Theo’s POV
Everyone was infuriated at the injustice and the pain that Farris had inflicted upon Raelynn and his own daughter, Friday. Thaddeus and Maze were at the forefront of this as Friday’s mates and Maze having just found out he was Raelynn’s half-brother. In the blink of an eye, both alphas shifted. Their bones cracking, lengthening and rearranging. They turned into massive wolves, scarcely able to fit in the hall way, their ears almost brushing the ceiling. Maze was a glossy black wolf with stormy grey eyes and Thaddeus a brown wolf with astonishingly blue eyes. The dashed off. I shifted and went after them, so did Malachi.
Malachi and I descended the steps to the dungeon in our wolf forms with a flurry of activity behind us, people following in both human and wolf forms. I knew Thaddeus would regret it if he k!lled Friday’s father thoughtlessly. Malachi was thinking the same thing about Maze.
Theo, you stop Thaddeus try to talk some sense into him. I’ll handle Maze, came Malachi’s voice over mind-link.
Got it! I said, agreeing with his plan.
I leapt down several stairs at a time descending to the dungeons and sp0tted Thaddeus snarling and growling near the last cell. I dashed in front of him to cut hims off. Malachi darted in front of Maze nudging him backwards. Thaddeus and Maze snarled and thrashed at us, not wanting to actually hurt us. They were more agitated now than furious like before. Something was different. I looked back at the cell. It was empty! Farris was gone!
Fang’s POV
I did away with those two sadistic vampire guards who were about to s***h a girl’s throat so their sick master could quench his thirst. Both guards lay dead on the floor. Lane was screaming for his other guards. Katrina dove at Lane and gripped his throat trying to strangle him. They struggled and Lane overpowered her just as I sprang across the dining table, shifting in midair. I bit a chunk of Lane’s leg off. He let out a bl00d cuddling scream and swiftly grabbed a knife from the table to stab me with. All the cutlery in the manor was made of sterling silver.
“NO!” Screeched Katrina as Lane stabbed me in the shoulder. I roared
A dozen vampire guards ran into the room. Katrina, enraged, stabbed Lane in the eye with a fork as hard as she could. He roared in pain and smacked her with such force that she flew backwards, hit the wall and crumpled on the ground. No! I pounced on him and tore at his throat, finishing him. The guards hesitated, now that their leader was dead. I took advantage of the opportunity by tackling the nearest one and ripping his throat out. I had to check on Katrina but there were still eleven guards and no one to watch my back. My wounded shoulder was certainly far from a deathblow but the blade had been silver so it was still bleeding. It would not heal quickly like a regular wound.
The vampires charged at me. I scanned the room quickly, looking for anyone who had a gun that could be loaded with silver bullets dipped in wolfsbane, the go-to for k!lling werewolves. I sp0tted a vampire down at the far end of the dining hall loading a gun. I rushed across the room and knocked the ammunition and the gun out of his hands. It skid across the floor and he lunged for it but I tore at his arm and sent him flying into another nearby vamp. I darted across the room and nudged Katrina. She was barely conscious. I whined. I just needed her to climb on my back and hold on. She managed to grip my fur and hoist herself onto my back. I ran from the room just as I heard shots being fired. That was a close call! I dashed down the hallway, exiting the way I had come. I was nearing the courtyard where I had k!lled the two patrol guards. I stopped dead in my tracks. Another wolf blocked my path. He was a slightly lighter brown than me with flecks of grey in his coat and dark eyes. He was just as h.uge as I was, another Beta wolf, technically a former Beta wolf. I knew him all too well. It was my father Farris.
Thaddeus’ POV
Please there’s no time to waste! Fang needs us! Katrina needs us! We can look for Farris after! He may be with the vampires for all we know! He has connections with Ezekiel! Raelynn said, mind-linking Maze and me.
That’s just it! If he escaped from the pack house, then there’s a weakness in the security here! I said worried. I need to see the surveillance footage! Where were the guards?
I mind-linked my Gamma, Westwood, who informed me immediately of what happened. Apparently, Farris had been refusing his meals and just drinking water for several days now. He would also exercise obsessively in his cell. The guards thought it was a form of slow suicide but it was his escape plan. The surveillance showed him waiting for the handover time between shifts when the guards were changing from hours shift to the evening hours shift. He climbed through the space between two silver bars still having to squeeze through so that the silver brushed against the side of his face and a piece of his neck. He had screamed as he felt the silver singe his skin. His burnt skin and flesh had been smoking sightly according to the surveillance footage as he scrambled away. He had bludgeoned one guard and put on his clothes and scampered out of the pack house. My Gamma conveyed all of this through mind-link letting the images flash through mind so I saw what he had seen.
You’re right, Raelynn! There’s no time to waste! I said. You and Friday stay put here!
Raelynn snarled a little over mind-link at being dismissed like that. I ignored her. There was no way she or my little Friday were going anywhere near an enemy vampire Manor, not on my watch. Maze, Theo, and I along with a squad of ten of my best warriors left for Lane’s manor, in our wolf forms, running at top speed. Fallon and Fargo tagged along despite their mother’s protests and Timothy and Titus followed me despite our mother’s disapproval. Another squad of ten warriors raced alongside us in two jeeps armed with guns loaded with blessed bullets. My Gamma stayed behind to watch remotely through body cameras and to dispatch more squads if necessary.
