Snow White and the Alpha

Chapter 4: Delirium

|Nieves|

The acrid scent of smoke burned my nostrils, thick and suffocating, as it hung heavy in the air. I knew I should be charging forward, running straight to Lola, or at the very least, joining the others in putting out the fire and defending our pack from the unexpected onslaught. But the moment I stepped into the heart of the chaos that had once been my home, I found myself rooted to the spot, paralyzed by the horror unfolding around me.

Flames twisted upward, licking at the sky, as they turned the trees and cabins of our village into nothing more than smoldering ruins. The crackling of the fire was deafening, drowning out the screams of the pack.

From a distant corner, I heard frantic cries of my people, the clashing of weapons, the guttural howls of the rogues as they tore through us, leaving death in their wake.

My throat tightened as my gaze fell on a shadow in the distance.

A rogue.

No, not just one. They emerged from the darkness like a horde, dozens—no, more—swarming us like a plague unleashed from the very depths of hell. They tore through our defenses with terrifying ease, their power and numbers overwhelming everything we had fought to protect.

How…? How had they breached our borders? The rumors spoke of their territory, landlocked by the Hades Clan. How could they have gotten through?

The question screamed in my mind, but there was no time for answers.

I should’ve moved. I should’ve fought. I should’ve done anything but stand there, frozen in place as the nightmare unfolded. But my body betrayed me, weighing me down with fear, trapping me in that one moment as if the very earth had taken root in my bones.

I didn’t know how long I stood there, rooted to the spot, breathing in the smoke and the fear. The heat of the fire clawed at my skin, the stench of burning wood and flesh choking me with every breath. Our pack’s cabins, once filled with life, were now crumbling, falling into the flames, one by one. Then, through the haze of smoke, I saw it—a familiar face, falling like a leaf caught in the wind, lifeless.

That was the moment I snapped out of it.

Move, Snow! Move, damn it! Your pack is dying!

A scream tore through the air—a cry of anguish and terror—and something inside me snapped. My legs found their strength, my body no longer a prisoner to the horror. My heart hammered against my chest, its frantic rhythm matching the chaos surrounding me. Smoke stung my eyes, but I pushed through it, focusing on one thing: Lola.

Her scream had pierced through the fog of shock, yanking me back into the present.

She was my everything—the only family I had left. If those monsters found her, I didn’t want to even consider it. No. She had to be okay. She had to be hiding. She had to be—

I pushed past the burning wreckage of our homes, my feet dodging the bodies of the fallen—friends, neighbors, warriors—all reduced to lifeless forms. Their vacant eyes stared up at the heavens, the light of life forever extinguished. Tears blurred my vision, but I didn’t stop.

How could this be happening? Why was this happening?

The pain in my chest was a living thing as I reached the remains of Lola’s cabin. Or rather, what used to be her cabin. The roof had caved in, the walls crumbled like sand under the weight of the fire’s rage.

I choked on my panic.

Where was she? Where was my grandmother?

“Lola!” I screamed, my voice raw and hoarse, barely reaching over the roar of the flames. “Lola!”

I tore through the smoldering wreckage, my fingers burned by the heat as I dug through the remains. She wasn’t here. She had to be somewhere else—she couldn’t be gone—

A crash echoed behind me, followed by a low, menacing growl that froze my blood. I spun, my heart leaping into my throat.

Two rogues stood just feet away, their eyes glowing with an unnatural hunger. Their bloodied teeth gleamed in the firelight as they bared them in a snarl. Without hesitation, they lunged toward me, claws outstretched. I barely dodged the first strike, my heart racing.

Then I heard her.

“Snow!” Lola’s voice cut through the madness. Before I could process what was happening, she shoved me out of the way with the force of a storm. I stumbled, catching myself just in time to see her—my grandmother—shift into her wolf form, her powerful body moving with deadly grace as she fought the rogues.

I fell to the ground, too stunned to do anything but watch in shock. The world slowed, the scene unfolding in surreal clarity. Lola fought two rogues, but the sight that broke me wasn’t of her fighting—it was when I saw her fall.

The shock jolted me awake, and before I could even push myself to my feet to help her, another rogue appeared from the shadows, his eyes locked on me. Time seemed to stretch and freeze as he raised his hand, claws gleaming with blood.

“No!” The word tore from my throat, a scream of desperation, but it was too late.

In one swift motion, the rogue’s claws sliced through the air, and Lola’s head was separated from her body. I could only watch in horror as her lifeless form crumpled to the ground, her head rolling away, her eyes wide with the shock of the unthinkable.

I jolted awake with a sharp gasp, the air rushing into my lungs as if I had just emerged from drowning.

My chest rose and fell rapidly, my heart thundering against my ribs, each beat a heavy drum in the silence. I was shaking, my body trembling from the terror of what had just haunted me—no, what had tormented me.

It wasn’t just a dream. It was a nightmare.

