Alphas War

Chapter 5

We had to wait for over an hour for Chris to disappear to take a shower before finally opening the package. Obviously, Zach wouldn't let me open it myself and when he did, he found a box filled with a selection of body parts.

I was grateful that the house was soundproof because the scream that ripped from my throat would've alerted the whole pack of my horror.

Teeth, fingers and toes scattered around the bottom of the box, rattling as Zach lifted it up. He carried it off out the back door and I watched silently as he set it alight.

He stormed back in, a scowl sprawled across his face and dropped into the seat beside me. "Are you okay?" I asked him, reaching over and clasping his hand.

"Are you?" He snapped back, taking my hand in his and cradling it in both of his.

"I'm fine," I promised him. "I should probably call Tyler, try to calm down okay." I pecked him on the lips before heading towards the office.

The rest of the day was spent making phone calls to Tyler or my father. He was furious that he had to stay away until we knew we could trust Chris, not just because he wanted to keep an eye on me but also because he cared for Chris like a son once and he didn't admit it but it was clear he wanted to see him again.

He contacted Tyler and together with Aiden's help they bumped up security in the pack and increased border control, not allowing packages and parcels onto the territory without being checked.

I hated that we were transforming our packs territory into a sort of prison but it was necessary to protect the people I loved. By the end of the day, I was exhausted and jumpy and in desperate need to be held by my fiancé while I slept.

When I woke up the next morning, the sun was blazing through the window, illuminating the room. The gentle rays landed on the bed and I rolled onto my side to see Zach still peacefully sleeping.

I studied him with tired eyes for a while, taking in his relaxed face. His lips were curved upwards slightly in a small smile and our hands were linked between our bodies.

Once I could open my eyes without squinting, I turned onto my back and started to sit up, letting out a high pitched scream when I saw Rick leaning casually against my wardrobe with a smirk on his face.

"Morning." He nodded while Zach stirred beside me and then jolted up suddenly, eyes never leaving Rick.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Zach growled and Ricks smirk widened. My fiancé scooted closer to me, keeping his hand wrapped protectively around mine and Rick straightened.

"You know exactly why, come along Ella." He turned back to me with a gleam in his eyes and I could feel myself shaking.

"No." My voice was too soft, much too soft.

Rick sighed. "Don't make me drag you," he threatened and Zach snarled, moving out of the bed and in front of me.

"You won't go near her," he told him, clenching his fists and jaw tightly.

"Won't I?" Rick raised an eyebrow and grinned maliciously before swiping his sharp, elongated claws across Zach's throat in one swift move.

I screamed hysterically as Zach fell to the floor while his deep red blood pooled out of his throat. Tears streamed down my face as I collapsed beside him, clasping his hand in mine.

"No, no, Zach no," I sobbed, watching as the life drained from him until he was just a limp corpse. "No!" I screamed, snarling at Rick while also sniffling.

He couldn't be dead. He just couldn't.

Rick leapt forward and grabbed me, hauling me away from Zach's lifeless body while I kicked and screamed.

"Ella?" I heard Zach's deep voice in my head and I cried harder. He sounded so far away, as though he was already in heaven. "Ella?"

Ricks hand grabbed my shoulder and shook me gently while I struggled to fight out of his grip, sweating and shaking and crying uncontrollably. "No, he's dead," I sobbed as we left my bedroom and stepped into complete darkness.

"Ella, shhh it's ok," Zach whispered in my head but he was wrong. It wasn't ok because he was dead. He died right in front of me, because of me.

"No," I whimpered, fighting against Rick in the darkness until finally I could see again and Zach's concerned face hovered over me.

I was still fighting against what was actually the bed sheets while tears streamed from my puffy, sore eyes. "Baby, it was just a dream," Zach assured me and I reached for him desperately.

"Y-you were - you were dead," I told him, burying my sopping wet face in the crook of his neck, shaking violently in his arms.

"I'm ok, everything is ok," he promised, rubbing my arms gently while I cried until sickness rose in my throat.

I pulled away from him and jumped from the bed. "I'm going to be sick," I mumbled, rushing to the bathroom before chucking up all the food I had eaten that day.

After several rounds of heaving over the toilet bowl, my throat was burning from the bile that dribbled from my lips.

"Shhh," Zach cooed, holding my hair in one hand and wrapping the other around me, running his fingers down the length of my spine.

My tears dripped into the toilet bowl, mixing with my vomit. I scrunched my face up at the vile smell and my eyes were a blur as I felt my body lift off the floor.

Zach's strong arms steadied me while he flushed the sick out of the toilet and then gently lowered me onto the lid. I slumped backwards and watched him dampen a towel before pressing it to my sweat drenched forehead.

Despite the layer of perspiration that coated my skin, I was shaking and shivering like mad. My teeth chattered in my mouth and goosebumps littered my damp skin.

"You're ok baby. It was just a bad dream," he told me, swiping the hair that clung to my sweaty skin away from my face. "Just breathe ok?"

He rewetted the towel and started to wipe at a clump of hair that stuck together from a small amount of sick that had splashed into it. "You can have a proper shower in the morning," Zach whispered.

Once he had cleaned me up, he pulled off my favourite of his shirts to sleep in and threw it into the sink since it was damp with sweat and stained with sick.

"I'll be back in a second." He kissed my forehead and disappeared, returning a minute later with another fresh one of his shirts.

I lifted my arms and he slid it on before lifting me and carrying me back to the bedroom. He quickly stripped the sheet off and swapped it for a fresh one and turned the pillow and duvet cover over. "That will do for now," he mumbled to himself before helping me under the covers.

"I'm sorry," I whispered as I curled up in his arms, making sure that every inch of my skin was touching his.

"For what?"

I looked up to see his mouth curved into a small frown. "For waking you up, for being gross and sick and a pain."

He shook his head. "Stop it, I'm always here for you," he said, tucking me further into his hold. He kissed the top of my head and got comfortable, pulling the covers up to my chin.

"I love you," I murmured.

"I love you too baby. You're safe here, I promise, so get some sleep," he ordered softly and I nodded, sinking into his warmth and drifting into a deep sleep.

When I actually did wake up, the birds were tweeting happily outside and Zach was staring down at me with love flooding his eyes. "Hey." He smiled. "How do you feel?"

I smiled back. "Better," I told him, "thanks."

"Good, it was just a nightmare," he reminded me and I nodded, mindlessly reaching out to run my hand across his face.

"Nightmare or not, I'm so scared of losing you," I whispered, nestling my face in his neck.

"You won't lose me," he assured me, holding me close so his scent totally engulfed me. "I promise, I'm not going anywhere."