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Chapter Nineteen

Hush Hush Hush

Everyone was rushing to their positions while I stood with my dad in the meeting room, putting all the information we had together.

Victor was coming to us now, and I was positive it was for Essie. Well maybe he was also pissed because we kind of shot him, but I think the real goal was getting his wife and child.

“Donte said his men were attacked a couple of miles from here.” Tyler informed us and my dad quickly added a red mark to the map we had.

“Do we know what they’re using? Weapons of any kind?” Victor and his men were shape shifters. They were either using machinery or their natural ability to fight. I just needed to know which one. Tyler left the room and returned a few minutes later with Donte behind him.

“They are shifting Alpha. We were attacked by mountain lions, even a few jaguars. While we were retreating though, I heard gun shots in the distance, so I believe they are using everything they have.” I groaned and slammed my fist down.

We didn’t have anything to protect us against guns.

“Tyler, Noel. I need you to go around and gather up everybody who can use a gun effectively. I need them to be sharp, because we will not have time to waste if they have only used one a couple of times.” They nodded their heads and left the room. I turned to Nate and he met my eyes.

“I need you and Hazel to go and collect as many weapons as you can.” They both headed out and I sighed, feeling my energy draining already. I had just been made Alpha not even five hours ago and was already thrown into shit.

“Kolya?” I looked up to see Lysander walking up to me. I smiled and held my arms out to him and he walked into them, lifting me off the ground in a hug. “How are you holding up?” He asked and I sighed again.

“Well, the good news is Victor hasn’t made a move in the last two hours. Everyone seems ready to fight, but I’m just worried about the guns their bringing.” I had full trust and confidence that my pack could hold their own against shape shifters. We did it once before, we can damn sure do it again.

But these shifters were bringing weapons that could actually kill us. The causalities were going to skyrocket and that was something I wanted to avoid.

“The town has been evacuated,” Luna announced as she walked into the room. “The members we could get from Hazels pack helped move them and have gotten with her and Nate to get the weapons you asked for.” And just as she mentioned that, I saw Tyler and Noel walk in.

“We’ve got about ten people who have professional experience with guns.” I felt a tiny weight lift off my chest at that news. Maybe we could win this.

Nate and Hazel returned with their weapons and we gave everybody their objectives. Hazel and a few others were stationed in the trees and on the roofs of some houses as our snipers. They were to look out and get rid of anyone who had a gun. Our goal was to execute the people with weapons, leaving us to fight with our fist. The rest were put in the top floors of houses, so they could shoot from the windows, getting anyone the snipers missed.

Everyone was gearing up for battle, hoping we could catch them in a surprise attack.

“Why do I feel like I’m in some kind of war movie? Or Mission Impossible?” Hazel joked as she strapped on her weapons, before joining the others on the roof of one of the houses. I rolled my eyes and turned to follow my dad when I heard a gunshot. I watched in horror as one by one, everyone we had positioned with a gun, fell from their place to the ground.

“Dad—“I started to yell, but was cut off when I felt the ground shake, causing me to fall. I looked around and saw the whole entire area filled with smoke. People were running, trying to get out of it and I watched as something would grab them and drag them back.

“Nikolai! Get up!” I heard someone yell and saw my dad running to me, Hazel following behind him along with someone I assumed was from her pack.  My dad helped me up and I saw Lysander run to my side, along with Nate and Tyler. I couldn’t even speak, as I was being dragged into the Pack House. My dad set me down in a chair and I suddenly felt a stinging in my arm. I looked down to see a deep cut in it and Lysander disappeared, before returning with a wet cloth.

I watched while Lysander cleaned the cut, as Hazel and the others from her back shot at the things in the smoke while people rushed into the pack house. I looked around and felt relief as I saw all my family and friends safely inside.

“Close the doors!” My dad barked and Hazel and her men moved inside. “All of you! Take a position in the upstairs in a window that is not taken already. Keep an eye out for anything that is not a wolf and do not hesitate to kill it.” They all rushed off while Hazel walked over to me with my dad.

“What the hell just happened?” I gasped, finally finding my voice.

“They beat us to the punch. While we were planning to surprise them, they were already two steps ahead of us.” Hazel announced and I slowly put my head down. They probably killed a lot of people while I was lying defenseless on the ground. I’m supposed to be their leader and I led them straight to deaths door.

“Hey!” I jumped as my dad yelled at me and I looked at him. “Do not think for a second this is your fault. You did well for someone who hasn’t been Alpha for a day. No one could have expected this to happen.”

“But I should have. I have met Victor twice before this; I should have known he was capable of this! I let all those people die while I just lay on the ground!” I yelled in defense. Before anyone could argue back at me, a blood-curdling scream filled the house and everyone went silent. I felt fear shiver up my spine as the whole house went black.

