Chapter 88

Chapter 88
Jesse

"No," Maddox said. He didn't even blink. He just stared at me with cold, flat eyes. 

"No, Jesse. I’m not letting anyone go."

Of course I hadn't expected it to be so easy. Nothing in my life ever was. I decided to keep trying.

"Maddox, please," I said, stepping closer. I could feel the eyes of every guard in the courtyard on us. 

"You’re angry at me. I get it. I’m the one who said those things to you. I’m the one who pushed you away. Why are you taking it out on them? It’s not right."

Maddox let out a short, mean laugh, then he spoke. "You think you have the right to stand there and make requests? You? After you spat on everything I’ve tried to do for you? You don't get to tell me what’s right, Jesse. You don't have that power."

I knew what he was doing. It was so obvious it made me want to scream. He was hurting these people just to hurt me. He wanted me to watch them suffer because he knew I’d feel guilty. It was a game to him. How can someone be so cruel and think they’re the hero of the story?

"You’re going to regret this," I warned. "Do you really want this to be the thing I remember about you? That you killed a maid and some guards because your feelings were hurt? Is that what a great Alpha does?"

Maddox ignored my question. He looked past me, his eyes landing on the guard who had let me out of the room.

"You!" Maddox barked. "Why is he out here? I gave a direct order for him to be locked in my chambers. Who gave you the authority to open that door?"

"A-Alpha... I... he said... Jesse said you would be angry if he was in pain. He said he was Gale, and that I had to listen..."

"He said?!" Maddox roared, stepping toward the man. "He said? Since when do my men take orders from a prisoner? Since when do you decide which of my commands to follow based on what a boy tells you?"

"I was just trying to help!" the guard cried out, his hands up in the air. "He made me believe it! He was so sure, Alpha! I didn't want to get in trouble with you!"

"Help?" Maddox sneered. "You didn't help me. You betrayed me. You let him out when I specifically told you not to." He turned to the other guards standing nearby. "Tie him up. Put him with the others."

"Maddox, stop it!" I yelled, trying to grab his arm. "He only did it because I lied to him! It’s my fault! Why are you doing this? Is your ego really that fragile?"

He shoved my hand away as I watched in horror as his men grabbed the guard, kicking his legs out from under him and dragging him toward the wooden posts. 

Now there were three guards tied up, their heads hanging low, and Raya was still on her knees, sobbing into her hands.

Four people. Four people were about to face Maddox’s wrath, and all I could do was stand there and watch. 

Why won't he just listen to reason? Does he really think killing everyone is the answer to his problems?

"Get him out of here!" Maddox shouted as he shot out a finger at me. 

"Take him back to my room and lock the door. If he so much as breathes near a key, I’ll have your heads!"

Two guards stepped toward me, but I wasn't going to make it easy. 

I stepped back and raised my fists. "Don't touch me! You can't just kill these people! Maddox, look at them! They're your own people!"

Maddox didn't even look at me. He was too busy barking orders at everyone else. 

"Take the traitors to the main gates! I want the entire Variant pack to see this. I want every man, woman, and child to witness what happens when someone defies me. No one betrays the Alpha and lives!"

The guards grabbed Raya and the men on the ground, dragging them across the courtyard. 

I tried to lung forward to help, but the two guards assigned to me grabbed my arms. I struggled, kicking at their shins. 

"Let go! You cowards, let me go!"

Suddenly, a sound like a thunderclap ripped through the air. It was a loud, heavy banging, the sound of wood and metal being smashed together. It was coming from outside.

Maddox paused and the whole courtyard went silent for a split second. 

"What was that?" he demanded, his head snapping toward the sound. "Investigate it! Now! Go!"

The guards who were holding me loosened their grip, their attention pulled toward the gates. The commotion started getting louder. 

I could hear shouting, snarling, and the sounds of a real fight breaking out. Was the pack being attacked? Who would be crazy enough to attack the Variants at their own home?

