Saving Tragedy Chapter 106

**Ashton's POV** 

I was half asleep, the room was still dark, heavy with the stillness of pre-dawn. 

The soft hum of Rose's steady breathing beside me was the only sound keeping me at bay, a soothing reminder that, for now, all was calm - at least in our home it was. 

A dull ache remained at the back of my mind, heavy with exhaustion from the clocks in my head turning quicker than they had in a long time. My mind churned beneath the surface, the unease of Jacob's escape and the uncertain threat still very much ongoing outwith these walls... 

I fought to doze off once again in my broken sleep, forcing my limbs to melt in to the softness of the sheets, but that was until-

CRASH! 

The bedroom door flew open, hitting back against the wall, as I shot up to a sitting position, the sharp sound yanking me from the haze of my approaching sleep, with my instincts  instantly roaring to life. 

Seeing figures rushing inside, I was on my feet in seconds flat, the sheets coming with me and tangling up on the floor below. 

My muscles tensed and heat exploded through my veins. My vision was unusually blurry due to tiredness, as I heard Rose bolting upright from beside me, her panicked shriek slicing through the darkness as the three figures barreled into our room, the scent of fear and urgency hitting me like a slap.

I didn't think - couldn't think - not knowing what the fuck was going on... 

My wolf surged forward in the blink of an eye, taking control faster than my human mind could even process. 

My bones cracked, my body morphing with brutal speed into my much larger, darker wolf form. A snarl ripped through my chest next as my claws dug into the floorboards, my glowing eyes fixed on the intruders as I was instantly preparing to kill... 

The three of them froze in place by the door, their terror suddenly palpable.

"A-Alpha!" one of them stammered, his voice trembling as he raised his hands in a show of surrender. 

"Ashton, man, calm down! It's only me, look, it's Hunt!" The familiar yells followed shortly after. 

But the name barely registered through the flood of my adrenaline and instead, I growled loudly, my hackles raised, every fiber of my being screaming that this was a threat to us, that I had to protect my mate at all costs. 

Protect our son. 

Protect the pack. 

"Ashton!" Rose's voice broke through to me next, trembling but firm, cutting through the storm clashing around in my head. "It's only H-Hunt. It's Hunt and your guards - see!" She whispers, trying to reason with me as I begin to sniff for a foreign scent just for confirmation - finding none. 

A light was switched on next, revealing their faces clearly, before Rose's hand found the fur on my back, helping to pierce through the fog of my instincts, and slowly, the snarl died in the back of my throat. 

My breathing was still ragged, my wolf fighting to stay in control, but I forced myself to take a step forward shifting back into my human form with a sharp exhale.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS HUNT?! RUNNING IN HERE LIKE THAT WHEN IM SLEEPING IN BED WITH MY MATE? WHAT THE HELL DID YOU THREE SERIOUSLY EXPECT TO HAPPEN?!" I begin to rage at them instantly, leaving no room for explanation as Hunt opens and closes his mouth, obviously flustered and unable to get a word in between my yells. 

"WELL?! What the fuck is all of this? It better be good!" I barked, my voice rough as I grabbed the nearest pair of pants and pulled them on - my head suddenly whipping around to double check that Rose too was clothed - and luckily for them, she was, or throats would've been torn... 

Rose remained behind me, her hand on my bare back acting as a constant reminder not to lose my shit again with them. 

Hunt and the other guards looked pale, their eyes wide and fixed on me as if they expected me to attack them at any given moment with how on edge I evidently was.

"WILL ONE OF YOU TALK?! FOR FUCK SAKE HUNT?" I snap, growing impatient, especially with my friend for acting so mousy around me. 

He of all people should know that he doesn't have to fear me, and so he's clearly acting off about something... 

"Look, you have to calm down first, we're sorry, Ash," Hunt said quickly, his voice shaking but steady enough to be heard. "We tried reaching you through the mind-link, but we couldn't get through and this update couldn't wait either..."

An update?

I frowned, my mind still catching up. 

The link wouldn't work? 

Had I actually been so deep in sleep that I'd blocked it out? 

Unlikely, but possible. 

"Well, what is it? Tell me!" I demanded to know, my tone sharp as Rose's hand began to draw circles on my skin, grounding me once again. 

"It's Sawyer," Hunt said, and the way his voice wavered made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

"Sawyer? What do you mean? What's happened?!" I rush him, as he swallows heavily. 

"We just got an emergency signal through, about his train — it was hijacked on the way back to his territory." Hunt finally tells me what is going on as time seems to slow. 

FUCK! 

