Kill or Be Killed (#1 Eastern Werewolves Pack Series)

When she reached the third floor, bodies and blood were everywhere. Her vision was getting blurry but that didn’t stop her looking for Brody. He should be somewhere on the third floor because only this floor held the prisoners. All the cells were empty indicated the prisoners had escaped. Well, not all of the cells were empty. A few of the prisoners died—shot right in the head.

“B-Brody,” Zia called his name in pain as she applied pressure to her abdomen.

She was losing too much blood and might not be able to get out of the facility. She found one of the timed explosives and saw she only got less than two minutes to search for him and get the hell out of the place before it exploded. Then, she found him on the floor next to the dead hunter. Forcing herself to make her way to his body, Zia pushed the dead hunter and saw that Brody was no longer breathing and blood was flowing out of his body.

“N-No,” she shook her head, “Brody, wake up, please.”

She checked for the sound of his heart or the pulse on his neck, there was nothing. Brody was gone. Just like that, she lost everyone she ever loved in her life. First, Samuel. Then, Clay. And now, it was Brody. She couldn’t bear it anymore knowing she had lost all of three of them to this cruel lives they were living for ages.

Her cries muffled against his chest, hoping it would jolt him back to life. But it didn’t. With a shaky movement, she gave him the last kiss.

Making his way into the first basement parking carefully, there were dozens of dead bodies, laying on the floor in the pool of their own blood. Jaxon didn’t come across any survivor as he checked around, looking for any sign of Zia. He knew the gunshots were close by but he didn’t know the exact direction of where it came from. Jaxon heard footsteps came from the emergency staircases and the red door was pushed open. Zia stepped out, limping with her hand pressed against her abdomen. His legs refused to coordinate with the instruction from his brain as he remained rooted on the floor, watching the woman he had rejected a day ago. Her eyes were flooded with tears and it wasn’t the kind of tears of physical pain but the tears of losing everything she had ever loved.

The moment she pointed the gun to him, he remembered about the night where she did the same to him for the first time. Their eye-contact never broke as her hand held the gun firmly but shakily. She could have taken the shot at him on that night but she didn’t. Would she do the same for now? Or would she pull the trigger?

“Did you come to see whether I’m alive or dead?” her voice came out harsh.

Not a while ago, her voice sounded broken and afraid when they were talking over the phone. Now, her voice was replaced by another voice that he failed to recognize. She was hurt and he understood that. He shouldn’t have given her up to Joshua but her father was going to hurt Jain if he didn’t get Zia back. Jaxon’s parents would never forgive him if he gave up his sister instead.

“You needed a medical help, Zia,” Jaxon said carefully, reading her movement.

She was very hurt. The pain was contorted on her face as she took a step forward. Blood was gushing out of the wound on her abdomen but that didn’t stop her from taking another step.

“The only help I needed was from you but you didn’t come!” She was angry at him for not coming earlier. “I’ve lost everyone—Samuel, Clay, and Brody.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for this to happen.” Jaxon muttered, taking a step to her but halted when she clicked the gun.

The emergency door swung opened, Joshua stumbled in with a gun in his hand. The Alpha shouted in terror as Zia turned around and gunned down her father once more before his bullet hit her shoulder. Zia shot him in the head to ensure he was never going to come back up again before she met Jaxon who was running to her.

“Stop!” Zia shouted, pointing the gun again to him.

She didn’t want him to come any closer. This facility was going to blow up and she didn’t want him to be one of the collateral damages here. Enough with the sacrifices made by Clay and Brody. She didn’t need another one, especially Jaxon. He still had people waited for him to come home whilst she had nobody else. Everyone she ever knew and loved had died in this facility—the same facility that her family helped to operate. In the end, their own making was the reason for their downfall.

“Zia, damn it, let me help you,” Jaxon was growing impatient.

“You have thirty seconds to leave this place before the bombs explode,” she told him.“You’ve said yours,” she lowered her gun.

Jaxon had said his rejection and she hadn’t accepted it yet. She wanted him to move on and be happy with someone who could truly be his mate—someone who wouldn’t point the guns to him or his family. Zia couldn’t be that person. Once a killer would always be a killer. It was a lifetime title.

Let him be safe in whatever he was doing in his life. Let him fell in love again with someone who could cherish him for who and what he was.

“I, Zia Ashton, accept your rejection, Jaxon Creighton,” she finally said it.

Jaxon dropped to his knees as if someone kicked the back of his knees. His hand was rested against his chest and she knew he was feeling the pain she was feeling after she accepted the rejection. Zia remained strong on her spot.

“In the world where supernatural coexisted with the mankind, there is only one rule apply,” Zia recited the motto of her family. “Kill or Be Killed.”

“Z-Z-Zia,” Jaxon groaned with the pain consumed him.

“And I chose to be killed.” Without hesitation, she pointed the gun to her head and the trigger was pulled.