The Axelridge Series Book 3 Marc's Stolen Heart

SOPHIE

“MARCUS!!”

I cover my face with my hands and cry for a solid minute. I’m on my back with a bunch of stuff on me and I’m trying to register what’s happened.

I calm down a bit and look around.

I can’t see anything. Smoke and electric sparks fill the void of the collapse. My heart pounds with the bonds in my chest.

I need to get up. I don’t feel hurt, just scared half to death, along with the hundreds of other people here in the dark.

What was supposed to be beautiful was now in shambles. Why? Why do this to us?

I wipe my face and assess my situation. I rip off a chair and strain as I try and slide a table off me.

Managing to wiggle out, I look myself over. Just a few minor scrapes. I’ll heal.

I slowly rise to my feet and look up at the moon as it quietly floats across the sky. Its blue light fades a little bit as it moves off its peak. This will certainly be a night I won’t forget ever.

I drop my eyes to the destroyed stadium and suck in a hurt filled breath. It looks like a bomb went off.

“DIA!!”

I stand and wipe dust and dirt from my face.

People are wandering around the rubble yelling out for their loved ones to answer. Sirens blare from outside.

I hold the back of my hand to my nose as I try to climb over pieces of the roof. “JAX!!!” I sob. “Somebody.” I hitch.

They can’t leave me alone. Not again.

I climb over chunks of concrete and metal frames. “Please.”

I close my eyes and try to drown out all the pain surrounding me. Where are you?

I picture my bond as if it was a lighted guide. Snapping in a direction, I follow it through the rubble.

“Come on, beautiful. Show me where you are.” I whisper.

I shove a table out of the way as the bond gets stronger.

“Dia.” I move some spotlights and rubble that I can move. I dig furiously and then see a hand through a hole in the pile.

“DIA!!” I cry as I call all my strength to unbury my love.

I see her body and drop to the floor to look under a bunch of wood.

She’s facing me and her eyes are closed. I try to reach her, but my fingers barely touch her. “Dia.” I choke. “Dia wake up. Please.” I beg.

The bond snaps wildly as I reach my fingers to her.

“Soph…” She groans.

“YES!” I laugh as tears flow. “I’m here, babe…I’m gonna get you out.”

“I can’t…” She tries to move.

“I know.” I sniff. “I gotta move this stuff. Please, hang on.” I reach out to her. “I love you.”

“I love you.” She mumbles as her eyes close.

“Dia?” I tap the floor. “Dia!”

I pull my arm back and stand up. I wipe my nose with the back of my arm as I look around. I grab a pole and wedge in under the wood and stone. Placing my shoulder under it, I shove up. The weight of it is too much. I clench my teeth as I push. “Come on!!” I sob.

“I got it. Move.”

“Jax!” I smile as he takes the pole.

He gets under the pole and pushes hard. He lets out a loud growl and his body shakes as the debris lifts. “Get her!” He grinds.

I drop to my stomach and slide under. Grabbing her arm, I pull her across the floor. She screams as I do and my heart smashes.

“I’m sorry.” I wince.

“SOPH! HURRY UP!” Jax struggles.

I frantically grab her other arm and pull her body out and Jax lets go. The rubble crashes and dirt flies into the air.

“Dia! Thank God.” I pull her to my chest as she tries to hang on to consciousness. Her head is gashed and she has a piece of the stadium in her thigh.

She cries as I assess it. “Shhh.” I hold her head to my heart.

“I’m sorry.” She whispers.

“Don’t.” I kiss her forehead and hug her.

“Marc…”

“I’ll find him. Don’t worry.” I look up at my brother. “Jax.”

He drops to his knees and looks at Dias leg. “Hold her still.” He takes off his jacket and rips the sleeves off his dress shirt.

I hold her close and he readies himself. He grabs the piece and Dias leg. He yanks the piece out and Dia screams in my arms which makes me cry more. I hug her head tight as Jax ties the sleeves together and wraps them around her leg to try and stop the bleeding.

“HELP!!”

“MARCUS!!” My head whips in the direction of his call out.

“I got him. You wave the medics down.” Jax stands and jumps over the rubble to save my mate.

I sniff and look at Claudia as she passes out in my arms. I wipe the dirt, tears and sweat from her brow. “Hang on, beautiful. Just a little longer.” I whisper through stuttering breaths. I place my lips on her forehead. “I can’t wait to mark you. I want your mark so bad. You have to stay with me forever, ok. You can’t leave me alone. I won’t let you. You have to stay with me, you hear me? You have to fight. Just like I taught you.”

I rock her in my arms as medics and other emergency units pour into the building.

“Just like I taught you.” I close my eyes as more tears fall. The bond beats steady and strong. My silent prayers rise to heaven as a trio of medics drop to the floor on the other side of me and start to assess Dias wounds.

