Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fourteen
THE BREAKING POINT

JAX'S POV

My body felt heavy. My head pounded like they were drums playing nonstop. I could hear sounds, but they sounded like there were so close, yet so far away. I felt my chest rise and fall, slowly and it took all my strength just for me to breathe.

I knew something was wrong, but I couldn't place a finger on it. I couldn’t even open my eyes. My wolf was restless, scratching and growling its way out in the back of my mind. I felt trapped, stuck between sleep and waking, caught in the dark. It was so dark, yet everything felt like I was locked between consciousness and unconsciousness.

But then a scent reached me.

It smelled like her. 

Gabriella.

The second I smelled her, I felt something deep in me start to wake. My chest tightened. My heart kicked harder. She was close. I could feel her. I wanted to move, to hold her, to make sure she was safe, but I couldn’t. The darkness still had me. I was trapped and locked in, but then I heard a sound. A soft voice.

It was her.

But there was another voice too, it sounded like a voice I knew too well.

Jack.

The wolf inside me snapped its head up, ears sharp, eyes burning. My heart sank. Something wasn’t right. The air felt wrong. Their voices were too close, too soft, too... personal.

And then I felt it.

Like a blade through my chest.

I felt her lips on his, like a vision. 

My whole body jolted. My eyes shot open. The world spun, but I saw them. I saw the only thing I never thought I’d see. I saw Gabriella, the only person who ever mattered, kissing my brother.

The sound left my throat before I could stop it. A low, deep growl that shook my whole chest. My body moved on its own. The poison was still in me, making my thoughts slow and twisted. Blood. I could only see blood. The Servinium made everything darker, sharper, like a nightmare I couldn’t wake from.

But this wasn’t a dream.

I pushed myself off the bed, the wires and tubes ripping out of my arms, blood dripping down but I barely felt it. I didn't care. My muscles tensed, my claws grew halfway out, my teeth clenched tight. The only thing I saw was Jack.

I could hear Gabriella's voice. She was saying my name, but her voice sounded far away, like I was underwater. I couldn't make out what she was saying.  Her words didn’t make sense to me. I couldn’t hear the meaning. All I could hear was the sound of betrayal echoing in my head.

My feet moved before I could stop them. One step, then another. Jack turned, his face pale, but his hands were still on her. That was enough. The anger inside me exploded. My wolf was in control now.

I pounced.

I jumped into Jack, knocking him hard against the wall. The sound of our fall shook the room. I grabbed his shirt, dragging him forward and throwing him onto the floor. I was on him in seconds, my hands wrapping around his throat, my claws digging into his skin. 

Gabriella’s voice was louder now, i could hear her. She was crying and begging me to stop, but I couldn’t. I wasn’t in control. My mind was stuck on one thought.

He kissed her. My mate. My Gabriella.

I squeezed his throat tighter, my claws already breaking the skin. Jack fought back, trying to push me off, but I was stronger, faster. His eyes met mine, and for a second I saw fear, but I didn’t care.

Gabriella tried to pull me back. I felt her hands on my arms, shaking me, trying to stop me. But her voice was still background noise. My wolf was too loud. The rage was too strong.

"Stay back," I growled at her, not even turning to look at her.  "I’m going to kill him."

Jack twisted under me, trying to throw me off, but I held him tighter. I raised my fist, ready to end it. The only thing I wanted was for him to be gone. To pay for touching her. For kissing her. For betraying me.

Gabriella screamed my name again. Her voice finally cracked through me for a moment. Her voice sounded sharp and she was scared. I could hear it in her voice. 

"Jax, stop! Please!" she begged.

But I didn’t stop.

I couldn’t.

Not until I felt her pull away from me. I saw her stumble out of the corner of my eye. Her body swayed like she couldn’t stand straight. Her hand pressed against her head.

Then suddenly, she fell.

The second her body hit the floor, the world slammed back into focus.

My hands let go of Jack. My whole body went cold. I turned and saw her lying there her body was still. She wasn't moving.  Her skin was pale and her lips were slightly parted. My heart stopped.

"Gabriella," I whispered, crawling toward her.

I dropped to my knees, my hands shaking as I touched her face. Her skin was cold, her breathing weak. Panic hit me like a brick wall. The rage was gone. The wolf was silent. All that was left was fear.

"No, no, no. Baby, please wake up," I whispered. "Please. I didn’t mean it. I didn’t want this. Please, Gabriella." 

I sobbed, pressing my forehead against hers, begging, whispering her name over and over. My hands cradled her face, trying to pull her back, trying to feel her warmth.

Jack coughed behind me, still catching his breath, but I didn’t care. The only thing that mattered was her.

"Stay with me," I whispered. "I’ll fix this. I swear. Just don’t leave me."

Tears burned behind my eyes, but I didn’t let them fall. I couldn’t. I had to be strong. For her. I had to fix it.

But the fear was already sinking deep. I knew this wasn’t something I could fix with strength. This wasn’t something I could fight or punch away. This was my fault.

And I was losing her.

“Call the fucking healer!” I yelled.