Chapter 4

I wake up to the sound of knocking on my door. Yawning widely, I look up sleepily and call: "Come in," and a small head pokes in. It's an omega and she's pretty much been 'my omega' since I was twelve. "Hi, Ellie."

"Morning, Cecily. Sorry to wake you but Alpha wishes to see you." Of course he does. Omegas act almost like servants within a pack because they help keep the Alpha's house tidy and the pack house too. Most packs mistreat their omegas due to them being the lowest rank of wolf- they don't have very big or strong wolves but not our pack. They are considered family among all of us, just the way my mother wanted it.

"Thanks, Ellie. I'll be right there." I yawn again, stretching my whole body as she closes the door behind her. My top lifts as I reach to my ceiling yet not matter how hard I try, I'm nowhere near reaching it but I try to every morning. When my back clicks nicely, I go to the bathroom and wash my face before hurrying downstairs, still only wearing shorts and a vest as pyjamas. Why would Dad want to see me so early? I'm not the Head Fighter- although many had wanted me to be but I still attend the meetings only higher ranking wolves attend. Our Head Fighter, Callum, often turns to me for advice and support- which I always give. Luke used to do it too but now he's training for being Alpha instead.

I reach Dad's office to see Luke, Lewis, Charles, Dad, Callum and other men standing around the room all grim on the face. Closing the door with a quiet click, they all look at me and Dad rushes to snap off the projector which is showing a picture on the wall but I still manage to catch it.

"Cecily. I wasn't expecting you this soon." He rushes and I smile at him.

"I know I'm a girl but I don't take that long." I am rewarded with some chuckles as I make my way to Dad's desk. I slide past some guys around my age and I see one of them wink at me. Luke growls a warning but I reach the desk and settle on the arm of his chair. "What was that?"

"Nothing you need to worry about." I lift an eyebrow and he looks to the men still standing in his office. "I want to know what happened- a full report. How did they slip inside and how did they do this without us noticing? I expect it in two hours." They all nod, murmuring "Yes Alpha," before leaving the office single file. I try to hide my smile at how childish it looks as Lewis, Charles and Luke remain, still in their previous spots. "Damn it, they just don't stop."

"What is it? Did Red Blood attack?" I ask and they all nod.

"They attacked and killed one of our guards." Dad finally allows me to see the photograph. I recognise the guy; he trained with me yesterday. He was kind and admittedly a little handsome but in the photo, it doesn't look like him apart from the blonde hair. His head is partially ripped from his shoulder, a gash sliced along his back. It looks like a fresh kill. "They always get us when we don't expect it."

"Hey, don't blame yourself, Dad. It wasn't you're fault," Luke says, coming to put a strong hand on Dad's shoulder.

"He's right, Seb; no one could have seen this coming," Lewis offers support to the Alpha sitting in his chair feeling the pain of losing a member of the pack. Alphas and Lunas always felt it when a member died both naturally and purposefully.

"We need help. Help only the King can give." The other men all freeze, eyes widening. The King?

"Are you serious? The King? He's ruthless; he'll slaughter anyone who he sees less than himself. His son is no better!" Charles exclaims and I expect Dad to shout back but he doesn't.

"If the King knew what Red Blood were doing, he would have done something about them. He has the numbers, the strength and the brutality we need- Black Shadow pack can help us. We have the only female fighter in our army, worth up to ten of them." Dad squeezes my hand and I feel heat fill my cheeks.

"She's seventeen, Dad! You're suggesting we send her to front lines!" Luke bellows but Dad doesn't even flinch at the raised voices. I was confused; Dad didn't even let me patrol the borders, now he wants me to be in the fight against Red Blood he's got planned in his head.

"Luke's right. Cecily is good, the best we've got, but she's still a child. What if the Prince got involved? He could rip her head right off her shoulders before she could lift a finger," Lewis adds and I feel my eyes widen. I've only heard rumours about this Prince and he's not someone I would want to be five metres within. He's said to be more brutal than his father, a fitting heir to the King.

"I guess I'll have to be quicker then, won't I?" I get four sets on eyes on me. "I can deal with the Prince when he gets involved; if I can handle my little brothers and sister, I'm sure I can handle an egotistical jerk." Dad throws his head back and even Luke cracks a smile.

"But, Cecily, he's almost twice you're size and for a twenty year old he's strong." Lewis tries to get me out of it but it's not going to work. Fighting is something I love doing and the promise of one always got me focused. If the Prince tried to beat me down then I'd push back harder.

"I took you and Dad down, didn't I?" This time the other three all laugh whole-heartedly. The rest of the day I spend helping the omegas in the kitchen and around the pack house. They always try to decline my offer but after a few minutes, they give in. I can tell they appreciate the hand, even if they will never admit it; they've always had a soft spot for me and all my siblings. My mom gave them a little house for all the omegas to live in and we helped decorate when we were younger and even now, Alec, Sam and Tessa all still help them.

Dad leaves at noon to go and follow the trail that leads to the creek, where the scent of Red Blood vanished. Leaving Luke in charge, Dad takes his Beta and Delta with him saying they probably won't be back until midnight. Just before dinner, I decide to go for a jog but just after I've slipped on my sports bra and boxer shorts, I suddenly realise that my favourite top is in the wash- I was hoping to wear it. Instead, I slip on my small one, similar to the one yesterday, along with small shorts then a slightly bigger top to cover the clothing my older family members hate seeing.

Popping my head in Dad's office, I tell Luke I'm leaving from where he is sat, staring out the window. He looks like such a loner, even when Sam comes in a begs to do my laces for me. "Be careful. Link me if you need anything." He says. I can tell he's bored out his nut but he better suck it up if he wants to be Alpha. With the promise to do so, I slip outside and begin my jog except this time; I decide to go along the Western border. Going this way means I can go the whole way around the outskirts of the territory while keeping an eye out on trespassers. Dad might not be keen on letting me be on patrol but he doesn't mind me doing my round. It keeps me happy.

My shoe lace comes undone half way along the Western side so I as I prop my leg up on a rock, I hear a snap. I freeze and look around but there's nothing there. Silence of the forest surrounds me, the occasional bark of a warrior breaking it but nothing seems out of the ordinary. I finish my lace, still mentally cursing Sam for his lousy tying, but as soon as my back straightens and I prepare to leave, I hear the sound of rushing paws in the near distance- lots of them.

The sun is going down as I frantically mind-link my brother, following procedures. The guards are about a mile behind me, meaning I am completely alone should anyone attack me. We're coming. Don't engage, Cecily, I mean it, but I don't have a choice.

When I sigh at my brother's order, a wolf leaps out from the bushes in front of me and he lands on me with all his weight, baring me to the ground. Growling in my ear lowly, the tingles of fear hit my stomach like a kick to the gut but after a second, the shock leaves my paralysed body and my training kicks in.

My arm swings in a punch, hitting the wolf just behind the ear with the side of my hand making him knock to the side while my leg catches his ribs before I scramble to my feet. As he tries to swipe me again, I land another punch on the end of his nose and when he yelps in pain, he retreats a few steps. I suddenly have five men protectively making a shield for me, growling at the beast crouched in front of me.

"I thought I told you not to engage," Luke grumbles next to me, holding my arm as though I was about to pounce the attacker.

"It's kind of hard when he attacks me!" I scream in exasperation just before the wolf snarls and howls loudly. Another howl answers it and I sense everyone around me tense.

"This can't be good," Luke mutters and the wolf in front of us seems to smirk. I don't understand what Luke means but the wolf is joined by a few more until they outnumber us by at least three to one. "Now you can engage."

"I thought you'd never say that," and we surge forward. All our fighters Shift, meeting the trespassers head on with their wolves but I decide to reserve my wolf to the last minute so that I don't tire too easily. I do as good a job in my human form.

Slipping underneath the belly of a wolf that is biting at one of my fighter's back, I kick upwards and he lifts off the ground, rolling away into another two that are waiting for their turn with Luke. He certainly will make a good Alpha with his viciousness as he swipes the legs out from underneath a wolf before lifting them over his head and swinging them around.

It's only then I notice the three wolves slipping away towards the house.

Some are headed to the pack house. I'm going after them. I only get a growl from Luke as I chase the other three wolves heading to my home. I take the time to mind-link Dad but I can't get through to him; they must be at the creek now. Great. Normally family members can mind-link no matter where they are but I guess he's blocked his mind while he checks out the creek. It wouldn't matter much anyway; it would take him five hours to run back here anyway.

I guess I finally get the fight I've been waiting for.

Terrified screams of the women are my only indicated that the three wolves have broken into the pack house. Some men are rushing in towards them and growls are heard from inside as the pack members run out, carrying the pups with them. One of the wolves tackles a girl to the ground, keeping her arms extended as he puts his nose down to hers and she begins to scream just as I growl and knock into him. He rolls away as I reach for the girl, heaving her to her feet. She clasps onto my arm as I stand facing the wolf.

"It's rude to attack little girls," I point out, making him snarl. I feel the girl back away just as Oliver leaps in front of us, swinging his hand down on the wolves head. I usher her to hide behind a tree before turning round to help the others; Oliver's doing alright with his but where are the other two? Rushing into the pack house, Ellie is crouching fearfully in the corner, whimpering slightly. Omegas aren't fighters and as much as I would love to train them, they simply aren't strong enough. "Ellie! Are you alright?" I run over and touch her arm.

"They are looking for the Alpha and his family." She whimpers, grasping my hands as a few men come in to the pack house in wolf form. I hold her close, her head hitting my shoulder as she shakes. "They are at the Alpha's house."

"Ellie, stay here. You five are with me; they're attacking Alpha's house." They growl as I run out passed them, leaving them to follow. I find them sniffing and searching around the bottom floor of the house, looking for the office of my dad no doubt. That's where they always try to go.

"Hey," I call, making them both spin to look at me. "You need an appointment to see the Alpha; I don't think you were on the list." They jump at me angrily but I grab one by the snout, my fingers wrapping around their jaws as I punch the other one with my weakest hand.

It's only then I realise that the one I punched is a Beta. My knee lifts quickly into the throat of the wolf I'm holding, winding him for a moment, before dropping him to the floor. I turn to the Beta and the five men behind me split up: three go to the second wolf while two stay positioned behind me.