Saving Tragedy Chapter 117

**Sawyer's POV**

The rope jerked hard, snapping my body forward. My knees buckled, but I forced my feet to keep moving, barely keeping up with the vehicle dragging me through the pack's territory. Every muscle burned, my breaths coming in short, painful gasps. Sweat mixed with blood as it dripped down my face, stinging the open wounds along my body. My trousers were barely more than shredded fabric now, my legs raw and torn from the relentless falls.

I had lost count of how many times I'd hit the ground. How many times my face had slammed into the dirt, gravel embedding into my skin. But every time I fell, they let me struggle just long enough to taste the humiliation before yanking me back to my feet. The rogues trailing us laughed each time, their jeers ringing in my ears.

My vision blurred as we passed the remnants of homes, familiar buildings that had once belonged to my pack. Some were still standing, but others bore scars from battles long fought. People stood outside, forced into lines as Jacob's men rounded them up, shoving them toward the center of the pack's territory. My chest ached at the sight of them—men I had once fought alongside, forced to witness my downfall like some kind of spectacle.

The air grew heavy as we neared the clearing.

The gathering space.

I saw the platform before I reached it. The same wooden stage I had once stood on to address my pack, to lead them. Now, it would serve as the place where Jacob would put an end to me.

My knees gave out just as we reached the clearing, my body crumpling forward. My skin scraped against the ground as I gasped for breath, muscles refusing to cooperate anymore. The guards didn't wait—they unhooked the rope from the car, grabbed me by my arms, and dragged me the rest of the way. My head lolled forward, barely able to keep myself upright as they hauled me onto the platform.

I felt the wood beneath me. Rough, splintering against my palms as they forced me to my knees.

And then, another car arrived.

The door opened with an excruciating slowness, and I didn't have to look to know who it was.

Jacob stepped out, taking his time as if savoring the moment. The bastard stretched his arms, rolling his shoulders before tilting his head back and breathing in the air like he'd just come home from a long vacation.

"Ahh," he sighed, lips curling into a pleased smile. "I missed this place."

I clenched my jaw, my nails digging into the stage's wood as I fought the urge to lunge at him—knowing damn well my body wouldn't let me.

Jacob's eyes flicked to me, his smirk widening. He strolled forward, his steps slow and deliberate as he took in my current state.

"Look at you," he mused. "You're barely holding yourself together." He clicked his tongue. "Not much of an Alpha anymore, huh?"

I didn't answer. Didn't give him the satisfaction of a response.

His amusement didn't fade. If anything, it grew as he turned to his men and gestured toward the car behind him.

"Bring them out."

I froze.

My breath caught in my throat as the back doors opened, and my worst nightmare became reality.

Millie.

She was clutching Elsie to her chest, her entire body trembling as the guards pulled her from the car. Her face was pale, her eyes wide and filled with terror. She resisted, holding onto our daughter so tightly it was as if she thought she could disappear into thin air and escape all of this.

"No," I rasped, trying to push myself up, but the guards were already behind me, their hands on my shoulders, forcing me back down.

"Sawyer!" Millie's voice cracked as she fought against their grip. Tears streamed down her face as she kicked and struggled, but she was no match for them. "Let him go! Please!"

Jacob just watched her. His head tilting slightly, amused by her desperation.

"She's got fight in her," he mused. "I'll give her that."

I saw red.

A growl tore from my throat—weak, broken—but filled with as much fury as I could muster. I thrashed against the guards' grip, ignoring the pain that screamed through my body.

"Touch her, and I will rip your fucking throat out," I spat.

Jacob laughed. Actually laughed.

"Relax, Alpha." He waved a dismissive hand. "I have no interest in your little family. That's not why we're here." He motioned for his men to bring Millie closer, forcing her toward the stage. "They just need front-row seats."

Millie sobbed as she was shoved forward, stumbling. She barely managed to stay on her feet as she clung to Elsie, pressing our daughter's face into her shoulder as if she could shield her from all of this.

I was going to fucking kill him.

The guards forced me to stay kneeling as the minutes dragged on. More and more people were being rounded up, herded into the clearing like sheep. I could feel their eyes on me—on us—as the tension thickened.

I swallowed hard, my pulse hammering in my ears. Something was wrong.

It took me a second realise what it was.

