Lost Heir

Prologue

I had just fallen asleep when screams filled the air. I froze in my bed, struck down by fear. My eyes dropped to the light that was creeping in from under my door and I saw the shadows run by. I heard the feet pounding in the hallway as people rushed by. I heard a slight rustle and the quiet footsteps approaching my bed before the covers lifted. I look down to see my little brother, Harlow, snuggling into me. His mouth was muffled by the blankets but I could still hear him quietly whisper "Athena, I'm scared. Are the monsters going to come and get us?"

"No, no. Everything is going to be okay" I replied. " Dad would come and get us if anything was wrong." I knew that my words were meant to comfort him, but I was unsure of what to say. Screams like that never meant anything good in the TV shows and I highly doubted that tonight would be any different. Suddenly my door was thrown open and I was blinded by the light. I felt my body collapse in on itself in fear. My heart dropped into my stomach as I laid frozen in shock of the unknown. 

I saw a figure in the doorway rushing into the room before I softly pushed Harlow and I out of my bed. My eyes slowly adjusted to the light as I gripped Harlow's arm as tightly as I could. We sat on the floor as the unknown person rustled in the covers on Harlow's bed. "Oh, no" the voice said. The footsteps grew heavier as the person reached my head and threw up the covers only to find it absent as well. "Goddess this can't be happening." I pushed myself and Harlow underneath the bed. The man looked around the room and called out "Athena! Harlow! It's me!"

"Dad?" I questioned from under my bed.  My eyes first found my little sister, Faye, behind held in my dad's arms. I looked up at my dad as his head dropped back in a sigh in relief. He reached his hand out and helped pull Harlow and I out from under the bed. 

"Dad, what's going on?" I cringed at the sound of my own voice invading the peace that our room held from the outside world. He was about to respond when Alpha Blake yelled for my dad.

"John I need you now! They are getting closer! We have less than thirty seconds before they breach the pack house. We need to evacuate now!"

"What do you mean we only have thirty seconds? Where is the patrol and the guards outside? There is no way that they could have gotten in so fast!"

Alpha Blake gave my dad a look and said "I don't know how they got in but they are here. We need to stand together and fight." With that he turned around and shouted to the chaos below "Silence!"

Harlow's body was hiding behind my own as he stared up at our dad as he shielded himself from the loud voice. As my dad and I entered the hallway, everyone on the first floor froze. Alpha Blake leaned over the banister and bellowed "My pack!" He paused before continuing "My family." Alpha Blake dropped his head slightly to look down at his people "We have already lost a lot tonight, but I refuse to let those devils take anything more from us! We will stand together and fight as one tonight! We will fight for those that we have lost and for those that we have promised to protect with our lives. Brothers, say goodbye to your family and meet in the front courtyard. Tonight we hold our ground and protect what is ours. Know that we have everything to lose and that we will not stop until there is no one left standing tonight. We will fight together until there is not a breath left in any one of us."

The men looked around at one another before dropping down to give a hug and a kiss to their wives and kids. My dad looked down at Harlow and I before dropping to a knee. He gripped the back of Harlow's head and the back of my arm as he gave us each a kiss on the forehead. He looked me straight in the eyes and told me "Athena, my beautiful daughter. It is time for you to be strong. You need to take care of Harlow and Faye for me, okay? I am going to come and get you as soon as this is over. You needn't be afraid. The pack will protect you. Do as you are told and be good. Remember what I told you about your scar and how it will...."

Alpha Blake's voice cut my dad off and said "John, we really need to go."

My dad sighed and set Faye down beside us. She quickly clung to my arm as our dad gave us each another kiss before saying "I love you three so much. No matter what happens. I am so proud of the fine people that you have become. Protect each other and take care of one another, always." With that he stood and tugged us into the arms of a woman waiting nearby. He gave us one final wave before he ran down the stairs to meet Alpha Blake. That was the last time that I saw my dad.