Fear tries to invade and all I concentrate on is the bond. It calms me and gives me the courage to be strong for her.

The medics take her from my arms and put her on a stretcher. Two take her out and one looks me over asking if I’m alright. His voice echoes in my head as I slowly nod yes.

But I’m not alright. Both my loves are in danger and I can barely keep it together.

“OVER HERE!”

I look and see Jax standing on a roof piece, waving an arm.

“Marcus.” I say as I rush to my feet. I kick off my broken shoes and climb over the rocks and steel to where he is. The medic is right behind me.

Other people are digging out survivors and the crushing wails of loved ones prove some didn’t make it. My heart breaks for every one of them.

“FINN!” Jax yells as I get to him and see Marcus on his back.

“MARC!” I slide down a block and land at his chest. He’s pinned under a huge chunk of roof.

Finn rushes over and jumps over the debris.

“Give me a hand.” Jax scowls.

“Marc? Baby…I’m here.”

“Hey…Soph…” He smiles.

“We're gonna free you, alright.” I kiss his lips.

“My…hero.” He gives me a tired grin.

I laugh. “Always.” I whisper.

Finn and Jax take off their shirts and position themselves at the rock. “K. Soph. Just like before. As soon as it’s up, pull him out.”

They stretch and prepare themselves to bear the weight.

“On three.” Finn instructs.

Jax nods.

“THREE!” Finn growls and the two men push with everything they have.

“THAT’S IT! A LITTLE MORE, JAX! YES, FINN!”

I watch the rock rise and Marcus screams.

“Almost there, babe. Almost there.” I get under his shoulders and prepare to pull him free.

Jax and Finn both have strained faces. Sweat pours off them as they both growl and their muscles shake. Inch by agonizing inch the concrete rises.

“A LITTLE MORE!”

When I saw Marcus’ legs, I pulled with all the strength I had left.

He hollers out in pain and I pull even faster to get him free quickly.

“CLEAR!”

Finn and Jax drop the rock and it lands with a heavy thud on the floor.

I hold Marc’s head and cry as he hugs me back.

“I love you so much.” I mumble as I hug him harder.

“You…Dia?” He breathes.

“We're OK. We're all OK.” I sniff and kiss his lips.

“His legs are broken in several places. We need to get him out and on a table before they start to heal.” Jax informs as he stands up and waves a medic down.

They rush to us and one calls for a stretcher.

I stand with my arms wrapped around myself as I watch them load Marcus up and carry him away.

Jax comes over and hugs me. I cry hard on his chest.

“They’re fine. They’ll be good as gold. You did good, kid.” He whispers as he wraps me in my arms tighter.

“I was so scared that I was alone again.” I sob.

“No, kid. Never. You’re never alone now.” Jax says as he looks into my eyes. “I won’t let it happen and Marc won’t either. He and Claudia are fighters. Trust me. We all love you too much to leave you.”

I smile and throw my arms around his neck.

The thought of reliving my experience 20 years ago, terrified me. We aren’t out of the woods yet, but I know this isn’t the same. I feel the love and the bonds. I will fill them with everything inside me to let my mates know that they can’t give up. I won’t let them give up.

Marcus promised me forever and I will make damn sure that happens.

I push off Jax. “Audrey? April? Ben?” I ask.

“I just linked April.” Finn starts. “Everyone is outside and safe.”

“Thank God.” I breathe.

“Come on. Let’s get you checked out.” Jax says as he leads me through the debris.

We walk out and my brows stitch up. Towers broken. Roads cracked and raised. People hurt and bleeding. Cars over turned and in sinkholes. It looks apocalyptic.

“What happened?” I say in disbelief.

“We need help.” Jax says to Finn.

He pulls out his phone and tries it. He opens the hubs network. “The whole system is damaged. There’s no service. From what I can tell, all the bridges are out. We’re cut off. We're on our own.” He pockets his phone again.

I look at him with concern. “We can’t leave the island?”

“Not right now and we can’t get an S.O.S out until communications is back up.” Finn scrubs his face and hair.

“There’s going to be a lot of terrified people.” I mumble.

“Ok. I need to get to the hub and see if I can’t patch it.” Jax says.

“I need to get to the hospital.” I say.

“Ok. Be careful.” Jax kisses my forehead.

“I will.” I say as I start to walk backwards. I turn and break into a run. The hospital is near the parkway. It’s a long run, but I don’t care. As long as I have hope, I’ll run to the ends of the earth if I have to.

It was hard navigating the broken streets and buildings. Houses were demolished and the bridge that I could see was in the lake. It’s going to take so long to clean this and recover. We're going to need all the help we can get. I pray we can get a message out or someone on the mainland sees us.