Nine Lives
It was happening again, the terrified screams of the dying rose up through the floorboards and filled the room. It drowned out Bria's sobs; her small body pressed up against mine, causing tremors to roll through me. The wolves had shown up at the front door; posing as lost travelers they had been able to infiltrate what is normally a well-guarded home without a second thought from Nora. She was the first of the many to die in the chaos of the initial fight. Like the good wife she was she had answered the door only to be found dead on the floor a moment later a trio of claw marks marring her once beautiful face. Bria screamed so loud a couple of the wolves in front crumpled to their knees, covering their ears. It was like I wasn't even there everything accruing around me as if I was invisible; it was only when one the wolves began to stalk towards Bria that I snapped into action. Running across the room towards her I tuck and roll, dodging various fights as I tried to get to her. Everything went in slow motion as I fell on my back sliding between someone's legs and crashed into Bria who feel on my stomach, just as the wolf got to her. It was instinct what I did next; still laying on my back I kicked my foot up and it connected with his face, the sound of breaking bone and soft tissues rupturing made my stomach roll. His eyes would be forever burned into my memory; a bright glimmering shade of blue, slowing darkening as the life drained from then. I had killed him; in my haste to save Bria I had killed a man, I would never be the same after that.
I turned and found myself being watched by another one of the fallen's companions; I could almost see the wheels turning in his head as he wondered how I had taken down one of his own. His eyes flashed red as he lunged towards me; an Alpha, I couldn't fight him off even if I wanted. And more than anything in the world I wanted to survive if not for me then for Bria and Elena, they would need me. Just before the Alpha crashed into me Bria's father Jacque tackled into him taking the brunt of the wolf's fury. He gave me only the briefest of looks his grey eyes filled with the knowledge that he would die and so would many other this night.
"Run" He yelled
His pained cry knocked me out of my shocked state as I bolted up the stairs avoiding the bodies that littered the stairs and jumping over the already pooling blood. I rain until I reached a reinforced door at the end of the hall and started to dial in the code to open it. Bria began to stir in my hold her little arms tightening around my neck as she pulled herself up to whisper into my ear.
"Ivy she's coming."
I shoot a look over my shoulder to find a beautiful platinum haired woman standing at the end of the hallway, or at least she would have been if it weren't for the claws and fangs. By now I'm panicking pressing every button on the keypad trying to remember the passcode they had always use to open the door, you would think I would know the code to open my own door. Just when I think we're going to end up as puppy chow, Bria's hand shoots and and presses a combinations of keys and the door swings open. Not too soon because the she-wolf just threw herself towards us but just as soon as she hits the arch of her jump she is shot out of the air by a wolf bane laced bullet. I turn back to the door to see Elena holding a shotgun, shaking violently as if she was going to collapse.
Quickly I scoop her up and carry both of the girls into the room before locking the door behind us, right as a hand shots through the crack and grabs ahold of my arm. Bria screams while Elena disappears into my closet, seconds tick by while I struggle to pry the hand off my arm. I can feel the claws digging into the skin and the sight of my own blood pouring down my arms maddens me as I try to close the door. A streak of sliver goes pass my face, a loud wet thump and the sound of something hitting the floor can be heard. Everything goes quite not even the growling and yelling on the other side of the door could penetrate the silence in the room as we stared down at the disembodied arm lying on the floor in front of the door. Three of the claws have broken off in the flesh of my arms and I shudder as I turn and stumble to the other side of room where the girls curl into my side. And that is where all of the truly horrible things begin.
x x x
"Ivy are we going to die?" whispered Elena
"I don't know El, I hope not." I murmured
I had been staring at the ceiling now for what felt like forever but was really more like ten minutes. Waiting and wondering if the girl was right if we would live? Would it really go unnoticed that three girls had escaped all this carnage? I heard a faint gasp from the other side of the room and turned to find Bria scooting away from a vent she had placed herself in front of not too long ago. She turned to me her eyes wide and mouth pulled into a frown as shot worried glances at the door.
