Dark Woods

Chapter 9

"GABRIEL! Thank God—come quick. It's Lucas, he's lost control!" Jamie shows up, his usual calm completely shattered, tension radiating from his whole body.

"Damn it, what now?" I'm already moving, my protective instincts kicking in. Jasmine stays close behind me as we rush toward whatever s**t's going down. Her hand brushes against my arm as we move, and even in this chaos, the contact sends electricity through me.

The scene we find is pure chaos. Lucas, wild-eyed and snarling like a f*****g animal, is being pulled off Jacob's unconscious body. Blood covers Jacob's face, his features barely recognizable through all the swelling and cuts. Max is struggling to hold Lucas back, but the enraged alpha is stronger in his fury, lunging repeatedly toward Jacob's motionless form like he wants to finish the job.

What the hell happened here? The metallic scent of blood fills the air, and I can hear people screaming and crying in the background. This isn't just some typical party fight—this is something much worse.

I grab Lucas by the shoulder, using my alpha authority to try to break through the rage. "Luke, what's wrong? You need to calm the f**k down NOW!"

"I'll kill him! I'LL f*****g KILL HIM!" Lucas roars, his alpha power radiating dangerously as his eyes stay completely black with uncontrolled fury, spit flying from his lips. I've never seen him like this—Lucas is usually the calm, collected one among us. Whatever happened, it was bad enough to snap his control completely.

"Jamie, Nick—get him outta here NOW!" I command, my voice cutting through the noise. People are starting to stare, pulling out their phones. The last thing we need is this s**t going viral.

"Oh my God, SARAH!" Jasmine's scream pierces through everything as she spots her friend and rushes toward her.

My blood turns to f*****g ice as I see what caused Lucas's rampage. Sarah's barely recognizable—beaten, bruised, her clothes torn and blood-stained. Her platinum blonde hair is matted with blood, and one of her eyes is swollen completely shut. She collapses into Jasmine's arms, letting out this heart-wrenching sob that makes my chest tighten with protective rage.

Someone hurt what's mine. Someone made Jasmine cry. The thought hits me hard, and I have to fight the urge to join Lucas in beating Jacob to death. Seeing Jasmine's tears, the way her whole body is shaking as she holds her best friend—it awakens something primal in me that I don't fully understand.

"I told him no," Sarah whimpers, her voice barely audible through her tears. "But he didn't stop, Jasmine. He wouldn't stop. Then he started hitting me when I tried to fight back."

The words hit me like a sledgehammer. r**e. That's what this is about. That piece of s**t tried to r**e Sarah, and Lucas caught him in the act. No wonder he lost control—I would've done the same f*****g thing.

Rage unlike anything I've ever felt courses through my veins, white-hot and consuming. My gaze snaps to Jacob's unconscious form, surrounded by his concerned friends who have no f*****g idea what their buddy just did. They're actually trying to help him, checking his pulse, talking about calling an ambulance.

I'm gonna tear that piece of s**t apart.

"Get him outta here," I say, my voice deadly quiet with barely contained fury. "I'll deal with him later."

And I will. That's a f*****g promise. Nobody—and I mean nobody—gets away with hurting someone under my protection. And somehow, even though I barely know Sarah, she feels like she's under my protection because she's Jasmine's friend.

"Jasmine, we need to take Sarah to the pack hospital," I continue, my tone getting gentler when I speak to her. I can see she's barely holding it together, and the last thing I want is for her to break down completely.

Jasmine nods, but I can see her trembling—not with fear, but with pure fury. Her blue eyes are blazing with anger, and if looks could kill, Jacob would already be six feet under. That's my girl. Fierce as hell. Even in her pain, she's ready to fight for her friend.

We make our way toward the cars where Keaton, Max, and Jamie are still struggling to keep Lucas under control. He's pacing like a caged animal, his fists clenched so tight his knuckles are white. Blood—Jacob's blood—stains his clothes and hands.

"Let me go!" Lucas snarls. "I'm not done with him!"

"Luke, man, you need to think about this," Max says, his voice strained from the effort of holding him back. "You could kill him."

"Good!" Lucas snaps back. "He deserves to f*****g die!"

The moment Lucas catches sight of Sarah, something shifts in him completely. The wild rage disappears, replaced by heartbreaking tenderness as he approaches slowly, gently taking her from Jasmine's arms and wrapping his jacket around her trembling shoulders.

Holy s**t. The transformation is incredible. One second he's a raging beast ready to commit murder, and the next he's handling Sarah like she's made of spun glass. I've never seen anything like it.

"It's okay," he whispers, his voice broken as he holds her like she might shatter. "I've got you now. He won't hurt you anymore."

Sarah melts into his embrace, her sobs muffled against his chest. "Lucas," she whispers, and I can hear the relief in her voice. She feels safe with him—safer than she's felt all night.

Jasmine starts to speak, but I take her hand, shaking my head slightly. Not now. Let them have this moment. Her skin is soft against mine, and even in this f****d up situation, touching her sends warmth through my entire body.

"Luke, we need to get her checked out," I say softly, placing a protective hand on Sarah's head. Her hair is sticky with blood, and I can see more bruises forming on her neck where that bastard must have choked her.

Lucas nods, visibly fighting for control as he struggles to push down the rage still simmering beneath the surface. "Yeah. Yeah, you're right."

"We'll meet you there." I lead Jasmine toward my car, opening her door before sliding behind the wheel. When I look at her, tears are streaming down her face—confusion, devastation, and fury warring in her expression.

