CHOICES

They crashed through the doors, Eric setting Sarah on her feet as he charged the human who stood with a stake over Pam's chest, slamming into him so hard that bones crushed in a sickly sound of snaps when they met the wall.

Sarah sprinted to Alcide's side, throwing a kick at the man's side to send him stumbling back. She looked down to Alcide as she froze the beast in its place, seeing the glare in the white werewolf's glowing eyes.

'Who needs protecting now?'

Somehow, he sneered.

She glanced to Eric, watching as he took care of men that were rushing down the stairs and then turned to Alcide, crouching. 'Did you change before anyone saw you?' she asked. He nodded and she said, 'good, now stay in this form, okay? We don't want anyone to know you're a werewolf as well.'

He nodded again and they turned, facing a group of three heavy set men as they came through the front door, their broad chests nearly blocking out the light as they approached Sarah and Alcide, smirks curling over the lips of each man. They held their guns tight, not quite aimed but still menacing.

'Nice dog.'

Alcide growled and Sarah reached to scratch his ear, earning herself another glare but knowing it was better they didn't know that he was a werewolf, not when the Fellowship of the Sun was training to kill vampires. She doubted that they didn't have a plan for werewolves.

'Thanks,' she said, smiling. 'I have to warn you, he doesn't like strangers.'

'Is that so?'

She smiled. 'He just might demonstrate his dislike if you're not careful,' she said. 'In fact, I might too.'

They laughed at that, the one taking point actually reaching up to wipe a tear from his eye. 'Girly, you think that just because you landed a kick in Theo's side that you'll be able to take on three of us?' He looked to his comrades and they joined his laughter before finally meeting her gaze again.

'If you're done,' she said holding her hand up as if to wave them off nonchalantly, 'I'd like to start hurting you now.'

'And what are you going to do?' The one on the left asked, a little taller than the others. 'Manicure us to death?'

Another bout of laughter filled the room and Sarah glanced around, seeing Eric and Pam locked in battle with a larger group, avoiding the silver that was sprayed and swiped at them, their careful movements making them slower to reach each of the humans. She glanced down to Alcide, nodding her head to them, seeing another glare.

'Help Eric or it'll be your hide I pin to the wall.'

He growled.

'Go.'

He turned, still reluctant as he went to aid Eric and Pam. She faced the still laughing men, nearly craning her neck to stare at them. 'Who's first?'

The leader of their little group looked down. 'Cute, but this is going to run my way. I'm going to grab you and tie you up so you're out the way while us big boys go deal with the vampers you little fang banger bitch.'

'Bad idea.'

'I'm sorry,' he leant a little closer, trying to intimidate her with his size, not knowing that she was used to standing up against Eric, that she would taunt him even when he was riled from a fight. Though he would never hurt her, he was still menacing.

The man cupped a hand to his ear. 'I didn't hear that. Did you say I should call you a fang banger bitch again?'

'If you'd like to be castrated.'

'Oh, here that boys? This one's all tough. Thinks that 'cos she's got her vamp boy that she's a match for us.' He turned, looking at both of his comrades in turn. 'I bet she'll bend over just as easy for us.'

Her knuckles cracked as her fingers curled into fists. 'Really bad idea.'

'You keep saying that,' the one to the left said, 'but you still haven't done anything about it.'

She pulled a smirk over her lips, vicious as she said, 'I guess I should change that then.'

She shot back a few steps, using a gust of air to propel her. She stared, waiting.

'See, she ran away,' the man at the front said, laughing that ridiculous laugh again.

'No, I just don't want to get burnt.' She brought her hand up, watching as the chandelier above shifted, the paintings and pictures hanging on the wall swinging on their nails. The men glanced around and she saw the spark of confusion in their gazes as they all looked to the still open front door that they'd entered through, likely brushing off the gust of air as nothing more than a current from outside.

They levelled a glare at her, all smirking as they took a step forward. She held her hand high, palm facing them as another gust of air whipped at them, stronger this time. They paused again but still believed it to be from outside until they were caught in a controlled tornado. They stared at her, trying to break through the gust of air with struggling steps. The leader shouted a command but his voice was lost in the wind, eyes wide when they levelled on her as she brought her other hand up, panic in their gazes as it lit with flame.

She smiled, sending it in a sizzling stream toward the group. Their screams were cut off as she destroyed their weapons and tore at their skin with each flick of red and orange before she doused it, leaving them trapped and helpless within the whirlwind.

They stared at her with horror but she didn't care, not when they threatened her friends, not when they threatened Eric. She sent them flying into the air to the high ceiling, slamming them into the plaster, dust raining down like snow before she dropped them on their asses, all coughing and spluttering as they stretched pained limbs.

She left them, battered, bruised and – hopefully – broken before she sprinted to Eric, slamming a fist into the cheek of a man who was trying to sneak up on him. The soldier stumbled and she kicked out, hitting him in the chest before spinning to land the toe of her heavy boots in his favourite place. He fell to his knees and she knocked him out with a heel to the top of his head before going to Eric's side.

'Get down!'

Eric, Pam and Alcide dropped as she sent a stream of fire in each direction, spinning to catch those who weren't quick enough, knocking out half of the men and half of the supplies of silver with them. Eric grabbed her, tucking her against his chest as he turned his back to those who were brave enough to stand, his body shaking as silver bullets slammed into him.

