Beauty in the Beast
Chapter 57

I screamed for Emmett, but it was too late to stop Derek. Nick instantly jumped to me, Alex going to his dying friend on the floor. Derek took this opportunity to escape but Daniel took off right after him.

“Emma—” I was in shock as I stared at Emmett on the ground. Alex tore his shirt off and applied pressure to the wound, but his shirt drenched in blood within seconds. “Emma!” Nick shook me and I finally tore my gaze from Emmett to look at my mate. “Are you hurt?” He asked me. I couldn’t form words; I just shook my head. “Stay here with Alex.” He told me. “Alex—” Nick looked at his Omega and then down to Emmett’s body. “Do what you can to save him.” Alex nodded and Nick stood to his feet, taking off after Daniel and Derek.

What did I do? This was my fault. If I didn’t let Daniel go, he would still be trapped in this chair and we would be on our way to serve justice against Jackson. But now Emmett was dying mere inches from me and it was my fault.

“Emma, I can’t stop the bleeding.” Alex was putting as much pressure on the wound as he could, but it was too big and too deep. I scrambled to my feet and looked around the room for something we could use. I grabbed the towel Emmett wiped my face with and threw it on his body, putting pressure where Alex wasn’t. Alex looked up at me, pain in his eyes.

“I’m so sorry, Emmett.” I couldn’t look at Alex, I got his best friend in this mess.

“We have to get him out of here.” Alex said. “We can call Doc to meet us here, we just have to make it back to the cars. She can track the cars and meet us there with a team and medical supplies. Emma, we just have to get him out of here.” I nodded, but I knew that wouldn’t happen. By the time Dr. Morris tracked the cars and packed enough medical supplies needed into a car and got a team to even drive to the location of our cars, Emmett would be dead. We wouldn’t even have time to get out of the bunker before he bled out.

“Alex—” Emmett wheezed, his face going pale from the blood loss.

“It’s okay, buddy, we’re gonna get you to Doc.” Alex looked up at me. “Emma, put pressure where my hand is so I can get my phone.” Emmett’s hand shook as he lifted it and placed it over Alex’s.

“Alex—” Emmett muttered again.

“Shh, don’t waste your energy. We’ll talk when you’re in the clinic healing up from his.”

“Mate him when you get out of here, Alex.” Emmett gave him a weak smile. “Quit making excuses and just do it.” Alex choked out a chuckle as tears fell from his face.

“Will you be my best man?” He asked through the tears.

“Always.” Emmett whispered. Emmett’s hand slowly slid from Alex’s as the life slipped out of his body. I stood and walked away from the two Omegas on the ground. I closed my eyes and tried to even my breath, I needed to compose myself.

“I have to replace Nick.” I told Alex without looking at him. “I know where Jackson is, and we need to get to him before it’s too late.” I started out the door, but Alex’s voice stopped me.

“Emma?” I turned to him, finally meeting his eyes. “Kill them all for this.” I nodded and left Alex to mourn his friend.

I ran down the corridor until I could replace my mate’s scent. Nick was holding the sword Derek used to kill Emmett, pointing it right at the murderer.

“Nick!” I called to him and he turned to look at me. “We have to get Jackson before he escapes.” Nick growled and turned back to Derek. With a swift kick in the chest, Derek went flying backwards into one of the cells. Daniel slammed the door shut and trapped Derek.

“Guard him until I get back.” Nick ordered his beta. “If I don’t make it back, kill him.”

“Yes sir.” Daniel nodded and I led Nick down the corridor to Jackson’s location with Derek’s instructions. Once I found the cell I was looking for I pulled the door open and ran inside.

“Here.” I told Nick as I searched for the brick that looked out of place. I pressed my hand to it and pushed until it wouldn’t go in any farther. The brick wall shifted, and Nick pulled me back. The wall opened into a door and stopped. Nick guided me behind him as he entered first. The room was walled in bricks much like the cells, but the floor was dirt. In the far corner of the room was a hole with dirt flying from it as Jackson dug. Nick growled and ran over to him, pulling him from the dirt and throwing him into the brick wall. Nick allowed his fangs and claws of his wolf to come out as he went for Jackson again. Jackson held a little black remote out to Nick that caused him to pause.

“You’re going to want to listen to what I have to say.” He slowly got to his feet and Nick allowed it. “I have this bunker laced with bombs.” Nick and I connected eyes for just a moment. “The minute I detonate the bombs, your wolves blow up right along with this building.”

“I thought the bombs were Stefan’s thing, how do I know you’re not bluffing?” Nick asked.

“A rivalry that lasts as long as Stefan and mine, I’m bound to pick up on a few of his tricks.” Jackson turned to look at me, then to the exit I was standing beside. I gave him a warning growl and he smiled at me. “I like you, Emma.” He said. “Under different circumstances I think we could have been friends.”

“All your mutts are dead.” Nick pulled his attention off me. “Derek is dead, you have no one left. You should have taken my offer to run when it was still on the table.” Jackson would never know that Derek was still alive a few cells down from his panic room.

“You should have stayed dead.” I added and he chuckled.

“So, I guess I helped you then, didn’t I?” He turned to Nick with an evil grin on his face.

“How so?” Nick asked.

“When Stefan learns that you took out my entire clan, he might think twice about going to war with the ruthless murderer couple of the North.” Jackson’s eyes lingered on me longer than I liked. “Perhaps you’ll show me some mercy for the help I offer.”

“I’m not here to make a deal with you.” Nick spat.

“Then what’s stopping me from blowing this entire place to nothing?” He waved the remote in the air as a warning. “You’re going to kill me anyway, why not go out on my own terms?” He was right, there was nothing stopping him from detonating those bombs and killing us all along with him. He would have his revenge against Nick and he would die on his own. If we killed him now, would we have enough time to escape the bunker before this whole thing went down? I met Nick’s eyes and I knew he was thinking the way I was. We had no choice, there wasn’t going to be a way to talk Jackson out of this. I quickly tossed Nick the sword before Jackson saw it coming and Nick threw the sword towards his uncle with all this power. The blow pushed Jackson back into the wall, the sword impaling him into the bricks. The remote fell from Jackson’s hand and I quickly grabbed it from the floor, but to my horror, the button was already pushed in.