Chapter 238 238: War drums...
Ramsey I barely heard what the warrior shouted.
I kept digging, not minding my bleeding fingers from the effort. All I kept muttering as I continued to dig around her was...
"Stay alive, Lyla... please, stay alive." Then...
A sound.
It was faint. So soft that, for a moment, I thought I had imagined it. But then it cagain—a weak, muffled sound.
A whimper.
Everything inwent still; my entire body locked up, and my breath caught in my throat. Lyla! I let out a raw, desperate growl, wondering why the first responders weren't here yet. "She's alive!" I shouted. "She's in there!" The warriors who had been hovering aroundwith uncertainty immediately sprang into action. Several of them rushed forward, helpingdig while others retrieved tools to remove the heavier rubble.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtThe other responders who were called first also joined in, and they began to dig carefully and quickly at the stime. Seconds felt like an eternity. Every moment that passed without her in my arms was unbearable. Finally, after what felt like forever, someone shouted, "I can see her legs!" A renewed surge of energy flooded me,e and I clawed at the remaining debris with desperation, and then... her hand becvisible enough forto hold.
"Lyla," I choked out.
And continued digging around her, following the direction of her hand. In a few minutes, I was done digging and had managed to expose her head and other parts of her body. With the help of the warriors, we carefully pulled her out from under the rubble.
She was limp. Her body was covered in dust,t and her breathing was shallow. A thick gash ran down the side of her temple, and her temple and her hair were matted with dried blood debris and sand. Her clothes were torn, and her body was bruised completely.
I gathered her into my arms, cradling her against my chest as if I could shield her from everything, forgetting about the way my eyes were still spinning. My hands were shaking as I brushed the dirt from her face.
"Lyla," I whispered, my voice breaking.
She didn't respond.
Lax howled with agony; my instincts were screaming atto do something. She was alive... but barely.
"Get the healers and the pack doctors!" Lenny shouted behind him, already motioning for them to cforward. I held Lyla tightly, rocking her gently, pressing my forehead against hers.
"You're okay," I whispered fiercely. "You're going to be okay." But as I felt her shallow breathing against my skin, fear gripped me. Would she? Would she truly be okay? And more importantly... Had Nathan done this? How? How was he able to sneak into the White Moon Pack with explosives dangerous enough to bring an entire building down? Our security was the best and the most reliable in the region, and I made sure of that. Then how on earth was he able to cso close to the heart of the pack to bomb us? I was raging inside, but I restrained myself, for now, I needed to focus on Lyla's survival, but one thing was certain. Nathan would pay... in blood.
I was going to ignore his tantrums and even consider allowing them to function as an independent body of the White Mountain Region but still have us do trades together,r etc., but by this action, Nathan had shownthat I had misplaced priorities. While I've been broking for peace, he has been looking for every means to tellthat I was a fool.
Message passed.
The wail of sirens filled the air as the ambulance sped toward the pack hospital. The scent of blood and burnt flesh lingered in the confined space, a grim reminder of how close Lyla was to death. I held her pale, motionless hand, my throat tight with emotion. Her pulse was weak, her breathing shallow, and despite the beeping monitors, all I could hear was the deafening silence of her slipping away.
I watched the paramedics work on Lyla's motionless form.
I had always feared losing her. The thought alone had been enough to shaketo my core. But now, seeing her like this-barely clinging to life—was something I never imagined I'd have to endure.
My fingers trembled as I brushed a strand of hair from her sweat-dampened forehead. "Stay with me, Lyla," I murmured, my voice raw with desperation. "I need you. I can't do this without you." Beside me, Lenny suddenly went rigid, his eyes suddenly darkened, a sign that someone was mind-linking him. His expression shifted from concern to sheer horror. I held my breath, watching as various emotions flickered across his face. When Lenny's eyes finally cleared, the grim expression he wore made my blood run cold.
"What is it?" I demanded, my grip on Lyla's hand tightening instinctively.