Where were the women? The children?

I frowned, my gaze shifting through the crowd. All I could see were the men—those who had fought under me, those who had remained loyal to the pack. Their expressions were tight, unreadable, but something in their stance made my gut twist.

And then I saw.

Familiar faces, scattered among them.

Men who shouldn't have been here.

Men who weren't mine.

My heart slammed against my ribs as I stared harder. It wasn't obvious, not at first. But now that I was looking, I could tell.

Ashton's men.

They were mixed in with the crowd, blending in with the others, but I knew them. They weren't standing like captives. They weren't watching like they had accepted defeat.

They were waiting.

Waiting for something.

A small ember of hope flickered to life in my chest, weak but there.

Jacob had no fucking clue.

The bastard thought he had won. Thought this was his show.

But he had no idea what was coming.

Jacob turned back to me, his smirk widening as he savored the moment. He paced along the stage like a man about to deliver a victory speech, his confidence dripping from every step.

"You know, Sawyer," he drawled, "I expected more fight out of you. The great Alpha, dragged through the dirt like a common rogue." He shook his head, feigning disappointment. "But this? This is pathetic."

I didn't respond. My jaw clenched so tight my teeth ached, but I wouldn't give him the pleasure of a reaction. My mind was already working, my pulse thudding as I stole another glance at the gathered men.

There were more of Ashton's people than I'd first realised. Not just a handful. Dozens.

And they were spreading out.

Not drawing attention. Not making it obvious. But I saw the way they moved—slowly, carefully positioning themselves amongst my pack. Close enough to act when the time came.

The hope inside me burned brighter.

Jacob was still talking, his voice a dull noise in the back of my mind as I focused. Calculated.

Then his voice sharpened.

"You're probably wondering where all the women and children are."

My attention snapped back to him.

Jacob grinned at my reaction. "Don't worry, Alpha, I haven't done anything to them. Yet." He lifted his hands in mock innocence. "They're tucked away hiding, safe and sound— at least for now. But I couldn't have them here anyway. They'd just get in the way of my little demonstration so I'll just leave them to think that they are safe from all of this for a little while longer...."

Demonstration?

Fury coiled in my gut.

Jacob took a slow step toward me, crouching down so we were at eye level.

"See, I want your men to watch what happens when they defy me," he murmured. "I want them to understand that resistance is useless. That no matter how hard they fight back, they will lose. I - will always be the Alpha to this pack!"

His hand shot out, gripping my jaw in a bruising hold. "And you?" His eyes darkened. "You're going to be a lesson that not everyone is fit to take on such a title - just because the likes of Ashton said so!"

I bared my teeth, my muscles tensing despite the agony wracking my body.

I wasn't dying today.

Not like this.

And definitely not for him.

Jacob released me with a sharp shove, standing as he turned back to the crowd. "Your Alpha failed you!" he called out, his voice carrying through the clearing. "He let his pack fall, let his people suffer, and now he kneels before me, broken and shattered."

His own men sneered, some cheering in agreement. But the pack — my pack — and Ashton's men - remained silent.

The clock was ticking...

Jacob's eyes flicked through the array of gathered wolves, expecting submission. Expecting them to lower their heads and to accept him as their new leader.

Instead, the silence only stretched on.

Thick. Unsettling.

He frowned.

And that was the moment the first blade was drawn.

It happened in an instant. A rogue standing near the edge of the gathering made a noise — half a grunt, half a strangled gasp — before his body crumpled to the ground. Blood pooled beneath him, soaking into the dirt.

The silence snapped.

Chaos erupted.

Ashton's men moved fast, striking before the rogues even realised what was happening to them. Knives flashed, claws extended, bullets flew, throats were ripped open before they could make a sound - all while Jacob yelled out profanities.

I surged forward on instinct, ignoring the burning pain as I lunged against the trembling guards that were holding me.

Jacob turned, confusion flickering across his face for just a split second before it twisted into fury.

"What the fuck is this—"

A snarl cut him off as one of his men was yanked backward, disappearing into the sea of fighting bodies. The pack—my pack—wasn't standing still anymore. They were joining in.

Fighting.

The tables were turning.

Jacob's plan was crumbling right in front of him, and for the first time today, he was the one caught off guard.

And I was going to make damn sure he felt it too...