Friday’s POV
I was not about to be ordered around, not even by Thaddeus or Maze! Neither was Raelynn. I had never fully shifted. I hoped that I could. I rode on Raelynn’s back. She was raised by vampires. She knew their territories inside and out. She knew a short cut through a forest that sn.aked behind the Bevy. We would enter the Manor’s estate from the back entrance. Raelynn’s wolf was dark and glossy. She was extremely agile, smaller and quicker than the boys, the big bad wolves. She flew through the trees. We were nearing the forest behind the Bevy lagoon in no time. She picked her way around until we came to a wall.
Over this wall is Lane’s estate and Manor, said Raelynn to me over mind-link. Are you sure you’re ready?
Yes! I told her.
Stay close to me if you have problems shifting ok! Said Raelynn.
Ok, I promised.
Raelynn ran up to the wall and leapt over it gracefully. She landed in a courtyard of sorts with cobble stones. She sniffed the air. The vampires were not close by.
Can you link Fang? I asked.
It was easier to mind-link effectively when in wolf-form.
Yes! He’s fighting! He’s pretty busy! Said Raelynn.
Let’s go help him take down some vampires! I cheered.
He’s not fighting vampires right this second! Warned Raelynn running towards Fang’s location using mind-link and his smell to guide her.
She quickly found him. I gasped. Fang and another very similar wolf were fighting while an injured Katrina lay on the floor nearby. Snarling, teeth clashing, claws scraping. They were about the same size, and colour except the other wolf had flecks of grey in his brown coat which revealed his older age. I instinctively recognised him. Fang was fighting our father, Farris. Farris was looking a bit thin like he had been missing meals. What was the point of Farris being here and of him fighting Fang?
I hopped off Raelynn’s back.
“STOP!!” I screamed. They both stopped and sat down, still growling ferociously.
I was shocked they had listened to me.
You’re a true Luna remember, twice over, said my wolf.
Oh! They were compelled to listen to me! They had no other choice.
“Dad, why are you doing this?” I asked out loud.
Ezekiel is the only master I serve! The voice of his wolf was deep and resonant.
He ignored me and darted behind the line of vampire warriors jumping over the nearest one so he was running along behind their backs. They started turning around to fire at him, but he moved so quickly I almost couldn’t register it. He chomped on one and tore out the throat of another in a split-second. In a matter of moments, he had ripped out the throats of ten vampire guards. None of them were a match for him, not even close, all made not born vampires and all novices. Wait, how did I know that? I know that instinctively, said my wolf, chuckling.
Thaddeus leapt over a few more and several wolves rushed behind him, taking down anyone who dared to aim at their alpha. Berryndale wolves were amazingly loyal to their alphas. Marigold wolves were usually the same but if I counted my father and my brother, they kind of ruined our streak a little bit, Farris more so than Fang. Thaddeus reached me. I couldn’t help but grin. He was amazing! One day I would be just like this! He could teach me! He immediately snarled at me. My face fell. I wasn’t scared of him though.
GO! NOW! I’m watching your back and making sure no one follows you out now that you’ve let all the vampires know my Luna is here! I sent for the ambulance! It will meet you four out back! Thaddeus ordered.
My wolf whimpered because our alpha snarled at us and yelled at us. Also, he was sending us away from the battle and my wolf wanted to fight. I tried to soothe her. I didn’t want to push my luck with Thaddeus. I looked at the crowd of werewolves and vampires. Even though the werewolves had been outnumbered, these were top fighters versus inexperienced guards. The vampire guards seemed to be retreating but firing bullets over their shoulders as they moved away from the wolves. The only wolf almost as gigantic as Thaddeus was black and glossy with grey eyes. Uh oh. Maze was over to me and Thaddeus in a flash.
WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING?! Maze bellowed over mind-link actually making my head hurt.
I came to get my brother, I said.
You have him now go! Maze said. My wolf was really upset now. I told her to relax. They would forgive us in like ten minutes the very next time they were horny. Raelynn reluctantly trotted away, urging Fang forwards. Fang seemed to want to help. He probably wanted to stay and prove his loyalty. I didn’t want him staying behind with Maze and Thaddeus when they were already furious. What if they all got in a fight?
Think of Katrina! I told Fang.
He sped up, running back out the way we came. We saw the ambulance surrounded by another squad of THIRTY werewolves guarding it in their human forms. We didn’t need that many guards. I would take ten. They were already mad at me so whatever. I spoke out loud as head was still throbbing from Maze’s outburst over mind-link.
“Ten stay with us! The other twenty help Thaddeus and Maze! Please be safe!” I ordered as I rode Raelynn’s wolf right into the back of the ambulance.
Westwood entered the back of the ambulance. Thaddeus sent his Gamma! I had thought he was heading surveillance.
“Ok! Wait! Split fifteen with us and the other fifteen go help those inside!” I called to the werewolves, amending my order.
“He’s still gonna sh!t bricks,” said Westwood.
I blushed but shrugged my shoulders. Westwood gave cloaks to Raelynn and Fang so they could shift back. They did so and covered themselves as the EMTs started working on Katrina. I noticed bl00d was soaking into Fang’s cloak.
“Fang!” I cried. I inspected where the bl00d was coming from. He had a stab wound to his shoulder, undoubtedly made with a silver blade otherwise it would have healed. The scratches from his battle with our father were all starting to fade. I felt a pang of guilt thinking about how I’d let my father go. My father who had shot Maze and Raelynn’s father. I glanced at her. She hadn’t stopped me sparing him. She knew what I was thinking before I said anything. She was very good at reading me.
If it made you feel better to let him go, so be it. You’ve suffered enough, Friday. We both have. And if his suffering makes you suffer then I don’t want that, so long as he doesn’t come after my father or our mother or us again, explained Raelynn.
I smiled and held back tears. I would need them for later.
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