Lenny swallowed hard. "There were multiple explosions throughout the pack. The lower villages, the marketplace... casualties are rising by the minute." For a moment, all I could do was stare.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmThen, rage erupted insidelike a beast breaking free from its chains. My fist crashed against the side of the ambulance, leaving a deep dent in the metal.
"Nathan!" I roared, my entire body shaking with fury. "That bastard!" "What are your orders, Alpha?" My jaw tightened. "He's asking for war, and he's going to get it. Leave the ambulance. Go now and summon the Gammas and every training leader available. Tell them to meetat the pack hospital immediately." Without hesitation, Lenny shifted into his massive Lycan form, muscles rippling beneath silver-grey fur as he leapt from the moving vehicle. The ambulance doors slammed shut behind him, leavingalone with my unconscious mate and the paramedics.
I turned back to Lyla, stroking her cheek. I wished I could hold her, shield her from all of this. But I couldn't afford to be weak right now. Not when their enemies were tearing our homes apart.
When we finally reached the hospital, a team of medical staff was already waiting at the VIP entrance. They rushed forward with a stretcher, their movements precise and practised.
"Take her inside! Start treatment immediately!" I barked.
I watched as they wheeled Lyla away, Lax howling in protest at the separation.
I turned to one of the nurses. "I don't need special treatment. Just givesomething for my strength and to help fight this dizziness." One of the doctors who had stayed back hesitated. "Alpha, I think you need medical attention too." As he spoke, he cto stand in front of me. "If you're feeling dizzy, you may be suffering from a concussion."
I grabbed the man by the lapel of his coat, yanking him forward. "You expectto lie down while mym people are dying?" I snarled, pulling him closer until our faces were inches apart. "Do you know how many more explosions we've had just today alone?" The doctor paled. "N-No, of course not," he murmured. "I'll get you something for the dizziness and energy boosters right away."
Once the medication had been given toand I was forced to drink a bitter liquid for strength from then healer, pushed past the emergency ward door and made my way to the main entrance. Lyla and I had cin through the underground route that had direct access to emergency wards meant for justalone.
When I arrived at the entrance of the hospital, what I saw there made my blood boil. Dozens of wounded back zens members lay scattered across the ground, their groans of pain filling the air. Medical staff rushed about frantically, but there seemed to be no organization to their chaos. The acrid scent of burnt flesh and gunpowder filled the air. I grabbed a passing nurse. "Why aren't these people inside?" She fidgeted nervously. "The wards are full Alpha, and the doctors assigned to the lower ranks are overwhelmed. We can't..." "I don't understand," I cut her short. "What are you saying?" "The hospital is divided by rank," she hesitated before answering. "All the wards meant for Omegas and other lower-ranked wolves are already full,l and the doctors assigned to them are finished." My eyes narrowed. "What do you mean 'assigned'? Are you tellingwe have different medical staff for different ranks? This is a hospital, for Moon's sake. Every doctor should be treating whoever needs help." The nurse winces. "Each tier has its own set of doctors. The VIP wards are reserved for Alphas, Betas, sGammas and other high-ranking Lycans. The lower-ranked Lycans..." she trailed off as if she knew how unjust it sounded.
"Are you fucking kidding me? When people are dying? How long has this been going on?" "I don't know, Alpha. I met the system when I joined here. I heard it has always been this way." The absurdity of it was too much forto grasp. While my people lay dying, they were maintaining a caste system in healthcare. I was so angry, but I didn't want to take out my anger on the poor woman who was already shaking.
Instead, I remained calm and turned to her again. "Where's the hospital director?" Enhance your reading experience by removing ads for as low as $1! Remove Ads From $1 mmMwWLlilofiflo&1 mmMwWLlilofiflo&1 mmMwWLliI0fiflO&1 mmMwWLlilofiflo&1 mmMwWLliIofifl0&1 mmMwWLlilofiflo&1