Chapter 267
(Author’s POV)
“Ma’am, we have one in your size as well. Do you want to try that?” the staff member inquired, her eyes hopeful.
Yes, the dress was a bit tight on Myra, but what was tighter was Myra’s budget. She wasn’t going to spend a good chunk of her savings to buy such an expensive dress for a single event. She was about to refuse, but before she could even say anything, the alarm systems that were installed all over the mall started buzzing loudly. It caught everyone’s attention.
The next second, they heard panic filled voices of people screaming and yelping. Wendy stood up from her seat and asked frantically, initially fumbling with her words, “Wh~… what is this What’s up with the blaring sound p>
“It’s the fire alarm has been triggered,” the store manager stated. “But don’t panic, Ms. Miracle, Ms. Yates. We will escort you out of the building safely.” She sounded calm and composed, clearly indicating that she was experienced and used to handling such incidents. “Please come with me. I will show you the escape route p>
The other staff members started performing the usual fire drills. One turned off the main electricity source of the store, and the others started helping other customers with their evacuation process.
The store manager got the trio, as well as a few other shoppers, out of the store quickly. But just like the other floors, the third floor was filled with pandemonium as well. The security staff and other store staff members were trying to keep the crowd unperturbed, but some were scared to the point that they weren’t listening to anything and just wanted to leave the building. Even if it meant creating even more chaos.
A lot of them were barely of age and had come because of the concert that was about to take place in the evening. So, it was obvious they were terror stricken by the whole fiasco.
Myra held Yelena’s hand with one and her sister’s hand with the other, in an iron grip, as more and more people were teeming wildly here and there. She was afraid that if this kept going on like this, they both might get hurt. Or worse, a stampede might occur any minute. The key was to stay calm and follow the protocol, as the store manager said.
Wendy was among those who were on the verge of getting a panic attack. Myra could feel her palm getting sweaty. Her voice tremored with fear as she called out, “Sis. I~… this,” her eyes were tear stricken as she clutched her chest with her other hand.
Both Myra and Yelena’s steps halted simultaneously as they turned around to find Wendy in a clear state of trepidation.
Myra rubbed her back while Yelena comforted Wendy with her words, “Wends, calm down. Nothing is going to happen, okay. We will take you out. Do what I am saying. Take deep and long breaths~ Yeah, good, just like that. Breathe in slowly and then breathe out with your mouth p>
Both the girls guided Wendy towards the glass railing, as the latter leaned on it a bit, as she was feeling suffocated. But when she saw the scene happening on the ground floor, her panic-driven state only intensified.
As a lot of people were trying to get out of the mall, they were indiscriminately trampling on others. The lively and joyful atmosphere has turned into a frenzy filled chaotic mess.
At around the same time, on the ground floor, the Everests brothers, along with Elisa, heard the sirens wailing. They all quickly came into action and started helping others to evacuate the place safely.
Elisa got up at once, her voice crackling, as she said this to Brave, “Mr. Everest, we should go too.” As a demon queen, she didn’t want to be trapped here and die such a humiliating death.
But Brave refused firmly. As a person with a sense of duty, he and his brothers weren’t going to abandon the crowd here and flee by themselves, regardless of whether it was their pack or not. That was the most disgraceful and cowardly thing, and as werewolves, as Lycan Alphas, that wasn’t acceptable for any of them.
He looked at Elisa’s leg and then straight in her eyes, asking, “Ms. Queens, can you manage to walk on your own now p>
“I can but~,” she was about to protest, say that, they also need to leave this forsaken place with her, but Dion interrupted their conversation, “Good, if you can manage to walk. Come this way~ He started urging her to walk out with others.
“But I can’t escape by myself and leave you all behind. You are our guests. How can I put your lives in danger?” Elisa spoke, her voice high pitched. She may seem concerned about the brothers, but if something truly happened to any of the Everests, her plan would all be for not. But even before that, Jacob would probably torture her to death. There was too much on the line.
She needed her powers back, so she couldn’t afford to lose any of them. ’What use is there to even save such barbaric humans who have no sense of crisis? They are making it worse on their own by panicking and frantically running. But what to say. That’s how humans actually tend to behave in such situations. One way or another, they will have to die someday, if not today. Why waste your energy?’ She gritted her teeth and wanted to say this, but for the sake of her image, she kept quiet.
Dion wasn’t having any of her nonsense; he turned to the security guard, who was also helping the crowd to evacuate, “Take this lady as well p>
While giving such instructions, his eyes darted to a child, who was crouching in a corner, her face red, tears streaming down from the corner of her eyes. He rushed past everyone and asked the child, “Why are you alone? Where are your parents p>
The little girl, with a scared and throaty voice, told him, “My father~… she was holding my hand But someon~e pushed her. Aaaaaa… I want my mom, I am scared, I am scared,” the child started wailing again.
Dion picked the girl up and comforted her, “This big brother will help you find your father. Okay, don’t cry, hmmm. Let me get you out of this mess first.” He buried her face in his chest, shielding her from the tumultuous view. He calmed her nerves using his powers as he walked her towards a safe place.
Brave, just like his other siblings, also busied himself with the task of rescuing others. He was urging people not to make haste and walk out in an orderly manner.
Meanwhile, the other two, Alaric and Elio, had already exited the store and were taking care of the condition outside.
Elio took on the task of getting people off the second floor and clearing it. While Alaric looked for the source of all this commotion. He sensed the smoke coming from the fifth floor, where the movie theatres were, and sprinted towards it, via the escalator.
But getting there wasn’t an easy task. The terrified crowd was descending using the same route to get out. He somehow managed to get there and got to the crux of the problem.
The trained individuals were already on the job, trying to take care of the situation, but the fire had affected a large area of the floor. The blaring was worsening, and a few people were trapped inside the theatres as well.
Alaric, without wasting any time, walked inside and helped the needy, rescuing them and bringing them out of the theatre. After rescuing almost all of the citizens, he leaned on the railing to look at the situation on the other floors.
As he was analyzing the condition, his eyes were about to dart to the second floor where Elio was. But before that, he gave a casual glance at the third floor, and his eyes dilated with astonishment.
After calming Wendy’s nerves down a bit and making sure she was alright, Yelena urged the Miracle sisters to quickly get out of the place, as the chaos was only escalating.
They all turned around to go to the emergency exit, when Myra noticed a familiar figure, dashing towards the upper floor. She went into a complete state of shock. She froze on the spot, “How~… how could this be? Alaric Everests? What is he doing here? No~ I don’t give a crap about what he is doing. I need to get out of here as soon as possible. I can’t let him see me p>
Yelena pulled at her hand, “MYRA, come on. We need to get out of here p>
Myra snapped out of her stunned state and murmured, “Yes… yes. We need to get out of here, fast p>
As they were nearing the emergency staircase, Alaric’s eyes fell on her silhouette as Alex yelped inside his head, “MATE. I think I saw our mate p>
To Be Continued……..