Chapter 21

The dark blue dress trousers that dad wore were instantly coated in the scarlet substance that had soaked the floor around Elliot. The moonlight reflected off the surface of the blood and was glinting with the flickering lights from the nearby flames as if gloating that it was there.

I kept my eyes on mum as she crept towards dad cautiously with her hand outstretched, as though she was hovering closer to a cornered and wounded animal that was poised ready to attack her. All of dad’s senses must have been closed off because he flinched when her delicate fingers made contact with his shoulder. It seemed like he was completely unaware of her being anywhere near him until she touched him; his bereavement even had his mate bond on pause.

As I stood and viewed the sorrowful couple together, I could feel the heat from all the nearby fires that had been lit to be a part of Corbin’s questionable torture regime. But even as I could feel the heat on both sides of my face, making the skin there feel tight and itchy, it still could not soothe or warm the chill that had settled deep within my bones.

There was a smile and a look of pure glee on Corbin’s face, whilst Reid’s was still firm with caution, expecting everything to change in a flash. It was as though Corbin had lived his whole life just for this moment alone; the defeat of a great Alpha by his hands.

But he was not completely defeated yet.

I could feel a new energy simmering in everyone through the pack bond. The sight of their crumbled Alpha and Luna sparked a new life inside of them; the natural instinct of their wolves needing to stand and protect them, fired up the will to fight for the Alpha family.

My muscles tensed and my pulse quickened as I smelt the first whiffs of the all-too-familiar sharp, vinegary scent of anger. My breathing quickened as my own emotions escalated within me, adding to the already brewing storm around us that was charging the air with a thick tension.

My adrenaline started to spike just as small growls started to filter through the thick fog of emotions.

Dad must have sensed what was happening, his own body picking up on the chemical changes that were being released from his Pack members and fueling something new inside of him too. He started to stand to his full beastly height, causing Mum’s hand to fall from his shoulder in understanding, along with her own fury building up to an intense amount. Dad’s shoulders started to heave as his own anger flooded our senses, and leaving nothing but the smell of burning metal.

Growls and snarls turned ferocious, feral even, as Dad’s more powerful ones elicited spikes of fear in response from everyone around for miles, even though we were not the target of his fury and hatred.

I looked to a terrified Corbin, and then to Reid, who was staring at me with an unreadable expression. It was my turn to smirk.

And to go the extra mile, I stuck my tongue out and flipped him the bird, just as dad released the most vengeful and deafening roar possible as a que to initiate an attack and just as Reid had stepped towards me.

The sounds of flesh being ripped open or torn from bone was impossibly instant following a chorus of charging snarls and roars from both sides. The crunching and snapping of bones were so loud that it was sickening; usually a comforting sound of transformation, but the meaning behind the increase of intensity was making me queasy.

I was in awe as Eli jumped into the air and drew his knees tight to his chest. His arms were pushed down as far as he possibly could so that he could bring his hands under his feet and to the front of him in one quick, fluid motion.

I danced around at the last second to dodge a weak attack as a couple of enemy bodies had lunged for me and rounded back, then hesitated before one charged at me again. They had obviously forgotten that our whole pack are well-trained warriors and not just a few of the men. As I spun around to face them, I worked with Beaux to sense where the daft shits were, my fist clenched tight and ready. I used the force of the spin to put more power into my already wolf-increased assault to their face, knocking the closest one of them down and away from me; I did not wait to see what damage the punch had done. I turned to the second one that seemed to be using his remaining brain cells and was now cautious of attempting anything with me. I used the extra time from his hesitation to move quickly and directly towards him. I raised my right knee and kicked out a well-aimed foot to his chest; putting all my strength into it and breaking a few of his ribs in the process.

Both human and wolf forms were moving around in a blur, too fast to make out any distinctive features of my packmates and see who had the upper hand.

It was a bloodbath, and I could see dad reveling in it, knowing that he was getting some of his revenge served best. He was the stuff that that nightmares were made from; pulling limbs from bodies with his bare hands in a rush of adrenaline and dripping with his enemy's blood. Almost totally animalistic, him and his wolf worked together, making him an absolute beast in this battle.

It was no wonder that our Alpha was so feared by everyone; no-one in his path or set in his sights was safe. I could see the animal in his eyes as he left carnage and gore behind anywhere that he went. Any wolf that tried to attack dad as he advanced his way through numerous bodies on the floor towards Corbin, was thrown from him as if they were just a weightless inconvenience.

So much blood had been spilt in just a few short minutes that I could taste the strong substance in the air as though it were a drink being forcefully held to my lips.

I tried to keep myself back from the chaos and fighting, avoiding it as much as I could whilst I searched for the wolves most important to me; I needed to know that they were alive. I was rapidly scanning my eyes over the figures until I spotted Eli and Reid fighting each other once again. There were more wounds on them than when I had last laid eyes upon their toned bodies. I could see the red blood covering both future Alpha’s as they met each other blow-for-blow, and I watched as it shimmered stickily in the moonlight as they fought for submission from their adversary. They moved around each other, rapidly throwing punches and kicks at a speed that was difficult to keep up with. But I could see that Eli was tiring, he was getting slower and that was giving Reid more opportunities to strike him.

I froze as I noticed a group of wolves creeping slowly upon the fighting duo. Both were too focused on the other to notice the advancing team, as the wolf at the front of the group held something dark and stick-like in his right hand. My eyebrows furrowed in puzzlement as I tried to focus my sight better on it, but it was only a split second before he made contact with Eli, that it sparked blue and I realised that he was holding a cattle prod.

Eli’s back arched as he was shocked with the intense electrical currant, stopping him from defending himself and allowing Reid to punch him with all his remaining strength. Eli fell to the ground, whilst I screamed louder than what I thought was possible, terrified to my core of what would happen to my brother. Even whilst Eli was on the floor, the strange wolf did not let up; he began shocking Eli on his stomach for good measure, to ensure that Eli was definitely disabled this time. My stomach dropped as I watched Eli’s eyes close, falling unconscious as blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.