02|Under Attack.

Davina’s POV

“Wake up, Davina. You need to wake up now” I felt a hand on my shoulder, shaking me awake. My eyes fluttered open, and the world came into focus. I had fallen asleep while waiting for Father, I groaned and sat up, staring at the person before me.

“Mom?” I asked, trying to adjust to the darkness. When I finally did, my eyes widened in horror at the sight before me. Mother’s face was close to mine, but something was wrong. Blood was smeared across her cheeks, her lips trembled as she held Sebastian close and both had tears falling from their eyes.

“Mom, are you okay?” I whispered, my voice barely audible over the pounding in my ears. The sight of the blood staining her clothes, dripping from wounds I couldn’t even make sense of, sent a chill down my spine. My heart raced and my hands reached out instinctively.

“Davina, listen to me” She held my hands as tears fell from her cheek “Your father-” She took a harsh breath, trying to form coherent words.

“Your father is dead.”

Time seemed to freeze and I felt as if someone had stabbed my heart with a knife. I stared at Mother in confusion, unsure if I had heard wrong but she couldn't stop crying and neither did Sebastian.

“Mom, what do you mean–” A loud explosion that caused the ground to shake stopped me from my sentence. Loud cries and howls filled the night- I turned towards the window and watched how houses burned down, watched how the people from the pack ran in panic and fear, how they were shot with arrows, slashed with swords and tore apart without an ounce of mercy.

It was a massacre.

“Davina, we need to run now!” I felt a hand gripping me and pulling me towards the door. I was in a daze as I stared at the corpses on the ground that laid bare in the cold arms of death. I almost threw up when I saw them– a mother holding her child’s lifeless body, her arms locked around him as if shielding him from a threat long gone.

“Davina” Sebastian held my hand and I turned to see him crying. Something seemed to click in me and I took a deep breath to stop myself from crying– from breaking down completely at the sight before me.

“This way” Mother held a dagger in her hand as she led us outside the packhouse and that was when I saw the brutal scene clearly. The people I had grown up with, that I had loved being massacred, it was a sickening sight that filled me with dread and clawed at my insides.

“It's okay, everything will be fine” I didn't know if I was comforting Sebastian or myself but as we ran I knew I had to protect him.

“Watch out!” Mother suddenly screamed and I turned around as an arrow shot towards us. I pushed Sebastian to Mother, I was about to dodge it but I knew it was going to be late. I inhaled sharply, bracing for the impact but just before the arrow could hit me, a wolf came into view, deflecting it with his paw.

I glanced at the brown wolf, recognizing it to be Elijah. He narrowed his eyes at me before looking at Mother. He seemed to have said something through a mind link because Mother cried harder before pulling us towards the woods.

“Thank you,” I heard her whisper and I looked back to see three wolves charging at him.

“Capture them, let no one escape!” The wolves were closing in, it would be only a matter of time before they caught us.

Mother stopped before turning to me, her eyes glistening with heartbreaking tears.

“Davina”

“No!”

She took my hands in hers but I shook my head, knowing what she was going to do but I couldn't let her do it, I can't lose her like how I lost Father. “Davina, listen to me. I have to do this.”

“No, I said no, mom. Please don't do this. Please don't leave us.” I pleaded but she shook her head, wiping my tears with her bloody hands. “.....mom, please.”

“Davina, it's okay. It's my responsibility to protect you two. I can't let anything happen to you.”. Her voice cracked, revealing her pain. “You’re the Alpha Dalton’s daughter. The next in line of the Golden Fang, so survive, no matter what”.

I cried harder, clenching my hands by my sides and Sebastian tugged at her clothes, refusing to let her go but she only hugged him before placing a kiss on his head.

“There is a boat at the shore that is waiting, take that boat and leave, don't look back” She said as she pushed me and Sebastian away.

“No, follow us. Let's go together” I begged, tears streaming down my face. I knew she was trying to protect us, sacrifice her life for us but I couldn't lose her.

“Mom, please no” Sebastian tried to hold her hand but she moved away and pushed him to me.

“Protect your brother, Davina. I am counting on you” With a final glance at me, she jumped and shifted into a black wolf rushing towards the rogues that were chasing us.

We watched as she fought off the wolves. Sebastian tried to run after her but I held Sebastian's hand and dragged him away despite his cries and pleas. I knew she was doing it for us, I couldn't let her sacrifice be in vain.

We hadn't gotten far before a painful cry stopped us in our tracks. We turned and right before our eyes, we saw Mother’s black wolf being ripped apart by the rogues. She looked at us and a tear rolled down her cheek as she drew her final breath.

“No, Mom!” Sebastian tried to run up to her but I held him back and ran forward and didn't stop. My heart was shattering into pieces, my world was collapsing in front of me and I couldn't do anything, I couldn't save my mother.

“The boat” I whispered under my breath when I saw it from afar. There was a man on it and I recognised him as one of the warriors from the pack.

I held Sebastian tighter and increased our speed but just when we were closer, I fell to the ground with a painful cry.

“Davina!” Sebastian yelled, looking at my shoulder in fright. I bit down a scream as I pulled out the silver arrow lunged in my shoulder. A heart-wrenching pain shot through my body and I could feel all my strength drenching.

I watched as Sebastian began to tremble, using his hand to stop the bleeding but I knew it was useless.

“Sebastian…” I whispered, trying to speak through the pain. I didn't know what was worse, the pain on my shoulder or the pain of watching him cry. “I will be behind you. Run to the boat” He shook his head, refusing to leave but I could hear the sounds of footsteps drawing closer.

I pushed him away and he fell down on the ground, watching me in surprise. “I would be right behind, I promise, so leave. You have to go to that boat, if you are here then I won't be able to protect the both of us so you have to go first. I will find a way to escape and meet you”.

He shook his head but I smiled, “I will find you, Sebastian. I promise”. I lied, holding back tears and with his trembling hands, he wiped his tears before shaking his head.

“Hold out, Davina. I will ask for help and come back. Please hold out, I won't leave without you” He said with determination and before I could say anything he ran towards the boat to ask for help.

I groaned in pain, forcing myself up. My legs were weak but I managed to walk in the opposite direction, knowing that I had to protect Sebastian with my life.

My wound bled out and I could feel my consciousness slipping away. I struggled to keep my eyes open and through a blur, I saw the wolves approaching me, baring their fangs.

One wolf leaped at me but I dodged falling on the ground. I tried to crawl away from the rogues but two arrows struck me, one on the leg and the other on my side. I whimpered and lay there, staring at the dark sky.

The smell of blood filled my nostrils and I heaved a deep sigh as my eyes began to close and my body slowly began getting numb from the pain.

“Father, Mother” I whispered, tears dancing down my cheeks as I saw them smiling down at me. I was going to die and I knew it but my only wish was that Sebastian had gotten away safely.

“If something happens, something that leaves you no choice then break the crystal” I heard Father’s voice in my head and my hand weakly grabbed the crystal. With all the strength I had left, I crushed it, watching a faint smoke burst out of the crystal.

My chest burned as if something had been carved into it, etched deep beneath the skin like an inescapable mark.

Suddenly, a blinding light engulfed my vision, forcing my eyes shut. The air filled with screams, but everything faded to white before I succumbed to the darkness.