'Thank you, but you're already weak so don't do it again,' she growled before turning them around, using a gust of air to budge his massive frame so she could fry the shooter and any who chose to stand with them.

'As if,' he said, placing a quick kiss to the top of her head before he grabbed the closet man, sinking his fangs into the soldier's neck to drain as much blood as he could before the rest of the men were able to regroup around them. Eric dropped the man unceremoniously, kicking his weakened body to the side before standing back to back with Sarah, Pam and Alcide joining them. He flashed his fangs, seeing a few shake at the sight, others choosing to sneer.

Sarah broke away from the group, circling in the expansive space they had been afforded by the trained killers – the Soldiers of the Sun – who didn't want to get too close. 'You've seen what I can do,' she said, coating her hands in flames to emphasise her point. 'You've seen that my friends are also very strong, and they are not afraid to kill you to protect themselves, so right now I am giving you a choice. I do not want to kill you, but if you do not drop your weapons and get out of that door within ten seconds when I raise my hand, I will burn this place to the ground with all of you trapped inside. If you leave, tell anyone who asks that there was an arsonist attack but you have no idea who did it, and stick to that story.' She looked around, seeing the fear in the eyes of those who were smart, all edging ever so slightly toward the still open doors. 'However, I cannot promise that, if you make it through those doors, the man you kidnapped, my boyfriend and his progeny will not hunt you down and drain your blood to stop you from harming their race and others who are willing to open accept them.'

A few gulps sounded when a smile curled over Eric's bloodstained lips.

'Now, before I let you go, I want to know where the Newlin's have gone to hide,' she continued. 'Who's going to tell me?'

Flame shot up in front of the door, tall and thick so that no one would even attempt to charge through it, though a few still looked longingly toward the concealed door.

'There's another building here. I've seen them go to it. They think that it can ward off vampires.'

Sarah turned to the man, examining him. He was tall, a little thinner than some of the brawnier men but he looked strong. She saw dark shadows under his eyes though, tired bags of weight. 'Are you sure?' she asked.

He dropped all of his weapons, careful to strip himself of any silver before he said, 'I'll take you there.'

'And why should we trust you?' Eric growled.

The man cowered back. 'Please, I have a wife. I'm only here because my older brother dragged me and got me selected for the Soldier's of the Sun.'

'You expect us to believe you?'

'Bite me, glamour me, burn me. I don't care; just let me leave once I show you where the Newlin's are.'

Sarah stared at him for a moment. 'What's your name?'

'Elliot.'

She placed a hand on Eric's chest when he prepared to step toward the frightened man. 'He can help,' she said. 'Between all of the werewolves that have been here, you will struggle to find the Newlin's scent and we need to find them quickly, before dawn. If he steps out of line, then you can drain him.'

Eric looked to her. 'Fine,' he said. 'I'm not giving any more of them the same chance though.'

'Good, because neither am I.'

The scurrying and clinking of discarded weapons that followed her raised hand and the doused flames had Eric and Pam tensing, ready to chase as Sarah started a countdown, saying it nice and loud so that all of them to hear her even as they sprinted into the night, not knowing if they would make it beyond the gate. As soon as she reached ten, Eric and Pam were through the door in a blur of colour, leaving Sarah and Alcide inside with Elliot and the few soldiers who were stupid enough to stay behind.

At least the pack of werewolves who had been tricked into believing they would get sanctuary would continue on, though they had lost many. She would make sure they got the land. Even if they had to rebuild, they would have the safety that the Newlin's promised but would never have delivered.

'Elliot, if you would like to follow me,' she prompted, forcing the soldiers to the sides of the room with gusts of air and boxing them in with flames. She ignored their shouts of protest and pleading, knowing that if she released them, they would only attack, would only threaten those that she loved in their devotion to the church.

Alcide followed, walking just behind Elliot as he let out a growl of warning, making sure the man didn't even think of harming Sarah, though with her display of power it was unlikely the thought had even crossed his mind.

'Are you really going to burn them?' Elliot asked.

'They hunted me and my best friend and kidnapped the one man I have ever truly loved,' she said, looking to him, meeting his gaze. 'If you were the one being threatened by them, if your family was being threatened by them as mine has, would you?'

He nodded and the massive house went up in flames.

Elliot paused, turning even as Alcide growled at him to watch as the building was engulfed. Glass shattered with the intensity of the heat as if the house were coughing to relieve itself of the heavy smoke.

'What are you?' he asked, voice wavering.

'I suppose that you could call me an elemental,' she said, stopping beside him to watch as a few more windows shattered, part of the house slumping as the structure began to collapse, 'but as far as I am concerned, I am human. I'm just lucky to be connected to the world better than most.'

Alcide growled, nudging her with his nose until she looked to him. 'They'll be back as soon as they're satisfied that they've scared off the smarter soldier's, maybe taken some blood to heal,' she promised. 'They won't be long.'

'You have a smart dog,' Elliot said.

Alcide snapped. 'I'm not a dog!' he growled as soon as he'd transformed, towering above Elliot. He looked to Sarah, exasperated as he said, 'can't people tell the difference?'

Next update: Thursday 30th of September.