Two Alphas for a Luna

Chapter 4

Exhausted, Crystal sank against the side of the jeep, while gratefully accepting the beer held out to her by Trinity. Taking a deep sip, she closed her eyes, trying to breathe through the cloud of smoke when the sounds of child’s coughs echoing to her even over the sounds of sirens had her coming alert yet again.

“s**t!” Jumping up, and dropping the bottle of beer, not even caring that it was splintering into small pieces of glass around her, she tried to zone into the sounds before she started running, leaving a flabbergasted Trinity behind.

Running by use of only her senses, she finally spotted the almost hidden house behind the rubble of the hotel, which must be why it had stayed unnoticed for so long. Flames had encircled the structure and it was plain to see that there was no hope of saving the building. But her senses told her there was a child in need in there and there was NO way that she would leave any child to burn to death!

Getting closer she could now also make out the soft sobs followed by the coughs. Whoever was in there was in desperate need of saving but for some reason, he or she was trying to hide the fact that they were in there. Crystal however did not wait to think it through. Giving herself over to her wolf senses, she used a running leap to carry her onto the only safe space on the roof of the small house.

“Get off of there, you imbecile! You’re not even fully clothed in protective gear! Are you crazy?!” A male’s voice had her whipping her head in the direction of the sound, but so lost was she in her wolf form that she could only growl in warning to him. Knowing that her fangs must be visible, hoping the darkness of the night sky would hide the flash of her eyes between their normal green and the turquoise that said her wolf was trying to force a shift.

A flash of lighting must however have illuminated some of the feral in her face because his eyes tightened slightly, but Crystal had no further time to grant him any of her attention. The building was crumbling fast and the child’s coughs had become more and more desperate.

Without granting him any further attention, she slithered towards where a broken window was visible, disregarding the flames. Her body would heal itself, she was after all an Alpha, she healed fast, but a human child would not!

Slipping inside, she closed her eyes, focusing her sense. Where is he, Blue? Can you locate him?

I’m trying Crystal! But the smoke makes it difficult to breath!

The words from her wolf, had Crystal dropping to the ground and crawling towards the door. Something must have alerted the child to their close proximity because the sudden silence was almost deafening, either that or the he/she had succumbed to the smoke. No! Don’t even THINK that Crystal! She silently berated herself, before continuing, trying her sense of smell to locate the kid, whoever it was.

The sound of the door of the house splintering followed by hurried footsteps, almost cause her to miss the suppressed coughing noise. Giving a prayer of thanks that she did caught it, she ran in a crouch towards the sound in the bathroom, all the while ignoring the licking flames.

The door to the bathroom however was closed and as she tried to touch the doorknob to open it, Crystal pulled back, suppressing a curse. It was boiling hot! No wonder the kid hadn’t tried to exit earlier!. The sound of movement in the front part of the house, alerted her that time was short and of the essence if the guy from earlier didn’t try to force her out before the rescue was complete. Gauging her position to the door and the amount of pressure it will need to open, Crystal took a few steps back before launching a running kick that had the door crumbling inward, eliciting a scream of pure terror from the child hidden within.

It was however all it took for the next moment said child launched itself forward from the flames to sprint pass Crystal at full speed, ducking underneath her outstretched arms to prevent capture. With a  “f**k this s**t!” she was off behind the child, who CLEARLY wasn’t as human as Crystal had first expected. Realizing this spurred Crystal to move faster. The child would be MUCH safer with her and the wolves than in human hands, even in a town where some was aware of there being supernaturals around.

Another scream of terror from the child and she could see the roof cracking overhead. Launching herself, she grabbed at the body before rolling herself in a protective curve around it as the roof gave way above them. For a moment, Crystal was left dazed at the impact of the house collapsing around them, when voices outside reached them.

“Why the hell would Tertius run inside that house?! His not that damn stupid!” A first voice that Crystal knew from her time at the fire station sounded up.

“He said something about a woman, Chief!” A second, somewhat lesser known voice sounded.

“What?! He’s running after a freaking WOMAN?! Hell, what was a thinking! It’s freaking suicide!”

“You know him, Chief, he’s always trying to be the hero.”

“Well, if he doesn’t make it out himself, he’s lost. I’ll try getting those Wolves on this, maybe their bodies would be better adapted to this heat than ours.” Footsteps sounded on the gravel.

“There’s no way ANYONE could have survived that!” A third voice.

“s**t, I’ll have to inform his sister.” The second voice sounded again.

“Can’t believe he did that to himself.” Again footsteps sounded.

“Are... Are you okay?” This time the voice sounded from against her chest and it was only then that Crystal looked down into the face of the child she had been trying to safe.

“s**t! You’re a were-cat?!” Shocked, Crystal tried to scramble away from the child, when a groan sounded again. Both heads immediately went to where the sound came from. The blazing fire was still around them, and Crystal knew she had to get them out, but somewhere in this burning building was a man who had, apparently, tried to risk his life to safe hers! Seeing as he did it for her foolhardy self, her conscience would never allow her to just leave him behind. “Stay here Okay?! I’ll be right back! I’ll get us all out safely!”

The child just nodded, curling her own little arms around her to thin legs, not saying anything else.

Moving quickly through the rubble, it didn’t take Crystal nearly as long to reach the man. He had been very close when the roof had given way. One look at him however informed her that he wouldn’t be able to get out without assistance. The sound of water starting to hit the house from the fire engines had her closing her eyes thankfully, knowing that help was on the way, but it will be too late for saving much of this house, just as they had been too late to save the hotel.

With a big breath she hauled him into her back, before moving to the child. “Look kid, I know you’re scared and all, but I’m going to need you to work with me on this. I won’t hurt you, you’ll be safe with me, saver anyway than with the humans. Now, please, come.”

The child nodded but froze when Vince’s voice sounded threw the sound of the flames. “Crystal! Are you in there?!”

“Over here Vince! Thank goodness you’re here, I could do with some help!”

“Stay where you are! Trent and I’m on our way!” It took the guys only seconds to reach her even in the fires and she was thankful to give them the body of the man, before bending to pick up the child who sat eyeing them all in fear and uncertainty.

“Let’s get them both to an ambulance, then we can all go home. This is the last burning building and the chief has it all under control.”

“No! They’ll be coming with us! Trinity and Vanessa can heal them, but they aren’t going anywhere!” Crystal’s voice was rough but sure in the cool night air as they stepped away from the building. She saw the curious looks of exchange between the guys but paid it no mind. Rather crawling exhausted into the jeep with the child on her lap, before falling asleep instantly, certain in knowing her orders WILL be followed.