“Dad!” I whisper-yelled and I felt someone grab my hand.

“Everyone’s here.” Lysander whispered and I heard someone shuffling towards me.

“We need to shift. We can see in the dark as wolves.” My dad ordered and I moved to obey him, but froze as I started to hear loud thumps fill the air, like bodies hitting the floor. I tightened my grip on Lysander’s hand, but when I felt it go lax, I thought my heart might stop.

“Say goodnight Alpha.” A voice hissed and my mind went blank.

***

“Rise and shine!” Someone yelled and I jolted awake as they splashed cold water on me. I went to grab them, but my arms stopped short. I opened my eyes and looked down to see I was chained to the ground. I started pulling at them, trying to loosen it but stopped when I realized it was no use

 “That was quite the greeting you gave us.” I felt my lips turn into to a sneer at the familiar voice. I looked up to see Victor walking over towards me. “I thought what better way to show my gratitude, then to chain you all up.”

“When I get out of these, I’m going to rip your throat out.” I snarled, jerking against the chains again. He started laughing and then shook his head while clucking his tongue.

“See, you could get out of those easily. All you have to do is tell me where I can find my beloved wife and then you all are free to go.” If I was stupid, I would have listened to him and spilled everything to him, but I didn’t. I promised Essie I would keep her and her child safe and knowing Victor, even if I did tell him, he would only let us go to kill us or torture us.

“I don’t know where your wife is. She left a couple of days ago while everyone was sleeping.” I told hi calmly and he stared at me for a while before frowning.

“I see you suffered some memory loss when you hit your head. Why don’t I leave, and when I come back, you better know exactly where she is.” He turned and walked away and I sighed. Even if I did know, I wouldn’t tell him. The only person who knew was Hazel and she was most likely in the same position as me.

I felt dread wash over me as I realized I was the only one out here. I had no clue where everyone else was or if they were okay. Maybe if I pretended to know where Essie was, I could make a deal with him to let me go, and then take him down.

“Times up.” I cursed under my breath as I saw Victor walking over to me again. “One last chance to tell me where my wife is.”

“Why should I? So you can abuse her and your child? I don’t think so.” I snapped and he looked at me in surprise.

“Oh, so you know already. For your information, what I did to my wife is how our kind deals with insubordination. You wouldn’t understand how awful it looks when you’re a king and your queen doesn’t like her own kind.”

“So you beat her into submission? That’s fucked up! If you’re going to marry someone you love, you shouldn’t care about things like that! You should have supported her because that’s what she needed, but instead you abused her and locked her away!”

“I don’t need a little boy to tell me what’s right and wrong.” Victor snapped. He bent down and grabbed my face in his hand, squeezing it. “Tell me where my wife is or I’ll make you regret it.” I glared at him and he let out an animalistic growl before throwing my head from his grasp and standing up.

“Bring them out!” He yelled and I felt my heart sink when I saw his men carrying my parents outside. They looked horrible, their clothes were torn and bloody and my dad’s eye was swollen shut. He looked over at me and I could see the anger on his face.

“I’m giving you one last chance. You either tell me where she is or I will make you wish you had never met me.” I watched in horror as one of his men handed him a dagger and I opened my mouth, ready to tell him everything when my dad called out to me. I looked at him, feeling the tears welling up as he smiled. “Don’t let him win.”

“He’s going to kill you!” I cried out and he just shook his head, grabbing my mom’s hand and she smiled also.

“Son, I want you to know that you are everything your mother and I wanted you to be. You will make an amazing Alpha along with your mate, I have my utmost faith in that. We love you no matter what happens, do you understand that?” I couldn’t form words as the tears slowly started to fall.

“Well isn’t this sweet. If you just tell me what I want to hear, then you all get to live.” Victor sighed and I looked at my dad, but he shook his head, his silent way of telling me to keep my mouth shut.

“I love you Nikolai, so much.” My mom croaked and I felt my heartbeat pick up as Victor raised the dagger to her throat. I screamed out as he sliced both their throats and didn’t stop as their lifeless bodies hit the ground.

“Let’s hope I don’t have to kill any more people dear Nikolai. Tell me where she is.” Victor announced, his voice getting louder as he walked closer.

This was it.

He was going to keep killing everyone unless I told him and I couldn’t let that happen. So I needed to come with a plan and just wing it.

“I’ll take you to her.” I whispered, the tears falling again after the words left my mouth.

Essie, please forgive me but I’m hoping I can keep you safe for longer.

i just..im just gonna go now and leave this here... u_u

picture of our belated Scarlet and Ryder holding baby Nikolai

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