It’s been a long time since I’ve been plagued with nightmares of the attack. I lay here beside my so–called mate, reliving the moment in silence.
It’s the final quarter. There are forty seconds on the board and six yards to a touchdown. My arms are tightly around the iron bars as I watch my oldest brother, Gavin, toss the ball to our brother Oliver. The two of them position themselves as the next play begins.
All I can hear is the roar of my blood racing as I watch the final moments of the game. My brothers have been working so hard to get here, and winning this game will make them champions of this year’s Packlands Championship league.
“Let’s go, Helvig!” someone shouts, and the crowd starts chanting our last name.
The timer restarts, and the team delays the throw. The other teams are unaware of what’s happening. Their eyes are locked on Oliver. Ten seconds. Oliver pushes off the ground, and the other team moves with him. Gavin rushes forward, pushing off the ground with all his might.
The crowd erupts with joy as he jumps over the other quarterback, clearing the last yards. The stadium goes crazy. I scream, gripping the metal divider, and jump down along with a whole lot of other people.
They did it. I cross the field and jump into my brother’s arms. Oliver swings me around laughing, and then tosses me up, only for Gavin to catch me. The team and the others in the pack surround us. The older wolves howl while we, the juveniles, can only scream with joy.
I have never been more proud of my brothers. I’ve watched them day in and day out train until they could barely stand to get here. I know it’s one of the happiest days in their lives, and I get to be a part of it.
“Where’s Dad?” Oliver asks. I stare back at him, not knowing how to answer without ruining the win. I think he sees it in my eyes because he nods. “It’s cool.”
“I’m here,” I take his hand, and his smile returns. I jump on him again. “You did it!”
“We did it,” Gavin comes over with some of the other older boys and his mate. Joclyn.
Joclyn is the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen in my life, and she complements my brother perfectly. The ideal beta couple is coming into power. I hear all the whispers about them, how they’re going to make the pack stronger. The best thing that could have happened to the Artume Pack was the alpha bringing in my father when he was seventeen years old. No one has anything bad to say about any of us.
“Hey,” I point at Dad. We all turn to see him running to us. “He came!” I beam, patting Oliver’s arm. “He’s here.”
Ollie has always tried his best to please our dad. To walk in Gavin’s footsteps to show him that he’s worthy of being an official Beta. I know our father is as proud as the rest of our family, but he works a lot. Being the Pack’s acting Beta is a full–time job, and sometimes he misses things. Gavin tries to explain, but it’s hard to listen when there’s a vacant spot in every event or
ceremony.
“Something’s wrong.” Gavin takes my hand and pushes me towards Joclyn. She immediately pulls me to her. Dad waves his
hands.
“Run,” Oliver shouts at us.
“Sophie,” Joclyn pulls me, and I lose my grip on my brother’s arm.
A loud howl echoes in the darkness in the treeline. Joclyn’s hold on my hand tightens as a massive wolves come out of the darkness like demonic shadows–one after the other in every direction.
1/3
3:56 pm
Chapter $
“Gavin!” I cry out, but he’s nowhere in sight.
Sophie, stay with me, Joclyn shouts.
65 vouchers
I follow. The two of us run towards the crowd. She’s smart, she’s ducking under the crowd with me in tow, not trying to go through them. I scream when someone hits the floor beside me. It’s Ms. Harper, my Algebra one teacher. Her eyes are looking back at me, but there’s nothing in them.
I scramble away from her to get closer to Joclyn. The two of us managed to get under the bleachers with a couple of other girls from my class.
“Stay behind me,” Joclyn growls.
Two big wolves appear up ahead. We turn around to find two more at the other end.
The tunnel,” I cry out.
“Go.” Joclyn shoves me, and she shifts.
I take the hands of two of the other girls, and we make a run for it as some of the other pack wolves back Joclyn out. I push the girls to the left, keeping us tight against the wall. Two rogues run past us. I glance back at the others, knowing that they have no idea what to do. Not any more than I do.
Think. Think, Soph. What would Ollie do? I poke my head out to see that people are dying everywhere. I see an opening to the parking lot.
“Okay.” I look over at the girl behind me. She’s in my PE class. “Okay, do you remember when we did all four exercises?”
“Yes,” she nods, along with some of the other girls.
“Don’t stop until you get out of the gate. Head towards the main building,” I order.
“What about you?” she cries.
I’m right behind you,” I promise. She steps forward. “The gate and then the main building. Hide anywhere.”
The four of them take off running the way we practiced. I look back and see no one. I don’t want to leave Joclyn behind, but there’s really nothing I can do. I turn around and run after them. I repeat it in my head over and over. The gate. The main building. The gate. The main building. The gate. The main building.
My body screams when my hands reach the gate. I try to catch my breath, and as I prepare to break for the parking lot, I hear a howl, and my body freezes. I turn around to see my father’s wolf trying to fight off the wolves, but I lock on to the dark brown wolf behind him. Gavin.
My blood runs cold. Another howl echoes in the distance. I see the pretty sand colored wolf sprint across the field and clash against the group of rogues my father is trying to fend off. I step back, unable to believe what I’m seeing
My eyes scan the crowd, trying to find Oliver. I don’t see him anywhere. He wouldn’t want me to get in the way. If I run out there, I can risk getting hurt or distracting them more. I turn around only to come face–to–face with two wolves.
Everything happens so fast. The pain blurs a lot of what’s happening. I scream as I’m dragged towards the treeline. I kick and claw, calling out for help. I hear it then, Oliver’s howl. The teeth embedded in my shoulder are pulled away, and I cry out as my brother’s black wolf runs past me.
“Oliver!” I cry out.
But it’s no use. I can’t move. Everything feels hot, and all I can do is watch as those monsters rip my sixteen–year–old, newly
2/3
Chapter 5
65 vouchers
shifted brother apart. I can’t breathe. All I can taste is the metal in my mouth. I turn slowly, searching the chaos for my Dad.
“Daddy!” I call out.
I repeat it over and over as I pull myself towards the light of the parking lot. I reach the border and pull myself closer to the light. Two growls come from behind me. I look back to see the two rogues stalking towards me.
The bigger one barks, and I cry out. It pounces forward, biting at my leg. With what little strength I have, I kick him. He whines, and the other one pounces on me. Its paw lands on the wound on my shoulder, and all I can do is scream.
There’s a howl, and the wolves pause. The look in the direction it came from. One of them runs off, but the other one keeps its eyes on me. The howl turns into a roar just as he’s about to bite me again. He freezes mid–attack and turns his attention to the darkness behind him.
More wolves rush out of the darkness. One in particular stands out. A massive silverback jumps out of the darkness of the clearing. His silver fur was almost luminescent in the full moon’s light. He tears those other wolves apart without mercy.
The one hovering over me lowers his body and turns around to escape. I scream and reach for it. The wolf is startled, and it bites me. I cry out again and again, refusing to let go. I can feel it tearing at my stomach, but if I’m dying, he’s coming with
- me.
Silver comes in my direction, and the wolf latched onto me let’s go. I keep my arms around its leg the same way I had when my brothers won tonight. I feel the hit of the young King taking the wolf off me. I fall onto my back. Water or maybe blood fills my lungs, and I can’t breathe at all. I try to gasp for air, but relief never comes. All I can see are the stadium lights that illuminate the football field I’ve grown to love.
I lay here thinking that was probably the worst thing that could have ever happened to me. The man at my back, who swore his love and devotion, sleeps peacefully, not caring that he’s tearing me apart.
3/3
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
