Alpha Vaughan

Chapter 12

I stared in horror as mortals rode tanks and other gigantic machineries through the now destroyed gate. Hunters in plain black uniforms wielded what looked to be advanced model guns. I spied one cocking his riffle, and soon a loud whirring sound filled the air; and then a broad bullet exploded out of its lengthy barrel, blowing up the entire left wing of a building.

Screams and roars instantly broke out. Werewolves shifted into their beasts, slashing deadly claws through bodies of Hunters; heads rolled and flesh gave way to bone and still beating hearts.

While father's men began fighting their way through the chaos, leading women and children to safety, Alpha Vaughan's men started to steer me into the pack-house and out through the back of it. I madly fought against them, struggling to get to a shocked Eunice who stood rock-still in the middle of the whole thing.

A shadow passed above us. And slowly, I looked up in dread. That was when I saw them, and for the first time in my entire life.

The vampires.

Swooping in with lightening speed to join the foray, they clashed, bared fangs and black cloaks, against the werewolves, fighting with lethal expertise. Dimly I thought, I didn't know they could fly...

A familiar scream rose above other high-pitched ones and my head whipped towards the source of it.

My blood ran cold. Everything seemed to slow down until I could hear the loud, halting thuds of my heart. A huge vampire now had Eunice in his hold, and in a split second, he disappeared with her. The spot she'd been standing on was now chillingly empty. 

I screamed. A shrill sound that pierced through the noise.

Amidst the racket of explosions, shrieks and roars, I continued to scream, and as one of Vaughan's men threw me over his shoulder and ran into the pack-house, I pounded and scratched at his back, needing to get back to her--wherever the hell she was.

The walls shook and a portion of the ceiling above us suddenly exploded. As splinters and dust rained down, a portrait crashed to the squalid floors. I looked and saw it was the one of my mother. It got crushed further under the weight of a thrown decapitated head. It was a vampire's. Black, soulless eyes stared me dead in the eyes. I screamed allover again. 

                            __

After forcing wads of cash down the pockets of the flight administrators, Vaughan's men finally found a pilot that agreed to take us straight back to Australia immediately.

We boarded the plane, seating close together.

"Miss? Are you okay?" one of them asked with something close to worry. I couldn't tell, because Vaughan's men were all just like him; stoic and expressionless.

My gaze glued to the window, I ignored him.

Another one of them bit out, "Please speak up so we'd know if you have any injury that needs to be tended to immediately."

Can you tend to my heart? The mental image of the huge vampire disappearing with Eunice appeared allover my vision. Anger and sorrow rivaled for dominance within me. If the stories about vampires were true, then Eunice was probably somewhere being drank dry. 

But somehow I knew she was still alive; could feel that she was. Surely a bond that strong and informative would've formed over those years we'd spent laughing together, sharing secrets together, getting bullied together... I had to find her. I just had to.

"Could you at least tell us that?" the man continued. "Alpha Vaughan wouldn't like it if anything bad happened to you," he said as if stating an understatement.

I turned to his battered form, avoiding looking at his painfully bleeding nose. "And my father? My sisters and my packmates, how are they?"

A middle-aged man answered, "They were all able to get into the secret vault in time. But," his voice grew regretful, "majority of the males in your pack couldn't." His eyes went hazy, a white film infiltrating it. He was mind-linking someone.

My throat worked as I swallowed. Blinking back tears, I went back window gazing. They hadn't been the best of people to me, but they were people.

It was late night when we got to Beastclaw. A crowd of werewolves were assembled near the pack-house's grounds, their gazes largely worried and frightened. Vaughan's men wove their way through the people, forming a protective circle around me.

Inside, the hall was abuzz with worried chatters from the omegas. I hadn't taken two steps into the hall when I spotted Alpha Vaughan with a bevy of other gravely important-looking Nobles. Upon sighting me, he instantly detached himself from the group and came marching towards me.

He grabbed me by my arm almost painfully, and I noted his eyes alternated between grey and gold as they ran over me. "Are you hurt?" He radiated tightly leashed anger, the wolf in him seeking retribution.

Tearing my arm from his hold, or at least trying to, I said, "I'm fine. There's absolutely no reason to worry about me." I said the last part sarcastically.

His eyes narrowed dangerously, and just when he proceeded to drag me off to goddess knows where, one of the Nobles of his court stopped him with a worried, "Alpha, you have to address the people outside."

Vaughan's fingers flexed over my arm, and as though loathe to leave me, he reluctantly turned to face me. "Try to keep yourself out of danger." He signaled to one of the omegas in the Hall. When she came forward immediately, he ordered, "Take her to her room. And make sure she stays there."

I scoffed, incredulous. He spoke as if I was some sort of child. 

Alpha Vaughan went on to the front doors. On pulling them open, the noise from outside increased a notch, seeping within. Before the doors closed shut, I heard him give orders to the enforcers to let no one in or out of the pack.

The omega he'd called proceeded to lead me towards my room. 

When we got to the landing of the grand staircase, she turned left. I paused a bit. If I wasn't mistaken, the last time Greta had led me to my room, she'd taken the right turn.

"Hey," I called. "Where are we going?"

"Your room," came the monotonous reply.

"But I thought it was..." I trailed off, sticking a thumb in the opposite direction.

"You're soon to be Luna," she stated matter-of-factly, turning into a large hall bustling with warriors. "Your status as well as your sleeping quarters is wont to change."

The hall was lined with glass and through it seeped pale moonlight. Through opulent, interconnecting hallways and up flights of stairs we went, finally coming across an elevator. When the woman made to press it open, I stopped her.

"I'd prefer to use the stairs," I told her, not wanting to experience an episode, least of all today.

She didn't question me on my decision, just walked down the stretch of tiled floors and turned into a corner that led to a staircase. I trailed behind her. 

On entering into the last floor, I paused. The hall was... completely empty.

"Where's everyone?" I asked, wide-eyed.

"No one comes here," she replied.

"Why?"

"The Alpha prefers it that way."

Huh, I thought, not at odds with his odd character. We walked into an empty white-themed hall. Lighting the area were recessed light fixtures stationed up above. 
Green plants positioned around elegant white statues dotted the extensive hall. We took one pathway out of the many the wide hall splitted into, and soon found ourselves standing before towering oak doors.

When she pushed them open, my eyes widened, my only thought: holy shit.