Marietta's POV
As soon as Ethan stabbed the judge everybody scampered to safety.
I lay on the ground hiding under the chairs to avoid getting struck. As I looked ahead to the direction where my father was seated, I saw George on top of my father. He kept punching him randomly. Alarmed, I ran towards him and pushed him off. I helped my father up. I had no intention of fighting. I wanted to just get out of there with my father but George blocked our way so we had to face him.
He brought out a sharp knife from his pants. He swung it randomly at me, nicking my shoulder. Blood dripped soaking a portion of my gown.
My enraged father pounced at him and they both crashed to the ground making him release his knife. My father punched him severally until he was unconscious.
As we made our way out of the courtroom, stumbling over dead bodies as we went, a man grabbed me by my shoulders. He was holding a knife in the other hand. There were splashes of blood on his face. My father tried to release his grip but he pushed him away and he fell.
He grabbed me by the throat and raised his hands to stab me but before he could stab me another man stabbed him in the back.
He growled freeing me of his grip." Are you okay ma'am? " the man who saved me asked as he helped me up. He is a member of our pack. Another man helped my father up and we made our way out of the courtroom.
Others tried to attack us but these two men didn't let them get to us.
My heart sank when I saw the piles of dead bodies littering our village.
They took us to a small hut hidden behind bushes. It was located at the edge of the woods just after the outskirts of our village. This must be a secret haven because I have never been to this place before.
As soon as we got to the hut, one of my father's men opened the door for us to enter. Inside the room, there were four doors. The man opened one of the doors. It had a staircase that led to an underground attic.
He picked up a wooden torch that was lying on top of the table in the room and led the way. My father held my hand and we followed him.
The attic to my surprise was wide and well furnished. There was a table in one corner surrounded by chairs. On the other side lay a bed. In the centre of the building was a mat made of palm fronds. Wooden torches were hung on the wall which served as the source of light.
Thomas and two other men were seated at the table. One of them was the man brought into the courtroom together with Thomas.
"This wasn't the plan," my father said as he walked hurriedly towards them. "What is this?". He asked angrily.
"Things went out of control. I don't know how it happened." He said unable to face it, father.
The men were in position waiting for my signal when we suddenly heard noises. Before we knew what was happening some of our men were struck down.
I was still in a daze trying to process what was happening when these men rushed towards us. A fight broke out even before I was able to give the sign. We were taken unaware that I had to ask our men to retreat for some minutes. Everything happened so fast and before we knew it, even women and children were being attacked.
It's as if everyone has gone crazy. We are all fighting blindly without a purpose, not knowing who to kill or who to spare."
"We sent men to bring you and Marietta out of the courtroom." He explained it to my father.
I learnt that my father in his quest to save me from facing prosecution had planned to launch an attack on the Red Hill pack and the Dark Moon pack.
The aim was to kill the alphas of these packs, that way the members will be so engrossed in grief that they will have no time to talk about prosecuting me.
That will give the judge enough time to turn the case over in our favour.
Unfortunately, things hadn't been done exactly as planned. Not that I wasn't happy to be free but the damage done was devastating.
Even our pack members were getting killed. Including our women and children.
"How do we stop this? " My father asked, confused.
" I am sorry we can't. Fights like this can hardly be stopped abruptly. All we can do is try to gather our pack members and get them to safety and as we speak our men are in the village doing that.
I stayed back to fill you in on what is happening. I have to go back now." He bowed, and as he turned to leave my father stopped him.
"I will go with you," he said, removing his cloak and adjusting his pants.
I wanted to go too but he said this was not a girl's fight. It was a serious fight for men with true guts.
Thomas and the other men joined them. I felt Thomas was still too weak to fight but he insisted he was strong enough.
My father asked one of the men to stay behind to protect me.
As I watched the men walk out of the room, I remembered Mata.
"Mata," I exclaimed, suddenly startling the man who was standing a few yards away from me.
He asked if everything was okay and I told him I was fine.
I cursed myself for forgetting to carry Mata along. I was so busy trying to save myself that I didn't remember that Mata was right behind me. Where could she be? I didn't want to imagine that something might have happened to her.
I decided to go back and look for her but this guy wouldn't let me. I told him I was going to look for Mata hoping he would understand and go with me to search for her but he said my father would skin him alive if he ever finds out that he risked his daughter's life just to search for someone whom we are not even sure was still alive.
I spent three days in the attic. These three days felt like three years. My father came in occasionally to check on me and assure me that everything was going to be okay.
I wasn't allowed anywhere near the staircase, not to mention going out. My father insisted it was too dangerous. He said it was difficult to tell the enemies apart from his friends.
He believed the conflict was instigated due to another ulterior motive which he was yet to understand so it was better no one knew where I was.
He promised to find Mata and keep her safe. When I heard that the village was set ablaze I remembered how I had sent men to set the Blood Brothers pack ablaze with the intent of killing Alyssa.
I wondered if the Blood Brothers were responsible for this attack. Now that they know I am responsible for the attack on their pack.
At last, the fight was over and I was happy to be finally let out of the attic but the damage done to our village was too intense.