"They're coming for it us"
So she had been listening to their plans for us, it was moments like this that I could tell she was a hunter. I sighed and hurried to the center of the room where a trapped door was placed into the ceiling and yanked the chain down to reveal a set up stairs. I ushered the girls up the stairs and just as I was about to go up myself I terrible pain ripped through my back and I screamed at the sight of the hulking beast behind me. I was purely instinctual then; I was cornered, and injured I was not going out without a fight. A deep growl started in the back of my throat filling the air in the room as my nails lengthened, the wolf wore a confused look that soon turned to pain as I slashed his eyes. I hellish roar emitted from him as he clutched his face and backed away from me or what he probably hoped was away from me. I would have ripped him limb from limb if the girls hadn't grabbed me dragging me up the stairs and sealed the door shut. Elena kneeled next to me her light blue eyes filled with tears as she looked down at me.
"You're bleeding'' She sobbed
"It doesn't matter" I hiss as I stand and walk over to one of the windows
Before it was a lab and my own personal hell it had been a game room for the family, it still even had the zip line attached to the side of the house. I turned to Bria and pointed to the spring swings sitting unused in a corner under a tarp. She nodded and started to put them together as fast as her little fingers could, while Elena and I began to barricade the door. It wouldn't be long before the Alpha's vision can back and when that happened nothing would be able to help us.
"Listen to me girls remember the town that we would go into to get grocery's and stuff?" I ask
"Beacon Hills" Elena whispered
"It's the closest town that we can get to without a car, if we can get out of the house without the wolves noticing then we can make it."
"And if we can't?" Bria said as she handed us each a spring swing
"Then I love you both and no matter what I don't regret this life." I say as I position them at the window
I can feel the floor begin to buckle underneath us the telltale roar of the wolves trying to rip through the wood. I watch first Bria then Elena make their escape before I toss myself out of the window behind them, just in time to avoid the floor boards under my feet disappearing. As soon as I hit the ground I see Elena cutting away at the line, growling I push her towards the woods and severe the rope myself before dashing into the forest. As we run I begin to count.
One Mississippi
The town is less than a mile away but I'm afraid we all won't make it at the pace we're going Bria is smaller than Elena and I and I can already see that it's hard for her to keep up with us. I reach out and toss her onto my back, forgetting for a moment that I'm still bleeding and the pain of it almost stops me cold.
Two Mississippi
I can hear them crashing through the trees behind us trying to get to us before we can make it to safety. An idea forms in my head at almost the exact same moment as it does El's, she tosses me the shotgun she was still carrying with her. Right as I turn Bria around so she is in front of me it her legs wrapped around my waist, I hand her the gun and let her go to town, and after all she is the best markswoman I have ever seen in my life.
Three Mississippi
Every muscle in my body burns as I run; using every last bit of my energy, to take one more step, to breath, and survive. I almost want to give up before I see it a little speck of light and hear the sound of voices, the crashing of bodies and whistles.
Four Mississippi
We were less than thirty feet away when I realized Bria still had the shot gun, as quickly as I can I snatch if from her and bend it in the shape of a boomerang and toss it behind me.
"Wow good shot Ivy" whispered Bria as we burst through the foliage and onto what resembles a soccer field.
A man who I assume is the coach immediately begins to yell at us but we ignore him as we run off the field and up to the school, the wolves aren't chasing us anymore but that doesn't mean anything. We could die at any moment and the words of a pompous gym teacher meant little to nothing to me or my sisters. We run up the stairs and into to the school colliding with one of the many students in the hallway, it's too much for me by then I can't hold on any longer. I sink to the floor and my vision blur as someone squats in front of me their face swimming in and out of focus. Light blue eyes standout on their face seeming to jump out at me, I think they are trying to say something to me but it comes out as a jumble mixing with other voices.
"Jackson the…..she's…..the others."
"Five Mississippi" I slur before I lose consciousness