Emberborn

The Nightmare at Akrasia

"My story begins on the day Akrasia burned to the ground."

"So you were there?" Murphy blurted out.

"I was, and I saw the whole thing go up in flames in front of my own eyes," I said quietly.

There was a sharp intake of breath from my friends around me. I slammed my eyes shut as Feliks' screams echoed in my mind. My nails digging into the armrest of the couch were the only things keeping me from running out that door and never looking back.

"You can do this," Ronan whispered into my mind while squeezing my free hand slightly.  

I took a deep breath and gave the little brunette an encouraging smile.

"It was close to midnight when I woke up. I was starving, so I headed downstairs to the kitchen. When I reached the balcony outside of my door, my wolf began to stir in my mind. She was on high alert.

"The house was too quiet.

"None of the guards were at their posts. I was the only one awake in the whole house.

"I ignorantly brushed it off though. I just assumed that they had gone for a run or something. But when I reached the bottom of the stairs, I heard a loud crash like glass breaking on the floor. My was wolf beyond anxious, she was in full-blown attack mode.

"There was someone in the house. Someone who wasn't allowed to be there. I knew the rest of my family heard the crash too and were going to be there any minute now, so I went to check it out alone. I walked into the living room to see the window behind the couch shattered to pieces. I went closer to the busted pane and picked up a large shard of glass.

"There was blood on it, dark and laced with a stench that could only belong to one kind of wolves."

"Rouges," Zack hissed through clenched teeth.

I nodded slightly and continued hesitantly,

"I was so caught off guard by it all that I failed to sense another presence in the room. As I held the shard up to the light, I was able to see a figure move behind me. The reflection allowed me to dodge the attack that would've knocked me out."

"How did you not smell them? A rouge would be sensed from a mile away," Uncle Cayden questioned.

"That was what terrified me the most. There was no scent, not a single trace," I said shaking my head.

"After I sent a blow to his gut, I was able to get a good look at him. He was strong, nearly three times my size. He had a long scar running from his brow to his cheekbone. There was so much hatred in his eyes, so much hunger. Before I could hesitate any longer, my leg went flying towards his face. There was a sickening crack under my foot and his body went skidding into the wall.

"I was going to launch at him again when a terrifying scream echoed around the house.

"It was Feliks. He was warning us about the attack.

"I was so beyond enraged. These rouges broke into my home and endangered my family. I walked over to that mutt, picked him up by the collar of his shirt, and snapped his neck like a twig," I growled out.

I could hear everyone else rumble in approval. I closed my eyes and let out a shaky breath. My emotions were all over the place and my wolf's rage was not helping.

"I ran out of the room into the main hallway, searching for any signs of Feliks. And with a single sound, my heart dropped.

"Gunshots," I whispered as tears began to build in my eyes.