hunting the desert sun. ******COMPLETED******

#20 Liam

I coukd feel the weightlessness of my body as I guided through the air. my lungs were no longer burning from the smoke that filled them. I opened my mouth and breathed in fresh air. I could feel the air inside me giving me new life. my eyes were still shut as I took in more air filling my linhs as full as I coukd with the fresh coolness. Life was coming back to me. I coukd hear a car pull up and footsteps pounding on the ground. darkness still engulfing me. someone was speaking to me but I couldn't understand the words. it was as if my soul was being drug back into my body snapping me back together. "Alpha! the hunter she is stuck in the building! we were only able to grab him before the fire blocked out way back in!"

"find a way to get her out of there!" my eyes sprung open as the realization slammed into my head. Cara was trapped. the hunter was in the burning building. she came to save me.

my voice was low and hoarse. the smoke had made it almost impossible to speak. it was as though it was still trying to choke the life out of me. a low whisper came to my lips. "Cara," I was screaming inside my head. I needed to get to her. she couldn't die.

Alpha Gray kneeled down to me. he was looking me over and assessing the damage. I coukd feel the sudden rush of pain in my body as everything slowly started coming back. I was in agonizing pain but I ignored it. the silver had burned my hands and my body was still healing as my wolf was slowly coming back to me. "Liam rest. we are going to find her."

"Benson." I whispered into his ear. I could barely get my voice to work.

He placed a hand on my shoulder. he was tryingn to reassure me but I was becoming agitated. "he got away. we tried catching him but he was gone. he is on the run now. his mate is dead. I'm sure he felt that and his kids are under gaurd at the pack house. I already had two warriors go back to warn everyone of Benson and get everyone to safety."

"he has more followers."

"there are more hunters heading to every pack to weed them out. they will be taken care of. none will survive." I closed my eyes at his words. it was over for now but with Benson still alive it wouldn't be long before there was another uprising. he had to be stopped at all costs. my bodyvwas too weak and my eyes closed involuntarily. I coukd hear them around me and I was trying not to drift off. I needed to know if she was OK. my princess had to be ok.

there was shouting and yelling as warriors tried to find an entrance that wasn't engulfed in flames. they erred all met with disappointment and I was growing impatient. I decided to reach out to her through our bond and prayed to the moon Goddess not to take her from me. Cara, my princess, tell me you're OK.

I was met with silence for quite some time as fear started to rise inside of me. then the sweetest voice filled my head and I embraced it like summer. Liam! you're alive! I'm on the second floor. I'm trying to find a window I can jump from. if I don't make it. I love you.

the words poured into my sould and my chest began to ache. she had to make it. I needed her with me. I couldn't make it without her. you aren't leaving me Cara!

silence filled my head. tears started falling out of my eyes. I pushed up and started walking around begging to see her. she wasn't a shifter so jumping that far coukd hurt her and I needed to know she was alive. it was chaos everywhere. alpha Gray and warriors desperately looking for ways in and running around the building trying to find her. I was looking up into every WI dow praying she would appear. after about five minutes I coukd feel the hopelessness fill me. I couldn't see her. she died because she wanted to save me. I felt lost as I roared into the night sky. She was gone. she saved me and scarificed herself. I could hear the glass popping from the heat. the shards falling from the windows.

I was on my knees when it happened. a loud explosion vibrated through me throwing me onto my back. The roof started caving in on itself and each floor started dropping like a pancake. I watched in horror as each section fell onto itself. the noise was deafening. there was a ringing in my ears and all I saw chaos erupting around me. I felt lost. my body was seeing what was happening but my heart couldn't process it. She was in there. when the building exploded she was in there. I sat there starring at the fully engulfed building as it continued to fall in on itself. my body was shaking, tears poured down my face. she was gone. my mate was gone. my heart was choking inside my chest. the breath left my lungs and my fists were clenched at my sides. Benson would die if it was the last thing I ever did. I went numb. no longer allowing myself to feel the despair and the hurt. it was now replaced with vengeance and anger. I rose to my feet still shake from everything that had happened. my vision became hyper focused as I turned my back to the building walking away from the pain of losing her. she was gone and I was going to kill for her. my mate. my love. my life. the only thing I was now focused on was finding and killing Benson. he was not going to get away with this. he would not win. I walked away from the city not turning back once. her last words playing in my mind. I love you. I couldn't save her. when she needed me the most I couldn't save her. I felt my body vibrating and my wolf was pushing forward. I didn't even try to stop him as he pushed me to the back of my mind. I let out a howl mourning her loss amd seeking out the only person who was responsible. His death would be the only thing to satisfy either of us. I was blinded to anything else around me. nothing else mattered. I could smell him. his scent was close like he had been watching it all unfold. I sniffed the air and followed his scent. there by his SUV he stood. he didn't move he was holdingnhis chest. I ran towards him anger lighting up my body. he was going to pay for killing her. I kept in the air tackling him to the ground. he didn't even fight back.

my wolf stopped. he was wounded badly and not fighting back. I pushed myself forward changing back to my human form. blood was dripping down my face. his blood. he looked at me his eyes staring off blankly. I was confused at his reaction. "they killed my mate. I can't feel her anymore. I can feel our bond is broken. it hurts."

I looked down at him. hate pouring from my eyes. He had the nerve to talk to me about his mate dying and feeling the bond break after he was the reason mine had died. "I don't give a f**k about your pain! you just killed my mate!"

his eyes showed pain and confusion. "you have a mate?" hos breathing was slowing down and ragged. I had wounded him badly.

"Cara was my mate and she died in that building! because of you she is dead!"

he smiled at me. he had a look of satisfaction on his face. It only made me angrier. he was happy that he killed her. this sick bastard was happy with what he had done. "imagine that." he started coughing up blood as he spoke. "the great Beta Liam fated to a hunter." his eyes closed and his body stilled. his chest stopped rising and falling. he was gone. He had the cowards way out. i stood up looking over his body. I was still filled with rage and started punching his lifeless body until I had nothing left inside of me. then I sank to my knees looking at my hands. everything was healed now. my wolf had gained enough strength to heal all my wounds but the one thing nothing could heal was how broken I was inside. tears poured down my face as I thought about everything that had been lost. I wasn't sure I could go on. I wasn't sure I wanted to go on without her.