**Not yet edited. I have 0 brain capacity left bc I just got done taking a bio lab final RIP to me and the little mouse that's been soaked in formaldehyde for God knows how long. Please enjoy this chapter while I sob over my 14 page final paper for english.**
UPDATE: The weird mistakes have been fixed, but the chapter has yet to be fully edited. I apologize again for the inconvenience.
Xavier's POV
Just as I begin to make my ascent towards him to deliver the punishment he rightfully deserves, he begins laughing like a mad man. I stop in my tracks and glance at him wearily.
"Did you really think I was that fucking stupid, Alpha Xavier? I knew my pathetic excuse for a son ran right to your pack the second he crossed our borders. I also knew that you'd help him, because you've become quite the little bitch ever since you mated. In case you're wondering, my son and your warriors are heading right into a death trap, and it will be entirely your fault. Let that sit on your conscious." He spat while smiling at me. He's fucking crazy I thought to myself. Then his words fully registered in my mind. Fuck!
Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck! My men are going to die because of my stupidity!
"Lets go!" I yelled, tearing the door off its hinges and sprinting through the pack house. I somehow managed to find my way to the backdoor and into the backwoods. I could hear everyone trailing behind me, so I shifted and continued to run as fast as I could.
Aaron! Aaron it's a trap! Don't go any further! I yelled through the mind link, but I was met with silence. This isn't good. This isn't good at all.
Aaron? Leighton? No one was answering. It was almost as if they were purposely blocking me out. I pushed harder, trying my best to sniff out their scent. I only had a slight idea concerning where I was going because I was on totally unfamiliar land. I caught the faintest smell of wolfsbane gas and skidded to a halt. That mother fucker...
That asshole gassed them. We need to get them out, and alive. The gas won't take full effect unless you've breathed it in for half an hour or more, so we need to work quickly. If anyone who isn't one of us gets in your way, kill them quickly. Lets go. I instructed those with me before diving headfirst into the faint cloud of gas surrounding the area.
My eyes began to burn and blur, making it hard to see the wolf coming at me until he was nearly right in front of me. He tackled me, aiming for my neck instantly. I was able to shift my weight enough to flip him and rip his throat out before he was able to grab at mine again. I sneezed, trying to get the wolfsbane out of my nose. Fuck, this shit is horrible. I whimpered when I saw one of my men a few feet ahead of me, dead. It wasn't supposed to be like this.
15 minutes later, and we had the situation almost under control, but Leighton, nor any of my 20 other men, were to be seen. I glanced around frantically, looking for a clue. Anything as to insight on where they went or what happened to them.
I finally spotted a raised chunk of the forest floor and ran to investigate it. I shifted back quickly, trying to hold my breath for as long as I could while I roamed my hands over the ground hurriedly. I finally caught a lip in the ground and yanked up, revealing a trap door of sorts.
"C'mon! In the ground!" I yelled out to my remaining men. We all jumped down before I shut the hatch quickly, taking in deep lungfuls of clean air.
"What now, Alpha?" One of my men asked. I coughed, hacking up black gunk. Fixing whatever the fuck that was would have to come later.
"Spread out. Two go in each direction. Meet back here in ten minutes, regardless if you find something or not. I'm not losing another man to this bastard pack." I growled out. They all nodded before scurrying off. I rubbed my face, thinking about the fact that we left Alpha jack completely unattended. Granted he was still cuffed and didn't have the key, I knew he was a man of resources. He's made that much obvious.
I made my way through the intricately designed cells, doing my best to remain quiet and unseen. Leighton said the plot of land was guarded, but he never said if the actual cells were too. I wouldn't put it past Jack to get cocky and think no one would ever make it this far.
"You piece of shit! I hope you rot in fucking hell! You were a worthless excuse for a Beta! When I get my hands on the Alpha title, I'll rid this fucking world of you and every other corrupt leader!" I heard someone yell. I instantly recognized the voice as belonging to Leighton and quickly headed in that direction. I crept up before peeking around the corner. Who I assumed was Jack's Beta was standing in front of a cell that contained Leighton's beat up and bleeding form. His arms were crossed and his face held a stoic expression at Leighton yelled at him.
