Lupo Nero

Chapter 2

Aviana's PoV

I walked down the familiar hall and around the dead bodies of my packmates sprawled around the once spotless wooden floor.

Blood. There was blood everywhere.

I gasped as I saw my father's beta's head attached to one of the spears decorating the corridor, his eyes wide with shock. Blood was still running from his head, down the spear and made a puddle on the floor. Right beside his mate's lifeless body.

What happened here? Where was I during all this? Who would do this?

I covered my mouth to try and prevent the sobs from escaping as I made my way to the room at the end of the corridor as quietly as I could. The door was slightly ajar and from what I see, there was someone sitting down right beside the door.

"...Dad?"

A piercing scream woke me up from my nightmare. I sat up on my bed, clutching the covers towards my chest as I sat panting, trying to get the vivid images from my dream out of my head.

What the fuck was that about?

"Just a dream, Vi. It was just a dream. Everything's fine." I chanted to myself as I rocked back and forth on my bed, trying desperately to comfort myself.

I took a peek towards the digital clock on my night stand and frowned in confusion.

7:14

The pack should all be having dinner downstairs by now. It should be rowdy down there and noisy enough for me to hear despite the thick walls, heavy wooden door and two-floor distance. They didn't even wake me up.

I strained to hear any noise inside the house and frowned deeper after hearing nothing but complete silence. Maybe a dripping noise?

That scream...

I shot up in panic as I remembered the piercing noise that had woken me up from my sleep.

I slowly walked towards the door that led to the hallway, using all my senses to detect any kind of motion inside the house. All I got was the smell of rust.

There is something seriously wrong here, Aviana. My wolf warned.

I almost snorted. You think I don't know?

I hesitantly turned the door knob only to be assaulted by a distinct stench. It smelled like death.

No, no, no. Oh god please no. I thought to myself as I slipped outside the security of my room.

Rust. Blood. Dripping. Blood.

I almost rushed back inside my room and threw up on my bed as I took in the sight before me. It was exactly as I have dreamt. Tears immediately sprung to my eyes as I tried not to drop to my knees as I sobbed.

Instead, I forcibly pushed my legs forward towards the door that leads to my parent's bedroom, whilst trying my best to avoid looking at Beta Jason's decapitated body on the right side of the hall. Seeing his parent's lifeless bodies made me think of my best friend, Embry. Where is he?

I pushed the thought of his pale face staring into nothingness as he lies on top of a pile of dead bodies somewhere in this damned house as I stopped right in front of my parent's room.

Just as I have seen in my dream, the door was slightly ajar and a man was sitting right beside it. I bit my lip to stop myself from calling out as I pushed the door open.

There was nothing I could do to hold back the shriek that left my lips as my father's limp body fell out the room the moment I opened the door. His bones were twisted in a sickening manner and blood was still gushing from multiple deep wounds on his chest and stomach. I instantly fell on my knees this time, my hands shaking as I checked for a pulse, a heartbeat, anything that would indicate my father was still alive.

"Daddy? Dad please wake up. This isn't funny anymore!"

I found nothing.

I sat there pathetically crying as I tried to make sense of what the hell happened and how I somehow slept through all of this. My father is gone? Impossible. Just this afternoon he reminded me and Embry to be back by dinner, very much alive and chuckling even as I made gagging noises after seeing him kiss mom while she prepared our meal.

Mom.

I rushed inside the room only to let out a deafening scream as I saw my mothers body swinging back and forth, hanging by a rope tied to the ceiling, her guts dangling and barely hanging from her body due to the large cut on her stomach.

You have to get out Aviana. NOW!

I ignored my wolf and fell to the ground for the second time, wanting out of this nightmare. What was there for a fifteen year old to do? Everyone I've ever loved is dead and I somehow fucking slept through the slaughter of my own pack. How? Why?!

We're still in danger. You have to go now! The attackers could come back any mi-

"Aviana?! Aviana! Where the hell are you?"

I immediately stood up and sprang out the room at the sound of his voice.

"Embry!" I croaked, tears still running down my face as I jumped straight into his arms.

"We have to go right now. I don't know who or where our attackers are but I'm sure as hell they'll be back. Probably to clean this place up and claim it as their own but it doesn't matter, we have to be long gone by then." He said in a rush as he led me through the sea of dead bodies and out the pack house.

"Are you hurt?" He asked, his voice laced with concern. I shook my head as an answer. "You?" He shook his head despite the obvious wound on the right side of his chest. It was a mere scratch and would probably be healed in a couple of hours but it was bleeding nonetheless. "Is...is everyone- ?" I couldn't finish the sentence as a fresh set of tears came rushing down my cheeks. Embry gave me a sorry look but didn't reply to my question. "We need to go, Vi." He said in a hushed tone, looking anywhere but into my eyes.

I nodded, hiccuping as I made my way behind a tree to change into my wolf.

"Vi, I don't think that would be a good idea." I turned to Embry and saw him giving me an unsure look. "Who knows what they'll do to you once they see your wolf?"

He is right, Aviana. I nodded both to Embry and my wolf in understanding and waited for Embry to finish shifting.

I felt a nudge on my leg and gave the wolf a small smile. I've always loved Embry's wolf. His wolf was large for his age and his fur was a beautiful mixture of black and brown, his eyes a mesmerising pool of grey. He purred as I ran my hand through the fur on the top of his head before swinging my body on top of his and placing a leg on each side of his body. I wrapped my arms around his neck and gave his fur a soft tug, signalling him that I'm ready.

I lost an inner battle and allowed myself one last look at what used to be my home as Embry and I took off into the night.