For a moment, the words didn't make any sense... 

"What are you saying? Hi-jacked by who? Where is Sawyer now? But their train was heavily guarded!" I furrowed, stepping forward as though to hear him better. 

Hunt wiped at his sweating forehead with the back of his hand, clearly frantic and needing for me to catch up with the news. "The train was attacked around forty minutes ago. We've just received word from one of his warriors — those who survived and managed to get off on time. They've already sought out the nearest ally pack for assistance who are already on their way to help. But Sawyer, Millie and the baby..." Hunt trails off, wringing his hands together to show how stressed he was. 

"Where the fuck are they Hunt?!" I grit out, my volume lifting as my heart starts to hammer on even faster than before - feeling as though it could burst from my chest at any moment. 

"From what we know, they still have them held onboard..." Hunt finishes, as I suddenly turn to grab the nearest bedside lamp, throwing it with great force across the room before watching it shatter in to a million pieces against the wall. 

The room spun, as Rose's desperate sobs grew louder. My vision tunneled, the edges of the world narrowing until all I could see was Hunt's face and the horror written there.

"NO! What fucking bastards have them? Is it Jacob? Is it even related to him at all? It could be a group of rogues for all we know!" The questions flew out one after another, each sounding more like lengthened growls.

Hunt groaned, sharing my temper, his voice steady despite my outburst. "We don't know yet. The survivors couldn't get a clear look at who ambushed them. They were masked, highly organised — like they knew exactly when and where to strike... Ash, it's starting to look like the whole things been fucking staged!" Hunt yells, as I drag my hands down my face. 

A growl built up in my chest again, low and threatening. My fists clenched tightly at my sides as the weight of the situation pressed down on me.

"Even the baby! Why would anyone do this?!" I turn to find Rose, seated on the edge of our bed with tears wetting her cheeks as she pulls at her own tussled hair to make sense of it all. 

I slammed my palm against the wall, the force rattling the frame of a painting hanging above the bed. "This is officially a war. Jacob has to be behind this, either him or Moon Lust or them both! Prepare our highest elite fighting team to leave here in the next hour - we're going with them!" I state firmly, as Rose's eyes widen but I ignore her. 

"Alpha," one of the other guards chimed in hesitantly, "the train was heading through neutral territory at the time of the attack. If Jacob has any allies in that region then..."

I turned on him, my glare sharp enough to cut through steel. "Then I'll burn that territory to the ground if I have to," I snarled. "Whoever took them won't live to regret it."

"Ashton," Rose's voice broke through as she stood, her trembling hands gripping my arm. "You can't think like that right now. You need a plan first, you don't even know what or who you are dealing with - please don't just rush in there!" She pleaded, as I had to refrain from snapping at her - knowing that none of this was her fault.

I took a deep breath, forcing my rage down, even though every cell in my body burned with the need to act. She was right. Charging in blindly could cost us everything — including Sawyer, Millie, and the baby.

But waiting? Wasting time? That wasn't an option either.

I turned back to Hunt. "What else do we know?"

"Not much yet," he admitted. "But the survivors said the hijackers forced them off just before the train entered a tunnel system near the northern ridge. That could be where they're holding them."

My jaw clenched as I processed the information. A tunnel. That meant they were hiding, lying in wait, which also meant they weren't just after Sawyer — they wanted to keep him. 

They wanted him alive.

But why?

Another ransom for Derrick maybe? A power play from Moon Lust? Or was this all part of something worse?

I turned to one of the other guards. "Try to make contact with Sawyers trackers and find out if they managed to stay on their trail. I want them following every possible escape route from that tunnel. If they've already moved Sawyer and his family, then I need to know where and in what direction."

"Yes, Alpha." He gave a sharp nod before bolting out of the room.

"Hunt, get the elite team ready," I continued, my voice rough. "We leave in an hour and that's final."

Hunt nodded but hesitated. "Ashton, if this is a trap then—"

"I know it's a trap," I cut him off. "That's why we're going in smart. We're not just charging in. We find their weak spot, then we strike and take them all out!"

Rose swallowed hard, her wide eyes still full of worry. "And what if they're expecting that too? What if you can't outmaneuver them?"

I met her gaze, my expression firm. "I won't let them use Sawyer and his family to get to me! They've chose the wrong fucking Alpha." 

Silence filled the room, heavy and suffocating.

Rose exhaled shakily, wiping at her tears, but she didn't argue anymore, knowing that it would be no use. 

I turned back to Hunt, my tone final. "We're getting them back and whoever did this? They're going to wish that they never fucking tried." 

Let their blood spill...