"That'll never happen kid and you fucking know it. Your daddy will shoot you dead before you even see that title. Filthy mutt." He spat before turning to leave. I sprang out, snapping his neck in seconds and releasing his body. It hit the ground with a loud thump. I kicked it as I stepped over it.
"Where are the keys?" I asked Leighton gruffly.
"Thank god you're here. I think they're in his pocket." He said, jutting his head out towards the Beta I just killed. Rummaging around in his pockets, I eventually found them and let him out.
"Did you find your mate?" I asked while stripping the Beta of his jeans. I didn't want to continue walking around stark naked. Especially when I had plans of being in the presence of a female who wasn't my mate.
"I think she's in quartile six, whatever that means. I heard one of the guards mumbling it while they were doing their border rounds outside." He said, looking deep in thought. We walked for a few more minutes until we met up with the group.
"Do you know where quartile six could be? The construction of this place was well thought out." I said, the compliment burning as I spoke it.
"Did you say six?" One of my men mumbled, his attention peaking.
"Yes. What do you know?" I demanded.
"I came to an entrance with the number 6 painted on the wall. It's worth a shot." He said firmly. A feeling of pride flourished in my chest. I had trained these men well.
"Lead the way." I ordered.
Ten minutes later, we came upon a dark, dingy hallway.
"Help. Help me. Somebody...please. Help." The cries for help were so faint you almost couldn't hear them. They were quiet and sounded exhausted, raspy.
"That has to be her!" Leighton yelled, rushing down the hallway. He frantically searched the cells left and right before he abruptly stopped in front of one.
"Love? Love can you hear me? Look at me! I need you to move, okay? Go to the back of the cell. C'mon, you can do it! I know you can!" Leighton began, trying to coax his mate in the cell to listen.
"There you go, good girl. Now turn your face, okay? Good." He stepped back before beginning to violently kick at the bars. There wasn't any way for him to touch them with his bare skin without receiving third degree burns from the silver. We all stayed back, knowing that we would be more of a hindrance than help with how small the hall way space was. Finally after minutes of him kicking as hard as he could, the bars began to give.
"Look baby! Come here, look. You can crawl through. Come one. You can do it!" He yelled. The body that began to crawl through the space he made looked horrible. It was nothing but skin and bones. Her hair was stringy and matted to her face and body with no only dirt, but also blood. She was a small, frail thing. Her head, unable to be supported by her weak head, lolled back and Leighton picked her up bridal style and began to carry her. My heart stopped beating for a millisecond before I abruptly turned and began walking again.
"Let's go. There's going to be an ambush waiting for us at the doors. Unless, Jack is stupid." I said over my shoulder.
I counted to three before pushing the escape door open quickly. I jumped out, crouched and ready to fight but the land was dead. There wasn't a soul in sight. I listened intently for a few minutes before concluding that there wasn't anyone within a five-mile radius.
"Lets go, there's no one here. She needs medical attention, and now."
Aceso's POV
I paced the cellar anxiously, rubbing my stomach to try and soothe it. Having severe morning sickness while being cooped up in a small room with a hoard of people wasn't exactly ideal. Not to mention, my nerves were through the roof with Xavier being gone.
"Sweetheart, you're going to make yourself sicker than you already are. Sit down." My mom said while patting the space next to her on the couch.
"I can't. Xavier could be hurt and I wouldn't even know it!" I whined.
"Hush. You know that isn't true. You would feel his pain. Relax, you need to think about your baby." My mother said, harsher than before. Suddenly, the sound of the front door slamming captured everyone's attention. I breathed deeply, Xavier's earthy smell enveloping my senses. I pushed through the crowd and dashed passed my enforcers, heading to where I could smell my mate. The sight of him nearly brought me to tears. I jumped at him the second I was close enough, engulfing him into a tight hug. I frantically ran my hands over his body, making sure there wasn't a single scratch or cut on him. I glance up at his face to see him staring ahead, blankly. I became worried instantly. His eyes were glazed over and he was breathing rapidly, letting me know that he was in some sort of state of shock.
"Xavier, baby? Talk to me. What's wrong? What happened?" I said, shooting question after question at him. He looked down, eyes widening as if noticing me standing there for the first time. His grip on me tightened as if to reassure that I was actually there and he wasn't hallucinating.
"My...my sister is alive." He rasped out before breaking down into hysterics.