Rex POV
“Rex?”
I was dreaming of playing football with Reuben, he had been gone a couple of days now and I missed having him around. I had just scored a goal when someone was shaking my shoulder. It annoyed me because I was enjoying my dream and wanted to score another goal.
“Rex?”
“Hmm?”
“Come on, quick, we need to get into the basement…”
“What’s going on?” I hazily say as my eyes try to focus on the darkness. Miss Smith has never woken me up before, something had to be wrong.
“Where’s Mum and Uncle Noah?” I climb out of my bed, placing my slippers onto my feet. I surge of panic for their whereabouts.
“We are under attack, but don’t frighten your sister.” Miss Smith shockingly says, placing a finger to her lips in a keep quiet gesture.
“Where is Elspeth?” Her safety would always be my top priority, and suddenly not sharing a room with her felt like a bad decision on my part.
“She’s still asleep..”
Miss Smith wakes up Harry next, who was staying in my room. His Mum was in hospital and Donnie was remaining with her throughout the night. He seemed to have brought someone back with him that Mum didn’t want in the house. Yet she wanted him to be watched at all times.
When Donnie returned he went straight to the hospital, Harry seemed really shaken. I’m not sure what had happened, but it took Elspeth some time to calm Harry down. I’ve never seen him like that.
Once Miss Smith woke Harry up, we make our way to Elspeth’s room. Why was it so dark in the house? Why can’t I feel the moon’s glow? Even if it wasn’t a full moon there would still be some kind of soft light shining through the windows. Walking into Elspeth’s room, I let Miss Smith wake her as I pull open her curtains. Rather than be greeted by the moon and the dark garden…I am greeted by solid metal. What was going on?
“It’s too dark, I can’t see…” Elspeth starts to moan. She wasn’t wrong, it was dark. But I could feel my wolf improving my night vision whereas Elspeth and Harry were feeling around in the dark.
Miss Smith puts the torch on from her phone before hastily pulling Elspeth out of the room and down the stairs. Elspeth struggles to keep up, even with the torch light.
“Rex!” Miss Smith orders at me to follow them and I do as I am told. We’ve never been in the basement before, and I can see why. It was concrete walls, cold and had a damp smell. It was hidden under Mum’s desk in her office. I didn’t even know it existed, let alone how you access it.
Harry and I had to help Miss Smith move the desk because Elspeth wouldn’t let go of her hands. There were beds in here but I knew none of us would now be able to go back to sleep.
“What is going on?” I demand of the only adult in our presence.
“Rex.” