3 - Tyson

~Ellie's Point of View~

I desperately wanted to ask where he was sending them, but I didn’t think he would tell me anyhow. He said it could be anywhere from a few hours to three days before they could send a response. I shuddered at that, hoping that I was wrong, hoping that I was just being dramatic. 

However, the look on Beta Hank’s face told me he not only believed me, but he believed it was likely.

I was also curious what exactly a “response” was, who it was. Would we have vampires here, witches? What would they do exactly? The obvious answer was that they would kill everyone, but that only made me terrified that innocents could be slaughtered. 

The Alpha and Beta immediately began barking orders to every single pack member, directing them where to hide the rations and how to board up their homes. One of the biggest fears with any invasion … is fire. It is the easiest thing for the enemy to do … burn down everyone’s homes. And well, Gunner was known for leaving nothing in his wake. Taking what he wanted and to hell with the rest.

We frantically gathered a large cache of water and put it outside every home, hoping it didn’t freeze. All valuables, keepsakes, women and pups were to go into the shelter by dusk. 

The bunker had two ways to get out, just in case one exit somehow became blocked. I was extremely impressed with the way it was built and the thought that went into it. I really hoped we were just being overly careful, taking more precautions than necessary, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that something awful was about to happen.

The entire night went by, and nothing happened, much to everyone’s surprise and delight. When morning came, the Alpha let certain people come out, but he still wanted the majority to stay sheltered for now. There was still no sign of the missing guards, and every hour that went by it became less likely we would find them alive. 

A few people were gathered by a large fire, near my home on the outskirts of the main area of the pack. They were cooking up a huge dinner for everyone that would also have to be enough for breakfast. I had left the shelter to help gather more water to keep outside the houses.

I heard it before I saw it, a horse … hooves beating and crunching into the bit of snow that fell the other day. Some of it had melted, but a bit remained. I could swear I felt my heartbeat in my ears and it began to race. I felt sweaty, nervous and my body moved on its own, just trying to keep working.

I heard a commotion and then a howl. I ran to the source, not far from the large fire and saw a white horse covered in blood, with the body of one of the missing guards strapped to its back. Howling to the horse’s side was a large black wolf, which was the boy’s father, Bruce.

My knees gave out, and I fell to the ground. I immediately knew what this meant. My worst nightmare came true, Gunner and Tyson were coming.  

I felt someone elbowing me on my arm, and it was Valerie. She had her arms full of some food to take back in the bunker. Her eyes were huge and she was panicked. 

“Come on Ellie, there’s not a second to waste, we have to hide!!”

I couldn’t move, I was stuck, staring at the lifeless body before me. Any sadness I had left me, and it was replaced with rage. I couldn’t leave, I wouldn’t leave. This might be it … it might be my last night on this earth, but I wouldn’t just hide. This was my fight to have.

“You go down, I’m fighting,” I said, jumping to my feet. 

She moved in front of me, not able to touch me without dropping something, but trying to get my full attention. Her eyes pleaded with me.

“Don’t be ridiculous, you haven’t shifted yet! You’re basically a human, you can’t fight!!”

“I have to Valerie, I have to! This is my pack and I will defend it, you took me in when I had absolutely nothing, no one. I would rather die than be forced to mate, forced to be a breeder for the rest of my life, you have no idea what they are, I would be their slave!”

She looked at me with pity, and I hated it. But she knew she wasn’t changing my mind.

Just then we heard it, the humming of engines, likely snow mobiles and trucks. They were probably only a minute away. I gave Valerie a desperate look, begging her to go, and as the Alpha began barking commands, she fled. 

It would be fully dark in just an hour, and now there was a feast almost cooked, just in time for the Blood Claw warriors to eat. Perfect … timing. Several men immediately put out the fire as best they could and ran to take their positions.

The freshly cooked food was the last thing on everyone’s mind, but it pissed me off to think they would get it. I ran into a shed and found some gasoline, and immediately poured it over all the food. 

The guards had laid spikes around all of the doors and windows to the cabins and they were covered from the fresh snow we got this morning so I made sure to be careful while running around. 

Everyone was positioned as best they could be, and I hid in the shed a little ways away from the tables of food, but I had a good view. I was grateful I decided to wear two layers of clothes and a heavy jacket as it was starting to snow again. I also had on a heavy hat Valerie had made me. I had several knives and I had no clue what I was going to do with them, but I would put up whatever fight I possibly could. 

Within a minute there were numerous vehicles and snowmobiles converging onto the pack grounds. My heart was racing, somewhat regretting my choice not to shelter. What did I know about fighting, especially trained wolves!? I began to panic.

I prayed to the goddess for help, I begged her to intervene and spare this pack, spare my new family. Spare me, if even possible.

A few seconds later they were everywhere. There were so many of them!

I watched several men regard the food, and one of them took a piece of chicken off the table and immediately noticed the smell on it, throwing it in disgust. 

“They were JUST here, fan out!”

Our pack as a whole had less than ten guns to its name, and every one of them was in the hands of someone either perched on a roof or in a tree. 

Werewolves typically didn’t use guns, but most kept some as an evil necessity. Before I could hold another thought in my head, gunshots rang out from every corner, and several Blood Claw returned fire. Oh no! They came ready to fight dirty!

After a couple minutes, the firing ceased, with several down on both sides. I peeked through a hole in the shed, fearful they would hear my heartbeat racing. 

“Now, that’s no way to greet your neighbor! We’re just here to share in your bountiful harvest, awful shame you had to ruin dinner,” I heard a man yell out. 

I recognized him as Alpha Gunner’s Beta, the second in command. I didn’t know him very well, but I knew he was the head warrior and his son led all training operations. He was every bit as terrifying as Gunner.

I desperately wished I could mindlink Alpha Nelson but since I hadn’t yet shifted I couldn’t. I was so anxious for all the new gifts and abilities I would soon have once I got my wolf. 

Then a stark realization hit me, what if I didn’t live long enough to ever meet her? I felt tears pricking my eyes at the thought. 

The Blood Claw Beta growled that no one came forward and swiftly leapt into the air, shifting into a massive brown wolf and shredding his clothes in the snow. Several of his pack followed and within seconds there were well over two dozen wolves! 

Okay, now was the time to panic! I was sure they would be able to hear my heart racing, be able to smell my fear.

A man came forward and threw a pile of clothes in the air, and all the wolves quickly sniffed them and howled out, leaving puffs of their breath in the air. My heart stopped as I recognized one of my old coats, and it hit me … they were my clothes!!

As I tried to calm my panic attack, I focused on the man and he turned so I could see the side of his face … it was Tyson!! 

No, no, no!! Were they looking for me?! Yes, you idiot, of course they were! They probably just used taking the food as an excuse. Or as a bonus. I bit the inside of my lip but quickly let it go, afraid I’d draw blood and even more expose myself.

“If you’re here my darling Ellie, we’ll find you, I miss you terribly, my sweet mate. You belong with me, you belong to me, and you will come home with me. We'll be mating very soon baby,” he said, in a low voice that I could barely register. 

Goddess help me.