The Axelridge Series Book 3 Marc's Stolen Heart
Chapter 36

(Chapter song ‘HANGMAN' by Arankai)

MARCUS

We pull up by the Vinellis house. It’s active. Very active. There’s guards everywhere and shifted lycans patrolling the edges of the large property.

Jax checks his phone. “Hey Rey? Jesse and Curtis are headed to Axelridge.” He raises his head to his mate. “They have to us something about Nathaniel.”

“I hope he’s OK. They didn’t say what?” She says from behind her black helmet.

Jax puts his phone back in his jacket. “They said it’s something they have to say in person.”

“That doesn’t sound good.” She says.

The conversation is interrupted by a loud thunder boom.

I look up and see the night sky fill with black clouds. Lightning flashes in them and more thunder clashes.

“Great. Looks like a storm’s coming.”

Jax throws on his helmet. “I hate fighting in rain.” He growls.

“Let’s go, ya baby.” Sophie gets off her bike and we gather in a group.

“I’m not a baby.” Jax says.

“You are so a baby.” Audrey laughs.

“You be quiet.” He points his mace to her.

I join Sophie in front and we jog to the house with our army trailing behind us.

More lightning goes off followed by rolling thunder as I prepare a ball.

“K. Back up.” I order quietly.

Everyone backs up and I line up with the gate. I throw it and it blows the gate. As soon as they were blown off their hinges, lycans roared and goons started yelling.

“GO,GO,GO!” Finn yells as he waves the Units onto the property.

Lycans snap and bark and goons start firing as we storm the property and I smash everyone that gets near me.

Jax, Audrey and Sophie all swing their maces and take out three men at the same time.

More lycans run out of the house and shift.

“SHIFT!”

The units release themselves out of their armor and shift to their wolves. The wave of shifters jumps into the air and lands on the incoming lycans. Snarls, growls and barks rise into the air.

We fight our way to the house and I was about to blow the door when it was hit with power from the inside.

All of us are blown back onto the grass.

Jax and I groan and roll to our hands and knees. I look for Sophie and she’s sitting up. Audrey lifts herself up from her stomach.

I check the guys and they seem fine, but the wind is knocked out of them. They slowly get up and cough.

“You really want to play this game?”

I raise my head to the door and watch Lefu step out with his hand raised. An electric red magic ball glows in his hand as an evil look fills his face.

“CLAUDIA IS MINE, MOTHER FUCKER!” I rush the steps, skid to a stop and ready my bat for an anger filled swing.

I bore holes into his head, my wolf is going nuts and I’m daring him to make a move.

“See…” He slowly walks down the steps. “That’s a problem. I need a breeder and Claudia is the lycan I want. She’s my bitch and you’ll be too dead to care." He hisses.

“You won’t touch her.” I snarl.

He stops and eyes me. “Who says I haven’t already?”

My blood boils and my skin turns red hot. I let out a loud growl and run at him.

He throws his ball and it hits my chest.

“MARCUS!”

My feet leave the ground and I fly back onto the grass. I land on my back and my chest burns. I cough to get my air back and look at the black burn mark on my chest. My brows stitch up as my shaking hands hover over it. The pain is so much, I slam my head back down and grind it out with a growl.

“MARC!”

The guys run to me, but Lefu raises his hands and they all lift off their feet and are thrown away from me. They land on lycans and goons and have to fight them.

Lefu steps over my body, grabs my armor and lifts me up to his face. His yellow eyes flare. “Don't make this so easy, Marcus.” He snarls.

I look just behind him long enough to see Sophie dip into the house. My eyes flick back to him. “Trust me. It won’t be.” I grip my bat and nail him right in the junk. He wails, drops me and stumbles back.

I stand, pull my bat back and swing it into his skull and he hits the ground. His head whips to me, just as I throw a ball up and watch it fall. I smack it at him and he ducks. It smashes through a first floor window and explodes.

I duck fast as pieces fly our way. The house rocks and fires start.

“Shit.” I slowly stand straight.

Lefu growls and runs at me. He grabs me by throat and slams my back into the ground. I cough and hold my ribs as my spine is shocked with pain.

The battle behind me grows and I painfully turn my head to see Phoenix invade and start killing.

Lightning and thunder booms and the air changes. Lefu was about to drive a fist into my head, but stops dead and I cinch my brows. The wind blows and the trees on the edge of the property start to sway violently.

I rise to my hands and my jaw drops. “What the fuck?”

Lefu turns to the trees and a sick smile grows on his lips.

The property fills with the sound of an electric, rattling squeal. Horror and confusion fills me as I watch a plume of black smoke rise above the trees.

It moves like a snake over the tree tops and twists up into the air. It seems never ending as it slithers out of the forest.

“What the hell is that?” Jax growls as he stops with Audrey beside him.

The whole battle stops as watches the thing move closer to us. Lightning hits the ground as it crosses into the clearing.

The smoke billows and static electricity dances in its formed shape.

Lefu starts to laugh maniacally. He steps closer to the thing and raises his arms to his sides.

As if it saw him, it squeals loud enough to make us cover our ears. It rises into the air then makes a sharp turn down. It targets Lefu and rockets to him.

My eyes widen as it hits him and he’s buried in black smoke.

“COME TO ME!!” He roars and the thing starts to absorb into him.

Griffin and Eddie pick me up and we all back off as the wind blows like a tornado over us all.

Lycans run into the house and Jax grabs my shoulder. He turns me. “Get the girls. We got this.”

I hear a loud growl and turn to Lefu just Adam hits him and they both roll across the ground like rabid dogs.

