black wolf. But she is still as beautiful as ever, still holding that shy-elegance that only she has.

But something deep down was stabbing me and ripping me apart for never being there for the one person who was fated to me forever.

But I guess that I my fault.

I almost did not catch the black streak bolting off to the side of me like a dark shadow, almost blending into the trees from how fast it was going.

I finally stopped, my heart beat fading as my eyes were captured watching the shadow go back and forth, the gunfire fading as fast as the figure was moving. The screams were also dying down, usually lasting no longer than a second as the figure reached the origin.

I cautiously trotted over, noticing the small bloodbaths that is scattered just around the border of the forest.

Bodies were ripped apart. Heads missing or thrown feet away from their bodies. Arms and torsos missing chunks of flesh with bones broken and sticking out like white and pinkish grotesque sticks. Some who still had whole faces had the permanent look of terror as they watched themselves and their comrades being slaughtered.

Some of their eyes still held that fear, others just held the look of death.

"H-help." I heard someone wheeze. Slowly approaching the voice I found a young man, looking younger than me at 15 or 16. His stomach was completely turned inside out as his intestines and organs were spilling out onto the bloodied ground that was basically dyed.

He was lying face up, his eyes staring blindly up at the sky that was peeking through the crowds. His body was desperately pulling itself together as his skin moved and twitched around his open wound, blood still pouring out of the edges and over his organs like some macabre bowl of chili.

His breathing was coming in and out in heavy wheezes, barely registering as human breathing as it got more gargled. He let out a rough cough, blood squirting from his mouth and open stomach.

Whoever slaughtered his comrades and butchered him had razor sharp claws and the bloodlust of a demon.

"It wasn't supposed to be like this." Tears started streaming down his face, leaving clear streaks in his bloodied face, his voice barely coming out at all, "We were so stupid."

With that he let out his last breath, his eyes still staring up at the sky.

My stomach felt like it was doing a whole gymnastic routine as I was completely frozen. My nose stung with the smell of death mixing with the complete massacre that has occured. My throat burned from holding in all the bile. My mind completely was scrambled as I tried to process what my eyes couldn't even comprehend.

This couldn't be the work of Mable.