Ella
For all my bravado, my attacker’s words fill me with dread. The implications are clear, and panic is bubbling up inside me. No, no, no. I think desperately, hating myself for provoking them. If I’d kept my mouth shut would they have just killed me? Did I bring this upon myself? I open my mouth to scream as he reaches toward me, pure malice glittering in his dark eyes, but before I can make a sound, a voice rings out behind the wolves.
“Take your hands off her!” Roger appears out of nowhere, and for a moment I’m sure I’m hallucinating. Where did he come from?
He charges forward, and I watch in horror and fascination as the clothes explode off his body in shreds and his sinewy muscles vibrate and pulse with energy. Before my very eyes he transforms, bursting forth in a whirlwind of fur, fangs and claws. Where Roger stood a moment before, now there is only a huge gray wolf.
Before I know it the other men have shifted too. Three are gray like Roger, but the first man -the largest and fiercest – has red fur like a fox. Of course I’ve never seen such a terrifying fox. My mind is reeling – have I ever been this near a wolf? Have I ever even seen one in the wild? I don’t even know why I’m focusing on such things – it’s not like it matters, these aren’t actual wolves.
They’re shifters, and the beasts are at least twice the size of true wolves.
My arms are wrapped around my middle, desperately trying to protect my unborn child from the beings in front of me. I’m suddenly painfully aware of how flimsy my human body is next to theirs, and while my baby might be stronger, it’s far too little to survive if anything were to happen to me.
I can barely keep track of what’s happening, my mind is fractured between primal fear, amazement as I try to process these incredible sights, and anxiety as I attempt to keep up with the unfolding events. The wolves are circling one another, growling and snarling, baring their fangs as their raised hackles and flattened ears reshape their fluffy coats. As ever, my mind finds humor at the most inappropriate of times, and I have to smother a smile as I imagine these shifters’ responses to being described as fluffy.
Stop it, Ella! Shaking myself, I push my body up against the wall, trying to flatten myself to the bricks lest one of the enraged creatures comes too close. At first I think they’ll continue stalking around each other, posturing forever, but then Roger lunges out of nowhere, and the fight begins.
My human eyes can’t keep up with their supernatural speed. All I see if tornado of limbs, punctuated by the snapping of fangs and yelps of pain. As they attack one another I try to open the door again, then visually carve out a path past them to the mouth of the alley. Unfortunately their battle is so chaotic that I don’t think I’ll be able to run past them without falling into the middle of the fray. I just have to pray the Roger is strong enough to defeat his assailants.
In the end its over relatively quickly, amazingly fast actually – given that it was four against one. Roger might not be as strong as Sinclair, but he’s clearly much more powerful than this lot. He seizes the leader by the throat, shaking him like a rag doll and sending the others running for safety. Can it really be that simple? I wonder, cut the head off the snake and the body dies? What cowards.
Roger throws the other wolf to the ground – scarlet blood dripping over the snow as he clambers to his feet and scampers off into the night, whimpering like a pup. I’m still standing there frozen when Roger shifts back, coming forward with outstretched hands, as if I’m a wild animal he’s trying to calm. “Ella, are you still with me?” He broaches gently.
“I… what just happened?” I gasp. I can feel the tendrils of shock beginning to take hold, wrapping around me with numbing relief.
Yet for some reason my body is fighting the reaction, as if it doesn’t think the threat has passed and needs to remain in fight or flight mode. “How did you know I was here? How did you know I was in danger? Who were those men?”
The questions are pouring out of me now, and I’m not sure I can make them stop. I need answers before I can relax, before I can start to process these events.
“I’ll explain everything.” Roger promises, “first just tell me if you’re alright.”
“I’m fine.” I insist, still protectively clutching my belly.
“You’re bleeding.” He observes, reaching towards me.
I flinch away from his touch, and trembles rack my body. Between the flashback of my near-assault and this very real attempt, the idea of any man touching me makes me feel sick to my stomach. Even as I think this, I feel my gorge rising, and turn away to vomit. Tears burn in my eyes as my stomach heaves, and I can only be grateful my hair is up. “I need Cora.” I tell Roger. “My sister, she’s inside.”
He looks uncertain. “I don’t want to leave you like this Ella.”
I shake my head stubbornly. “I need Cora.” I need a woman, I’m coming to pieces, and no man will be able to comfort me right now. I wouldn’t normally place such a burden on my sister, but I’m afraid this scene is going to be quickly overrun with aggressive shifters, and I don’t think I can handle it.
He races out of the alley, no doubt circling the block to make it back to the club entrance. I move away from my quickly freezing sick, and lower myself to the ground in the snow, Wrapping my arms around my knees. A minute later the back door slams open, making me jump five feet in the air. Then Cora is there, dropping to her knees in front of me. “Oh my God, Ella!” She frets, her hands fluttering around me as if she’s not sure what to do first, “What happened, are you okay?”
Tears well on my lashes as I look up at her. “I want to go home.” I murmur, my lower lip quivering. “Can you call us a cab?”
“Sweetheart of course,” she wraps one slender arm around me, then pulls out her phone.
However, before she can dial the number, the device begins to buzz in her hand, and Sinclair’s name flashes across the screen.
We both freeze, and I shake my head. “Don’t, don’t pick up.”
Roger nods in agreement, “You’ll only get her in more trouble.”
But Cora is frowning at my bruised face and split lip, “Honey he’s going to find out anyway, and he’ll be less angry if he hears sooner rather than later.” Before I can stop her, she picks up the phone. I can hear Sinclair’s deep tones through the receiver, and then Cora is nodding. “I’m with her. But listen, something has happened.”
I clench my eyes shut as the call continues, listening as she calmly shares our location and he promises to come as fast as he can. When she hangs up she looks back down at me, “It’ll be okay, Ella.” She chafes my bare arms with her hands, “We should really get you up out of the snow.”
I get to my feet in something of a trance, hating that I’m worrying her. I bite back my fraying emotions, swiping at my tears. “I’m okay.” I say again, “it’s just a little bruise.”
“Come on, let’s go inside.” Cora suggests.
“No!” I argue, backing away from the concerned pair. “It’s too many people.”
“Okay.” Cora agrees easily, clearly not sure how to help me.
Trying to keep up a brave front, I turn back to Roger, “Tell me what just happened.”
“They were rogues.” He explains, “wolves without allegiance to any pack – if they’re not robbing and raping,” I flinch violently at the word, and he softens his tone, “in the neutral borderlands between territories, they’re working as mercenaries. My guess is that’s what these four were.”
“They knew who I was.” I gulp. “They knew I was here. No one but Cora knew that.”
Roger shakes his head, “They probably followed you from home.”
“But why?” Cora inquires, looking so upset now that I feel compelled to comfort her. It’s a much more comfortable dynamic for me, and I readily squeeze her hand.
“Why else?” Roger scoffs, “The campaign. Your pup – this isn’t even the first rogue attack in Moon Valley this week.”
“It isn’t?” I clarify.
“Dominic didn’t tell you?” He sounds as though he’s trying and failing to sound neutral.
I shake my head, zeroing in on the detail that has me hovering so close to my sister, refusing to lower my guard. “None of this answers how you knew I was here.”
“I didn’t.” Roger shares sadly. “When I left the house tonight I caught the scent of the rogues, and I followed it here – afraid there was going to be another attack. I had no idea you were their target.” He glances at the mouth of the alley, scenting the air. “Brace yourself now, Dominic is close.”
