Chapter Seventy-Nine
Ipush against Joel's chest quickly but once I hear the most ferocious growl I've ever heard, I know it's too late.
Axe storms in and rips Joel off me. I step back with a shriek as Axe forces Joel to the ground. Axe continues to hit him, his fist hitting Joel's face so hard I hear a crack. When the blood starts, I run out of the room.
“Levi,” I scream for help, but I have a feeling Joel will die today.
I hear rushing footsteps, then Levi and Jayceon both run past me into the room with a few guards behind them.
I stand outside of the room and I hear a ruckus inside.
I don't know what just happened. Why did Joel kiss me?
I had accepted his rejection. Maybe he did it to piss off Axe, but he had to have known Axe would kill him.
Yelling, groaning and things crashing are the sounds that come from the room.
A doctor comes rushing down the hall and goes into the room too.
When it quietens down, I fear what has happened.
Levi steps out of the room, a cut on his head, which is trickling blood. A guard comes out, groaning like crazy. I cover my mouth when I can visibly see his arm is broken, the bone pushing against the skin.
“Levi?” I ask.
“Axe is sedated,” he tells me.
I shakily step into the room and see Axe on the ground but there's not a mark on him. The two other guards have a few scrapes on them. I'm almost sick when I see Joel. He's on the floor, unconscious, his face completely covered in blood. I can't even see the skin of his face.
“Guys, help the doc to put Joel in a bed then go get yourselves fixed up. Someone, get Dash here now,” Jayceon instructs. Everyone does what he says. When his eyes catch mine, I gulp. Jayceon looks pissed off, his eyes wild, his shirt torn. “Congratulations, you just saw the unhinged alpha.”
“I didn't mean for this to happen,” I whisper.
“You're supposed to be his redemption. If he keeps losing control, the pack will overthrow him,” Jayceon states aggressively.
“Piss off, Jayceon.” Dash walks in. “I'll take care of this.”
Jayceon walks out while the doctor tends to Joel. Dash looks around at the destruction and lets out a breath.
“Guards, drag Axe and put him in another room,” Dash says, then takes my hand and leads me out of the room into the hallway. He wipes his thumbs under my eyes. “Are you okay?”
“Y-Yeah.”
“What happened?”
“Axe brought me to accept Joel's rejection but Joel kissed me.”
“Joel's got a death wish.” Dash runs his hand through his hair. “Look, go to my house. Ryleigh is with Cash.”
“Shouldn't I be here when Axe wakes up?” I ask.
“I don't think so. Go, Elora,” Dash says gently. I turn and walk down the hallway. “Wait.”
“Yeah?” I turn around.
“Has Axe ever hurt you?” Dash looks pained to ask this.
“No,” I gasp. “He would never hurt me.”
“Yes he would and I need to make sure that doesn't happen.” Dash shakes his head with a sigh and walks the other way.
He wouldn't hurt me, I know he wouldn't.
When I step out of the prison into the daylight, it's a little easier to breathe. I walk to Dash's house but I don't even remember walking there with the turmoil my mind is in. Ryleigh is holding Cash when I walk in.
“Is everything okay?” she asks, concerned.
“I don't know,” I murmur.
“What happened? Dash got a mind link and was gone immediately.”
“Axe lost it. Would it be too much for me to ask you let Cash stay here tonight? I don't know how Axe will react when he wakes up.”
“No, that's okay. Do you want to bring some baby stuff here?”
“Okay.”
I go next door to pack a bag for Cash and then drop it off to Ryleigh. I mind link Dash.
'Has he woken up yet?'
'No.'
I decide to walk around the pack, to get some air, to clear my head. What will Axe do when he wakes up? Is Joel dead? I really have to put a stop to the violence now that we have Cash. I will never let Cash grow up and witness that side of Axe. I see Jayceon walking in the distance.
“Jayceon,” I call.
“What?” He frowns.
“Can I ask you something?” I stop in front of him.
“You will anyway.”
“Did Axe ever hit Alina?” I whisper. Jayceon's eyes go wide, beyond wide.
“No, Axe worshipped that girl. Who told you that?”
“Dash asked me if Axe has ever hurt me. He seems to think he would,” I tell him.
“Dash means when Axe blacks out, he'll destroy anyone, including you. When he gets angry, it's like he goes blind. He doesn't know who's around him.”
“Do you have any advice on what I should do when he wakes up?”
“I don't know. But the Joel situation is taken care of.”
“What do you mean?”
“Dash is going to tell Axe that's Joel’s dead.
He's not. But Levi and I dragged Joel out of the territory, way beyond the boundary.
He most likely will die out there in his state.
But maybe now Axe will be secure with you.
Don't ever mention to him that Joel may be alive. Levi and I propped some dirt up in the cemetery to make it look like someone was buried so Axe would believe it.”
Wow. Joel still went free. But given how bloody he was, maybe only his spirit was set free.
“Why didn't you actually kill him and bury him?” I question. Wouldn't that have been easier?
“Because we're not killers,” Jayceon says aggressively. “We might be soldiers but not every one of us has killed. Only a few of the soldiers have killed a rogue before.”
“Ohh.” I look down, just completely disoriented by everything.
“Joel is as good as dead out there anyway.”