Passionate revenge

*** FOUR YEARS AGO ***

I awoke from my slumber, strong hands gripped my shoulders and I was being shook violently.

"Cora, Get up , you need to go to the panic room now!".

Alec's piercing shout had my ears buzzing from how close he was and how loud he was shouting.

My eyes shot open and I was immediately pulled off of my bed. Suddenly I snapped out of my drowsiness and panic shot through me as loud screaming and shouting filled the air.

" What's happening Alec! " I screamed, tugging my hand out of his grasp, I ran to the window.

Bile rose in my throat and I had to grip the windowsill to hold my trembling body upright. Outside the wall surrounding our home, there was a fierce battle raging. Werewolves ran at each other. Some were locked in a deadly embrace as they aimed for each others throats. Others were in their bare human form, lying motionless in the snow as werewolves snarled and clawed each other around them. I instantly recognised Darcy in his werewolf form, fighting a wolf I had never seen, a wolf who looked like he had the upperhand. He bit Darcy in the back of the neck and Darcy howled in pain, crumpling to the floor. My frantic eyes swept the surrounding battlefield as these unknown werewolves savagely attacked our pack. My family.

Oh god, what was going on? Who were these wolves! Why were they hurting our pack. Was Darcy dead? No, he couldn't be. None of them could. They couldn't die. I needed to do something. I needed to stop this. Where was mom and dad? Panic gripped me like a vice and all I had was a few short seconds to scan the scene happening below when hands gripped my waist and dragged me away.

"No!" I screamed, thrashing and kicking in his grip.

" Cora, you need to get to safety.. Mom and dad are down there, they'll be fine! Stop struggling, I need to go down and help them but you need to get to the panic room goddamit!".

I could hear the wavering in his voice. Alec, who never once showed any kind of fear, ever. Alec wasn't afraid of anything, he never was, he was always brave and ready for a fight. Why was he acting like this? They were going toe alright, our pack, weren't they?

He wound his arms around my torso and began hauling me towards the small metal door in my bedroom. Frenzied thoughts were flying through my mind as I desperately tried to figure out what to do.

" Anna!".

I recognised the voice as Dads as he called our mothers name outside. Alec froze, his grip on me loosening.

"Stay here and lock the door, do you hear me" he yelled, releasing me from his iron grip. He bolted out of my bedroom and was gone in less than a second, I stood shock still, unsure of what to do. My mind was all over the place. I couldn't string a proper thought together. My knees buckled underneath me and I clenched my trembling hands into a fist.

A thunderous howl sounded above the rest and I darted out of my room and down the stairs.

I ran through the empty house, towards the shouting and growling. Cold, gelid air hit me the minute I left the house and shocks of cold shot up from my bare feet where my toes sunk into the thick snow. All around me was chaos.I weaved around fighting werewolves and jumped over some of the enemies sprawled on the floor. My eyes swept the snow covered forest, Darcy lay where I had watched him fight only moments ago. He was now back in his human body. I sunk beside his lifeless form, the noises of the raging werewolves drowning out the cry that left me. His eyes were closed, the usual fading black, grey flecked hair now covered in blood. I grabbed his hand and squeezed it tightly. Darcy, my grandfather wasn't with us anymore. He had left us and gone to the better place. His head lolled to the side and I had to wrench my head to the side and get sick when I saw the deep tear in his skin. Crimson coated the snow around us and pooled around my knees. A sob racked my body and realised I needed to find the others. I leant forward and placed my lips on his forehead, " Rest well, grandfather" I whispered.

I laid him back down and got to my feet, running in the opposite direction. I hoped they would be close. I came to the open courtyard and halted, a scream caught in my throat but I held it watching in horror at the scene before me. Seven wolves from the enemy pack surrounded my parents and Alec, all on their wolf form. Alec growled fiercely, his dark brown eyes meeting each werewolf unflinchingly as they prowled around them. I wished I had more power, wished I was old enough to change into my werewolf form and help them. The only logical thought in my muddled brain was that I knew I had to stay where I was, out of the way. It would do no good, me running into the middle of it. I had no strength, no special powers that would help my family. I was useless. All I could do was watch as these monsters stalked their prey. My family. No, I couldnt let them. Oh god, I had to do something. I choked on another scream threatening to Leave me and anxiously looked from dad to Alec to mom. Suddenly moms warm wolf eyes found me. I mightn't have been able to receive a telepathic message like all the other pack could, but I understood its meaning. She was warning me. 'I love you ' I mouthed, immediately covering my mouth with my hand to stop myself from screaming. Silent sobs took over my body as I stood helpless.

The werewolves stopped their deadly prance and with an eruption of snarls, jumped towards them. I finally got control of my legs and ran towards them, panic dissolving into deep rage. They couldn't take my family away from me. They had already taken Darcy. But I was too late, just as I made it to the deadly struggle, the wolves got my mom and dad down on the ground. Alec fought on with his opponent, blood seeping from his wounds. I looked toward my parents and began running towards them, hands outstretched. They looked at me and howled together. Just as I heard the rest of the packs paws crunching through the snow behind us, their unified howl was cut off abruptly. My parents were killed from the sheer number of the wolves, a gruesome end to their lives. My chest constricted, my breathing caught. Choking on air, I collapsed on my knees as the rest of our pack flew past me, snarls filling the sudden deathly silence. My body began to shake uncontrollably, a deep grief so sharp I felt like I wouldnt survive it. An inhumane scream left my lips as I felt my whole world coming crashing down. My life changed then and there. In that moment I was no longer the innocent, fragile, unsure Cora Lowell. And I never was again.