1 The Attack

Adeline Smith, a five-foot-seven, 22-year-old omega and the only daughter of Baron Smith, the leader of the Crimson Pack, stood behind her easel in the pack's massive garden. The evening sun made the garden sparkle, and a gentle breeze danced through the air, rustling the leaves of the oak trees and making Adeline's long, blonde hair flow around her shoulders. She held a palette and paintbrushes with her fingers dappled with different colors.

In front of Adeline was one of her maids, Valerie, posing for her. Her eyes were focused on a distant point, trying to maintain her position despite how awkward it felt standing still for so long. Adeline narrowed her eyes, studying her carefully, as if trying to capture not just Valarie's features but her spirit as well.

"Move a little bit to the left, Valerie," Adeline instructed, tilting her head slightly while waving her hand to indicate the adjustment. “Something doesn't feel right.”

Valarie complied, shifting her weight, and asked, "Is this better, Miss Adeline?"

Adeline nodded, offering her an energetic thumbs-up. "Yes, that's perfect. Hold that pose." As she resumed painting, she chuckled softly, an amused smile playing on her lips. "Has anyone ever told you just how pretty you are, Valerie? You look like a princess, and I'm not even kidding."

Valarie blushed at the compliment, trying not to let it break her concentration. "Thank you, Miss Adeline."

Minutes passed as Adeline added the final touches to her painting. Finally, she stepped back, setting down her palette and brushes before letting out a contented sigh, admiring her work.

She snapped her finger at the painting, and a warm smile lit up on her face. "You can stop posing now, Valerie. I'm finished." She motioned for Valerie to come over, visibly excited to show her the result. "Come take a look and tell me what you think."

Valarie relaxed her stance, shaking out the stiffness from her limbs, and walked over to where Adeline stood. As her eyes fell upon the painting, a warm smile spread across her face. Adeline had painted her perfectly, or maybe even better. "It's beautiful, Miss Adeline," she said, bowing her head slightly. "You have such a gift."

Adeline beamed with pride at the praise. She cupped both of her cheeks and giggled. She was the type to get excited over the smallest compliments. "Thank you, Valerie. It means a lot to me."

Valerie turned to Adeline, nodding. "You honor me with your talent, Miss Adeline. Truly."

Adeline chuckled tiredly, leaning down. "That's enough art for one day. Father will probably start looking for me soon." She placed her paintbrushes and palette into a box at her feet and began packing the rest of her art supplies. Suddenly, a loud bang rang out, echoing across the garden and startling both Adeline and Valerie.

Adeline's head snapped towards the sound, and her brows furrowed in confusion. "What was that? You heard that, right?” Her voice trembled slightly, showing the little fear that had already crept in her.

Valarie nodded, equally bewildered. "I don't know, Miss Adeline, but it sounded like a gunshot."

Before Valerie could finish her sentence, a loud, piercing scream echoed through the air, followed by several more gunshots. The noise was terrifying, sounding like someone was being tortured.

Adeline turned to Valerie with her eyes now wide with fear. "That was definitely a gunshot, and judging by the scream, it is not good."

Without another word, Adeline dropped her art supplies and sprinted towards the garden's exit. Valarie, not needing to be told, followed closely behind, her heart pounding as she tried to catch up. "Please slow down, Miss Adeline," she pleaded. "It could be dangerous!"

As they raced into the pack's main area, the sight before them was unbelievable. Several members of the Crimson Pack were running for cover with their faces twisted in fear and panic. Gunshots rang out, and one by one, pack members fell. The Crimson Pack was under attack.

Adeline's pupils darted around, taking in the mayhem. Confusion gripped her as she tried to make sense of what was going on when suddenly she noticed a man standing with a gun in his hand and a devilish grin on his face.

When she narrowed her eyes, she easily recognized him and immediately stepped back with her eyes twitching with disbelief. "Isn't that Andrew, the leader of the Blue Moon Pack?" she muttered to herself.

Andrew was a powerful alpha known for his wicked personality. Why was he attacking her pack? At that moment, Adeline wished that the whole thing was a nightmare and wanted to wake up.

She snapped out of her thoughts when Valarie grabbed her arm, pulling her towards the pack's main mansion. "We have to get you to safety, Miss Adeline!. It seems we're under attack!"

Adeline hesitated, wanting to stay back and save the innocent people who were being killed. But she knew there wasn't much she could do. She was just an omega, after all. She would die instantly if she tried to help.

The two women dashed through the courtyard, avoiding the chaos around them. Just as they reached the steps of the mansion, a bullet whizzed past Adeline, narrowly missing her head. She gasped, and her heart skipped a beat as Valarie yanked her down, pulling her behind a stone pillar for cover.

"We need to get inside," Valarie yelled, scanning the surroundings for any more threats. "We'll be safer in the mansion."

Adeline nodded, and when the coast was clear, they ran up the stairs and through the massive door, entering the hallway of the mansion. The inside was so quiet compared to the outside that they could barely hear the gunshots.

Adeline looked around the hallway, suddenly finding it difficult to navigate through it. She shook her head, looking down at the floor and trying to calm herself down. "We need to find my father. I think he's in his office. He'll know what to do."