I motion to them. “Uh…Yeah. You guys deal with that, I’ll get my Lunas.”

He looks at me weird and I slap his chest. I slam my bat in my hand and run for the door.

“SOPHIE!!”

****

SOPHIE

Guys hit the walls with groans and yelps as I swing and punch my way through.

I don’t know what’s going on outside, but in here it’s all out war.

I climb the stairs to search for Dia. The lycans chase me and come at me from the hallway at the top.

I throw my mace and several get driven back down the stairs. After recalling it, I barely hold it for a second before throwing it up the stairs and taking out the guys up there.

“CLAUDIA!” My heart pounds with worry as I throw more hits and try to clear the way to the rooms. I smash doors and take quick peeks in to see if she’s there.

I make my way to the indoor balcony and jump off just before I can get grabbed.

As I land, I hear glass shatter and I see a small, metal ball roll across the floor.

“Fuck!” I run as fast as I can to the next room and dive behind a thick oak desk. Marc’s baseball explodes and the entire first floor fills with fire and smoke. The ceiling opens up and sprinklers turn on. It’s not long before the floor is a flooded.

I cough as I stand and turn on my helmets breathing filter. The heat from a fire in the common room, makes me sweat. I slide over the desk, hit the floor then the house starts to shake. Things fall off the walls and chairs topple as the quake intensifies and I try to keep my balance.

I stumble my way to door frame and search the area in front of me. Through the haze, I see more lycans run through house and head to the back. They’re yelling something about a monster and I turn to the door.

The sounds coming from outside make my skin crawl. I need to replace Dia now.

A lycan grabs me on his way by and tries to strangle me against the wall. I knee him and then drive my mace into his chin, removing his head.

The last of the Lycans run out a back door and I run through the rooms as the fires start to die down.

“DIA!!” I call out and wipe my visor off.

“Help!!”

I spin around and see an open door.

Breaking into a run, I enter an office. I look around see another door. I hear crying and struggling coming from it.

I run to the door and she’s in a bathroom on the floor. The floor is covered in several inches of water. She’s beaten up, wearing a collar and her hands are cuffed.

“CLAUDIA!”

“SOPHIE!” She cries out as I skid to a stop, rip my helmet off, throw it and drop to my knees.

“Oh my God…please….” She panics as she tries to get the cuffs off.

Relief fills me and I grab her head. “It’s ok. I got you.”

“Sophie! I’m sorry! I tried to get away! I tried to fight, but they put the collar on and I fought just like you showed me, but I couldn’t…they hit me and I…” She rambles as her breath shakes and stutters.

“Hey, hey…” I replace her eyes. “You’re safe. It's ok, beautiful. It’s over.”

She swallows and nods. The water pours down on us and I slowly push her matted hair out of her face.

“Deep breathes. Let me get you out of here.” I say as calmly as I can even though I want to hyperventilate with her.

“Hold still.” I put her hands in the water on the floor, aim the handle of my mace on the chain between her wrists and hit it. The chain snaps and she throws her arms around my neck.

“Oh my god…Soph…I was so scared…” She sobs in my neck.

“Shh…It's ok.” I whisper as I hold her so tight.

My heart drums on my ribs as I push her back and wipe the water and blood off her face. “Are you ok?”

“No.” She chokes then starts to cry again.

“Dia, I love you so much. I saved you.” I sniff and smile as I lock her gaze.

She places a hand on my cheek. “I love you too.”

I huff a tear filled laugh and bruise her lips. My beautiful girl is back with me and I’m making sure no one is touching her again. Our lips glide together as she pulls me into her.

“There better be some left for me.”

We break the kiss and Marcus is standing in the doorway.

“Marcus!” I help Claudia up and she runs to him. She leaps into his arms and he holds her head to his shoulder as she cries.

“Thank God. You’re alright, princess. You’re fine now. Shhh…” He says quietly as he slightly rocks her.

He meets my eyes and smiles. “Get over here, angel.”

I suck in my top lip and take big steps to him. He warps his arm around my head and kisses my lips with a deep kiss.

He pulls back and places his head on my forehead. “Thank you.” He smiles.

I look into his eyes. “Don’t thank me for saving someone’s life. It’s what I do.” I grin.

“Yes, you do.” He kisses me again then turns to Claudia.

“You ok?” He asks as he gently checks her face over.

“I am now.” She smiles and looks at both of us.

He holds her chin and gives her a soft, passionate kiss. He pulls back. “No one’s touching you again. I swear on my life.”

“Mine, too.” I jump in.

She laughs and hugs his neck.

“Let’s get my angels home.” He holds out a hand and I take it.

We slosh through the house to the front door just as Eddie runs in.

“MARC!”

We stop and he’s heaving breaths.

“We gotta a huge fucking prob…” He explodes in black smoke and our faces fill with shock.

Marc puts Claudia down. “Eddie?”

We run out of the house and the battle is sparse, but still going on.

“EDDIE!”

I turn to an open side of the property and there’s a bunch of Alphas standing in front of a guy and a woman in a toga?

“Stay here.” Marcus growls then takes off to them.

“We should help.” I start.

“No!” Claudia grabs my arm, pulls me back and points in my face. “No. Ya ain’t leaving me.”

I nod and pull her across the property out of reach of the fighting.

We watch with worry as the guys try to fight whoever that is and are magically pushed back.

“Oh no.” I whisper as I see Eddie face the guy and he turns to black smoke.

“Soph…what is that?” Dia glances at me and back at the scene.

“I don’t know, but it doesn’t look good.