4

Axel

“Axel, come on! We need to hurry up, or they’ll catch up to us.” Sebastian patted me on the shoulder as I looked in the direction I came from one last time. It was way too far that I couldn't see our pack anymore, only the smoke that swirled into the sky. The place I’ve been living in for the last 20 years is about to be burned to nothing but ashes and dirt.

The scarring event still lingered in my mind—seeing my father’s blood soaking the sheets on their bed and seeing my precious mother being captured by Logan.

I blame myself for not waking up on time to stop the tragedy, but I know that the real villain in the story isn’t me but Logan.

Tomorrow was supposed to be my coronation day—the day when I’m finally going to be hailed as the Alpha of our pack, so I opted to sleep earlier than usual.

In my slumber, I remembered being woken up by Sebastian, my incoming beta.

“We need to leave, NOW.” He handed me my sword and elbowed me to get up. The first scent that I inhaled was the pungent smell of smoke, accompanied by the sound of children crying and women screaming.

“What’s happening?” I rubbed my eyes awake, feeling confused.

“Now’s not the time to explain things. We should hurry up before Logan gets to us,” he urgently said, pulling off the covers from my body.

My eyes narrowed. “Logan?” I uttered in a deep voice. Sensing the urgency of the situation, I got up from bed and quickly followed Sebastian out of my room.

He gestured me to follow him to our dungeons to escape, but I suddenly remembered my mother and father.

I held onto Sebastian’s arm to stop him from walking. “Wait. Let me get mom and dad.”

“Wait... Alpha, No!” He tried to stop me, but I was already on my way to my parents’ room. Sebastian trailed behind me, trying to stop me from entering their room.

“Let’s just go. Axel, please,” he said in a pleading voice.

I ignored his pleas and stood in front of their door. I sniffed the air and figured out that there was something wrong. The usual comforting floral scent of my mother was absent, and the air somewhat smelled like...blood?

I held on to the doorknob, but Sebastian stopped me. He looked at me with pitiful eyes. “Let’s go,” he pleaded one last time.

I shook my head and stubbornly turned the doorknob, quickly opening the door. The room was dark, so I switched on the light. I regretted doing that, though.

My eyes widened in shock, and my surroundings turned into a blur. My eyes focused on my father, who appeared to be sleeping soundly on his bed, but I knew better. His blood soaked the sheets, and I could see that he had no signs of life.

My hand left the doorknob, and I felt numb. I didn’t have the strength to cry as I looked at my father's lifeless body on the bed. 

Sebastian grasped onto my arms. “We need to leave, please, Alpha. They’re nearing us,” he said while tightening his grip on me.

“Where are you going?” A grim voice suddenly said, and I turned around to see none other than Logan standing in the doorway. Beside him was Alpha Nathan, my dad’s closest friend, and Luna Kirsten, my mom’s cousin.

I clenched my teeth and looked at them with raging eyes.

“You traitors,” I said in anger.

Alpha Nathan glanced at my father’s lifeless body and shrugged. “It had to be done, Axel. Your father was becoming too strong, and we’re afraid that he’ll be a threat to society. We had no choice.”

I seethed. “My father is a good man! Unlike all of you,” I roared out. “You are the real threats to society.”

Luna Kirsten clicked her tongue and shook her head. “Are you sure that you want to be speaking to us like that? Especially when we have her...,” she brought in my battered mother inside the room, pulling her hair in the process.

My eyes shook. “Mom!” I exclaimed, about to run to where she was. However, Logan held up a knife to her throat, making me stop in my tracks.

“Don’t you dare,” I warned.

“If you stay put and follow what I say, I’m not going to harm Aerin. She was once my mother too, you know? Her life is entirely dependent on how you act.”

I held in my anger and stood still on my spot. “What do you want?”

“Isn’t it obvious? I want to make your life miserable. You took everything away from me—my real parents, my first love, and even my destined title. I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THE ALPHA OF THE PACK! But you just had to snatch that away from me too!”

I scoffed. “This is exactly why you didn’t become the Alpha of the pack. You’re selfish, cocky, and you think you’re entitled to such a powerful title. You don’t deserve it at all.”

“Shut up!” He screamed and brought the knife closer to my mom’s neck. The blade touched her skin, making some blood ooze out. My mom whimpered while I struggled to get to her.

“Just tell me what you want to do! You’ve already killed my father and captured my people. What more do you want?”

“I want your wolf,” he nonchalantly said.

“What?” I asked in disbelief.

“I want you to lose your wolf. Sever your bond with him,” he smirked.

I held onto my nape. “That’s not possible. You’d be crazy to think that I would do that.”

He tilted his head to the side. “What if I did this?” He asked, pressing the knife deeper in my mom’s neck.

“No!” I screamed out. “Then... if I sever my wolf, would you release my mom and let us go?”

I have already lost my father. I can’t afford to lose my mother too. I’d do anything just to protect her, even if that means losing my wolf.

He threw me a silver knife, one that can sever a wolf’s ties. Without any hesitation, I held the knife on my nape and quickly sliced the nerve that serves as my wolf and I’s connection. I could feel myself getting weaker, and my wolf’s voice started fading in my mind.

“No! Don’t do it, Axel!” My mother shouted, but I ignored her pleas.

I dropped the bloody knife on the ground and looked Logan in the eyes. “There. Now, let go of my mother.”

I waited for him to release her, but all he did was smirk. I closed my eyes and impatiently said, “Release her, NOW.”

He laughed like a maniac, Alpha Nathan and Luna Kirsten chuckling along with him.

After laughing, he looked me dead in the eye. “I thought you were smarter than this. But alas, you’re a fool for even thinking that my deal was serious.”

He brought out a gun from his pocket, and my eyes widened in shock. He clocked the gun, pointing it in my direction, and unhesitatingly pulled the trigger. Without my wolf, I had a slower reaction time, so I don’t think I could dodge on time.

However, just as the bullet was about to hit my chest, Sebastian pulled me out of the way, held onto my body, and jumped out of the window, successfully breaking it.

The shards of glass wounded my body, but I didn’t feel any pain. Our bodies hit the ground while I heard Logan instructing his thugs to follow us.

“Mother,” I whispered one last time as Sebastian dragged me to the forest.

I had no idea where we would go, and neither did Sebastian; we just kept running and running to escape the wrathful hands of Logan. I clenched my fists in anger as I ran even harder. I know that this is not my time to die. I have to get back what was once mine.

Yesterday, I was the future Alpha of the Silver Raven pack, and now I am a rogue. My father’s blood had soaked the sheets on their bed, and my mom, the dignified Luna, was held captive in Logan’s prison. This is an ignominy to our family‘s name, and I shall seek my revenge.

“I’ll be back,” I said to myself and turned away from the place that I called home.