She looks so small, so vulnerable, and it makes me want to wrap her in my arms and never let anything hurt her. But I also see the fire in her eyes, the strength that makes her who she is.

I reach over and take her hand, placing it on my thigh in a grounding gesture. The contact sends electricity through me even in this f****d up moment. "Hey, it's okay. Don't cry. I promise he won't get away with this."

I'll make sure of it. No one hurts what's mine and lives to tell about it.

Her hand is small and warm on my leg, and I can feel her trembling. "I should've stayed with her," she whispers. "I should've known something was wrong when she went to get a drink."

"This isn't your fault," I say firmly, squeezing her hand. "You couldn't have known. Jacob's the only one to blame here."

The drive to the pack hospital is tense, Lucas's car following closely behind us through the night. I keep glancing at Jasmine, watching the way she wipes her tears with the back of her free hand while keeping the other one on my thigh. She's trying to be strong, but I can see how much this is tearing her apart.

"She's been my best friend since we were kids," Jasmine says quietly. "I've never seen her like this. She's always so confident, so full of life. That bastard tried to break her."

"He didn't break her," I say with conviction. "She's stronger than that. And she's got you, and Lucas, and all of us to help her through this."

At the hospital, Lucas cradles Sarah like she might shatter at any moment, his jaw tight with barely contained emotion as he carries her inside. The night security guard takes one look at our group—blood-stained clothes, grim expressions, Sarah's obvious injuries—and immediately calls for medical staff.

"Alpha Gabriel, we got your message. This way, please," the pack nurse says, leading us down a sterile hallway. The fluorescent lights are harsh, making Sarah's injuries look even worse.

In the examination room, I watch Lucas's composure crack further as he takes in Sarah's battered appearance under the harsh hospital lights. Her eyes are swollen shut, her face a canvas of bruises, and her clothes still stained with blood. There are fingerprint bruises around her throat, and I can see scratches on her arms where she must have fought back.

Fuck. If I ever get my hands on Jacob...

The doctor, an older woman with kind eyes, enters the room and immediately takes charge. "I need to examine her privately," she says gently. "Family can stay, but everyone else needs to wait outside."

"Luke, we need to talk. Outside." I can see he doesn't want to leave, but we need to figure out what the hell happened and what we're gonna do about it.

Lucas hesitates, his protective instincts making him reluctant to leave Sarah's side even for a second. His whole body is coiled with tension, ready to spring into action if anyone so much as looks at her wrong.

"I won't leave her, I promise," Jasmine says softly, pulling Sarah into a protective embrace and meeting Lucas's eyes with understanding. "She needs medical attention, and you need to calm down before you shift and tear this place apart."

Lucas leans down, pressing a gentle kiss to Sarah's forehead with infinite tenderness. "I'll be right outside, okay? Just through that door. If you need me, just call my name and I'll be here in two seconds."

"Don't go far," Sarah whispers, her voice barely audible.

"Never," he promises.

In the hallway, Keaton, Jamie, and Max wait with grim expressions. The fluorescent lights buzz overhead, casting everything in a sickly yellow glow. A few other pack members have shown up—word travels fast in our community.

"What happened, Luke?" Keaton asks, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I was walking to my car when I heard screaming." Lucas's jaw clenches, and I can see him fighting to keep control. "I followed the sound and... lost it. If I hadn't been there, he would've—" His hands form fists, his whole body shaking with barely suppressed rage.

"I'll kill him next time I see him!"

"Luke, calm down. Let me handle this," I say firmly. "Tell me exactly what you saw." I need details if I'm gonna make sure Jacob pays for what he did.

"Yeah, man, you need to get control," Keaton adds, steadying Lucas with a hand on his shoulder. "You're starting to shift, and that's not gonna help anyone right now."

Lucas takes a shuddering breath, running his blood-stained hands through his hair. "He was on top of her, hand around her throat. That bastard was trying to r**e her. When I saw him hit her..." Lucas's voice turns guttural, more animal than human. "I would've torn his throat out if Max hadn't stopped me."

I should've let him finish the job.

"No one touches my girl like that." Lucas's eyes are glowing blue now, his wolf pushing at the surface.

"Luke," Max says carefully, exchanging glances with the rest of us, "what is this girl to you?"

"She's my mate," Lucas says simply, staring at his bloodied knuckles like he's seeing them for the first time.

Everyone goes dead silent. You could hear a pin drop in that hallway.

"What? How's that possible? You're not eighteen yet," Keaton finally manages, voicing what we're all thinking.

"My wolf told me to find my mate. Next thing I knew, I was beating Jacob senseless." Lucas shrugs like it's obvious, like having your wolf manifest early is no big deal.

Holy s**t. His wolf came early because of the mate bond.

"You're absolutely sure?" Max presses, because this is huge. If Lucas has found his mate before his eighteenth birthday, it changes everything.

"Yeah, man. She's my mate. When she turns eighteen, she'll be your future Luna. And I'm never letting anyone hurt her again."

I look back through the window at Jasmine holding Sarah, and something clicks in my chest. The way I've been feeling about Jasmine, this overwhelming need to protect her, to claim her, the way I can't get her out of my head...

Fuck. Is she...?

But I push the thought away. I can't deal with that right now. Right now, I need to focus on making sure Jacob pays for what he did. And I need to figure out how the hell Lucas's wolf manifested early, because if it can happen to him, what does that mean for the rest of us?