Chapter 11

The alarms were still blaring as Lucian, Mary, and I ran straight for the alpha's house. We needed a plan and quick. As the mansion comes into view we see Ajax running out the front door headed straight for us. Just behind him, I can see orange and yellow flames licking up the sides of his house. No, no, no, NO! They weren't just looking to attack, they wanted to wipe our entire territory off the face of the earth. This was no longer a war. This was an extermination plan.

"Get to the women and children, take them to the boat just behind the trees on the lake it should be big enough for all of them. I'll get to the wolves strong enough to fight, after you get the women and children across the lake come back and we will start filing the warriors onto the boat to get across. There might be another boat across the lake too, if so Ella you take the first boat back here and Lucian takes the other across so we can get them all in two trips. It's our safest option. I don't know how many vampires we are up against." Ajax commands as he keeps heading further into the territory, as he explains we branch off in the directions we needed to go. Lucian went house to house and I ran back to the hospital To gather the mom's and new babies. Shattering glass pulls my attention away from the mom and newborn I was helping. glancing behind me I see a Molotov shattering flame erupting all around it.

"Shit! Sylvia get down!" I scream at her as another is thrown inside, she ducks just in time, as she jumps the counter she races over to me.

"We need to get the women and children out, grab elders if possible too. We're getting them across the lake." I order her as she steps next to the mother and new baby. She helps grab their stuff and leads them towards the back exit. Spotting the fire alarm I pull it alerting the other patients. Seeing confused and worried faces peek their heads out of the doorways I take my chance.

"Grab anything you need and file out the back exit! Go now!!" I yell at them just as I see a boy about five years old wander out of his room. Running to him I check the room he just left through and his mother on the bed. She wasn't moving and her monitor had been turned off. Shit, thinking fast I scoop up the boy in my arms and running out the back exit.

"Follow me!" I holler racing off into the trees heading straight for the lake. Lucian was just loading the last of the women and children from the houses onto the boat. I saw a lot more room on the boat and I could finally release the breath I'd been holding.

"Everyone onto the boat hurry!!" I yell towards the rest of them, I set the little boy down in the back of the boat and brush his unkempt hair out of his eyes.

"It's going to be okay, we're going to get you to safety I promise. Where's your dad?" I soften my voice so I don't seem like I'm commanding him. He looks up into my eyes his eyes drooping into a puppy-dog look.

"He was on p...p...patrol." he stammers tears dripping down his cheeks.

"What's his name? You're doing very good hon just a little bit longer of being strong okay?" I run my thumbs under his eyes drying his tears.

"His name is Micheal, he... he has brown hair like me and dark brown eyes," he murmurs finally caving into sobs rubbing my hand down the side of his head comfortingly one last time I stand up looking for him, Lucian. Smoke was slowly invading the trees making it harder to see. I couldn't see Lucian anywhere.

'Lucian where are you!?' I yell into the pack bond clinging to his link, he didn't answer right away and it scared the hell out of me.

'Over here love.' his response finally came through and glancing to my left I just barely see his silhouette sighing in relief I race to him.

"We need to find a man named Micheal, brown hair and dark brown eyes. His son is on the boat, but his mom didn't make it. I know Ajax only said women and children, but he needs at least one parent to make it out of here." I hurry my words looking around frantically looking for any other male around.

"Hey, it's going to be okay, we will find him and Ajax will understand." he grabs my shoulders gently, a reflexive flinch escapes me without my control. A quick look of hurt crosses his features, but it quickly dissipates. Inhaling deeply I let his scent calm my nerves and relax me as much as I could.

"Okay, I'm okay, let's find him. His son said he was on patrol when this happened he didn't say which one, but I could bet he's with your father by now." I state glancing around straining my ears I focus on all the words and shouts I can pick up on.

"You three with me!" Ajax's voice comes roaring through and hopes flares up in my belly.

"To the east!" I shout to Lucian taking off in the direction of Ajax's voice. There's a group of warriors slowly getting bigger by the minute.

"Alpha!" I yell drawing his attention to me.

"Ella? Why aren't you getting the women and children to safety?" he asks furrowing his brow a slight growl erupting in his throat.

"They're ready to go I just need to find someone. His name is Micheal he has a five-year-old son. His wife didn't make it and I can't get them to safety without at least one of his parents with him." I explain looking at all the faces around me.

"You're talking about my son Connor." a man steps out from the middle of the ranks and stopping in front of us.

"You may go with them." Ajax nods at Micheal and Lucian and I lead him to the boat. He climbs in next to Connor, and Connor drops his head into his lap crying silently. Lucian and I climb in the front of the boat after pushing it into the water. Using the oars to row silently through the black-looking water the boat is eerily quiet as everyone holds onto their loved ones and just stares off into space. No one was expecting this attack. I steal a glance at Lucian and can see him deep in thought trying to mull over everything that just happened. Taking his free hand in mine I interlace our fingers giving his hand a soft squeeze. He glances at me and gives me a small smile looking back to the shore. Gray smoke was billowing up into the night air, crawling up like tentacles trying to grab anything and anyone in its path.

After what felt like ages we reached the other shore. Jumping out me and Lucian pull the boat onto the shore and everyone files off the boat and into the trees behind us. Glancing back I could see buildings in between the trees confused I look at Lucian.

"What is this place?" I ask him to help a young girl off the boat.

"This is our temporary sanctuary. We had it built after the war with the vampires started. We didn't know if they would come this far north or not, but we built it as a second home. In case we ever needed to leave ours. This place is surrounded by water there's no connecting land so it made it the perfect escape area. If we keep all the boats over here no one can get to us. The lake is too deep for someone to swim across," Lucian explains helping the last person off the boat, "all the buildings are stocked with the essentials and the forest is rich with the wildlife we can live here for as long as we need." as we're getting ready to push the two boats into the water a searing pain rips into my chest and I keel over, just as Lucian does the same. What is happening? My head felt like it was going to explode and a deep hollow howl erupts into the sky telling us the one thing we feared the most. The alpha was dead.