Chapter 4
I hung up the phone and immediately threw caution to the wind.
My wolf hissed and told me that I was on my own now.
With the wet blanket still wrapped around body, I charged straight into the inferno, desperately twisting the doorknob while kicking the door with all my might. The stench of burning flesh filled
the air as the flames licked at my skin.
Looking down, I saw that my right hand was mangled, the flesh torn and shredded, clinging to the door handle like a gruesome reminder of my failed attempt to escape. My clothes caught fire, the hem of my dress singeing with each passing second.
The hope of escaping through the front door was shattered. The room grew hotter, the walls closing in. The sunset streamed through the window, its warm, golden light mingling with the flickering flames, painting a scene of tragic beauty.
In a final, desperate act, I stumbled toward the balcony, peering out at the view from the eighteenth floor. The only option was to jump–to fall to my death in a brutal, bone–shattering crash.
But in the split second before I leapt, the burning pain from the flames intensified. I could feel my wolf stirring inside me, the primal part of my soul that urged me to survive, to fight. My instincts screamed at me to save myself, but my mind was overwhelmed by a cold, unrelenting despair.
The flames trapped my body in the balcony.
And just like that, my body succumbed to the flames. The flames turned my body into a statue.
Meanwhile, far across the city, Sandy received a notification on his phone. The message appeared
before him, as if carried by some unseen force, a lifeline stretching across the distance. Perhaps it was the strength of my will to survive that had somehow brought me to his side.
He was surrounded by chaos. Lily, clinging to him with trembling hands, her face pale with fear wept into his collar. Sandy stroked her hair tenderly, whispering soothing words. “Promise: won’t do anything stupid. No matter how hard things get, I’ll always be here for you.”
The rest of the team stood by, exchanging glances, their discomfort palpable. The youngest of the group, a new Gamma Warrior, hesitantly stepped forward. Somewhat disgruntled, he went over to interrupt Lily’s crying and asked aloud, “Captain Sandy, the Forest Rescue Center called about half
11.28
After I Torched Alive. My Alpha Wen
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