Maddox was distracted, screaming at his captains to get into formation. This was it. 

This was my only chance.

I wrenched my arms free from the distracted guards and didn't look back. I didn't run for the gate; I ran straight for Raya. 

She was huddled on the ground, shaking and crying while the guards who were supposed to be watching her were looking somewhere else.

I grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her up. 

"Raya! Get up! We have to move!"

She looked at me, her eyes wide and blurry with tears. 

"J-Jesse? What’s happening?"

"I don't know, but we’re leaving," I said, pulling her toward the shadows near the back of the kitchens. 

"Raya, I am so sorry. I stole your key. I got you into this mess and I almost got you killed. I never should have taken it."

"He was going to... he was going to kill me," she whispered.

"Not today," I said. 

We reached the small back exit, a narrow wooden door used by the cooks. 

The chaos was growing behind us, I could hear the sounds of an actual battle now. I pushed her through the door and pointed toward the dense trees beyond the wall. 

"Listen to me. Run. Don't look back, and whatever you do, do not come back to this pack. If Maddox finds you, he won't talk next time. Do you understand?"

"W-where will I go?" she asked, her hands trembling.

"Just go! Hide in the neutral territory!" I urged her. 

"I promise, when I get out of this, I’ll come looking for you. I’ll make sure you’re okay. But you have to go now!"

I watched her take off into the dark woods, her small frame disappearing into the trees. 
I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. At least one person was safe. 

My body was urging me to follow her. This was it, wasn't it? 

The door was open, the guards were distracted by the fighting, and the woods were right there. I could just run.

But I stopped. My feet felt like they were stuck in the mud. If I left now, Maddox would go completely insane. 

He wouldn't just look for me; he would hunt me down like an animal, and he’d probably find Raya too.

If I stayed, maybe he wouldn't even bother sending a scout after a useless maid. Plus, there was Rhea. I couldn't leave her behind in this place.

I turned back toward the courtyard, my mind racing. Was I making a mistake? Why eas I going back toward the danger?

I didn't have much time to think. The moment I stepped out of the shadows, two guards appeared. They weren't looking at the gates anymore; they were looking for me.

"There he is!" one yelled.

They jumped me before I could even try to talk my way out of it. They grabbed my arms and twisted them behind my back, pushing me toward the main house.

"Let go of me!" I grunted, struggling against them. "What’s going on? Who is at the gate?"

"Shut up and move," the bigger one growled. They dragged me up the stairs, taking two steps at a time, and shoved me back into the room.

"Stay put this time. The Alpha has enough to deal with without you wandering around."

"Is it an attack?" I asked, breathing hard. "Who’s out there? Tell me!"

"It’s a raid. That’s all you need to know. Now stay in this room, or we’ll tie you to the bedpost. We aren't playing games, Jesse."

They turned around, ready to walk out and lock the door, but they never made it to the hallway.

Two men wearing dark masks appeared out of nowhere. It was so fast I almost missed it. 

One moment my guards were standing there, and the next, these strangers were on them. 

There was a sickening sound of a struggle, and both of my guards slumped to the floor, dead before they even knew they were being attacked.

I backed away until my back hit the wall. 

"Who—who are you?"

One of the masked men looked at me. His eyes were cold through the holes in the fabric. 

"Sorry, Jesse" he said.

What? How did he know my name?

Before I could even scream for help, both of them jumped me. I tried to fight. I kicked and swung my fists, but these guys were strong. 

Way stronger than the regular werewolves. 

One of them pinned my arms while the other wrapped a thick rope around my wrists.

"Stop! Let me—mmph!"

They shoved a piece of cloth into my mouth, gagging me so I couldn't make a sound.

Were these the people raiding the pack? Or were they here to kill me too?

The last thing I saw was one of them pulling a heavy black bag out of his pocket. He shoved it over my head, and everything went pitch black.