But... everything felt so real. My mind couldn’t shake it. Without thinking, I tried to push myself up, desperate to escape whatever nightmare still lingered in the air. But the moment I moved, a groan slipped from my lips, every muscle in my body protesting. The sharp, burning pain from my arm and side held me in place, anchoring me to the bed.

I tried again to sit up, but the agony flared—fiery and fierce. A strangled cry tore from my throat as I collapsed back onto the pillows, my head spinning. Fragments of the nightmare swirled around me, flashing like a series of distorted images.

The fire, the rogues, my grandmother’s beheading. I froze, the coldness of the memory seeping into my bones.

“L-Lo…” la… I whispered, but my throat felt so dry, the words barely formed. I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think straight.

I had to find Lola. I had to make sure it hadn’t been real. The fear gnawed at me. I needed to see her, to hear her voice, to hold onto the hope that the nightmare was just that—a nightmare.

My vision blurred with tears, and they streamed down my cheeks as the memory of her blue eyes locked on mine, just before her head rolled to the ground, flooded my mind. My body trembled, my sobs coming in sharp, ragged gasps.

“Lola…” I cried, but my body was weak, every movement slowed by the pain. I tried to get up again, but the tubes attached to me restrained me. I couldn’t escape. I was trapped, and no one could hear me.

“She’s awake!” The words sliced through the fog of my panic, and footsteps echoed urgently in the distance. A blur of movement—figures rushed toward me, but their faces were indistinct. My mind clung to the remnants of the nightmare, and I struggled to focus.

“I need to see Lola…” I rasped, my voice barely a whisper as I reached out, gripping the arm of the woman closest to me. My fingers shook, but I clung to her. “Please… Lola…”

I screamed then, my voice breaking as tears continued to fall.

“Lola! Where are you? Please… just let me see her.”

“Sedate her! She can’t move, or her wounds will open!” someone barked, their voice a sharp command.

Panic rose in my chest as a new figure stepped forward, her hands gripping mine gently but firmly. Her face was composed, expression neutral, but I could feel her eyes on me, studying me as if I were a puzzle to solve. She wore a white dress, and it didn’t take long for me to realize she was a nurse.

I tried to pull away, but the pain was too much. Weakness washed over me, and I could do nothing but beg, my voice trembling with desperation.

“Let me see her! Please... Let me see Lola!”

Suddenly, I felt something sharp on my arm. A needle, maybe? And then, my vision blurred, my body growing heavy with sleep. The world around me faded to darkness as the last thing I remembered was the haunting echo of my own screams, calling for Lola.

When I woke again, it was like the nightmare had never ended. The fire. The rogues. My grandmother, her life stolen from her in the cruelest way. My body was shaking as the images played in my mind, and all I wanted was to see Lola. To know that she was safe, that it had all been a twisted dream.

But no one heard me. No one would listen. I thrashed again, pulling at the restraints of my body, fighting to be free, to make someone understand how badly I needed to see her.

“Please… I j-just want to see her!” I begged. “Where is L-Lola?”

The nurses and the doctor surrounded me once more, their voices muffled as they tried to calm me, to sedate me. But I couldn’t stop. My mind was drowning in panic, in the need for reassurance that she was still alive. I needed someone to tell me that the nightmare wasn’t real.

The third time the nightmare returned, I woke once more, heart racing, mind clouded with confusion and grief. I screamed again, tears streaming down my face, my body shaking violently as I fought the tubes and the pain.

“I-I need to see my g-grandmother!” I screamed, my voice hoarse and raw. My strength was waning, but I refused to give in.

This time, there was someone else in the room.

A …man.

His grey eyes—familiar—met mine, but I couldn’t place him, couldn’t remember where I’d seen him before. My mind was fogged, my thoughts scattered. But then I heard it. A voice, low and calm, from the doctor.

“Alpha. We are sorry. She’s been like this ever since she woke up.”

Alpha?

My gaze snapped back to the man, the title echoing in my mind. He was in charge. He could help me. He had to help me. My eyes filled with more tears, my voice desperate.

“Please… let me see L-Lola,” I begged, my words slurred from the delirium and grief clouding my mind. I looked up at him, but instead of compassion or concern, I saw only cold indifference in his eyes. My heart twisted.

For a brief, agonizing moment, I thought he might help. But then, with an utter lack of mercy, he spoke.

“Your grandmother is dead.”

The words hit me like a physical blow, and I froze. Time seemed to slow as my mind shattered.

The fire. The rogues. My grandmother’s lifeless body, her blue eyes staring into mine as her head fell to the ground. The agony twisted within me, and I screamed.

“No! No, that can’t be! It’s not true! It can’t be!”

I screamed at the top of my lungs, the pain of loss and denial consuming me. My body shook violently, and once again, something sharp pricked my arm. The world began to tilt, my strength draining away. I was losing the fight, my body succumbing to the drugs once more.

The last thing I saw before the darkness closed in was the man’s grey eyes, cold and unfeeling, watching me as I faded into unconsciousness.