My heart starts slamming into my chest, pounding so hard I'm sure Havok can feel it, and when I try to turn, try to see what he doesn't want me to, it beats even harder.
"Havok? Lovey, what is it? Please, just..." I choke down my tears as I think of Samson, think of my baby who was all alone at home. "Oh god, please Havok just tell me..."
He presses my face harder to his chest, moves to take his phone from his pocket. "Hush, my love." He presses a kiss to the top of my head before I hear, "We have a situation. All of you need to return home immediately."
"Havok..." I cry. "What is going on? Please..."
He takes a deep breath, strokes my hair, "If I allow you to look I need you to promise me that you will stay right here. You will not leave the protection of my arms, will not try to move from this spot."
I nod against him, not entirely sure I can keep that promise but understanding I need to try for his sake.
Slowly he lowers his hand from my head and the second his big palm rests between my shoulder blades I turn around.
"Oh no!" I sob, my hand flies to my mouth to hold in the bile that immediately rises in my throat, to cover the heave that makes my stomach roll.
Just a few yards from our cabin, sitting in the valley below the mountain is a sight that terrifies me and breaks my heart.
My truck is on fire.
Barely anything left other than the metal skeleton of the body, the hood raised, and all the pieces Havok and I replaced scattered in the grass.
And my house, the tiny home I built on my own that I survived in for years is in burning shambles.
The roof is gone.
All the windows blown out.
Most of the walls look like they were hit with a wrecking ball.
My mattress, couch, appliances, even the goddamn toilet is discarded and in pieces on the grass.
But that's the least concerning part.
No, what has my blood running cold is what I see in the midst of the flames.
There is a spike, almost like a spear stabbed into the ground and on top of it hangs a body.
A body with four legs and a tail.
Blood runs down the post, bits of burnt fur and charred flesh hang from the lifeless form.
"Oh no..." I sob and forget my promise, trying to get off Havok's bike. "No, no, no. Oh god..."
"My love, my angel, wait. Please wait for the others—"
"No! If that's, if my baby dog, if..." I cry harder. "Havok if that's Samson I need to know! He's my baby, I can't just leave him like that! I have to get him down, he can't stay up there! He has to be in so much pain. Samson is probably so scared. Havok, I have to see, I have to get him down..."
"It's not him, my love. I promise you, that is not our boy."
I squirm a little harder as tears stream down my face. "You don't know that! Who else would it be?! Why would that soulless bastard come here and do this, ruin my truck and the house but not my dog?!"
"It is not our boy, angel. He was safe at home before we left, sleeping at the foot of our bed when we walked out the door."
"He could have gone in and got him! And what about that doggie door you just put in?! Samson could have gone outside and… and… Havok, please… I need to know if that's my baby."
Havok grips me tightly then slowly drives forward, moving us down the dirt path at a snail’s pace until we're a mere few feet from the poor creature hanging in the midst of hell.
The flames are so bright, so hot this close that I can feel my skin tighten despite being back as far as we are.
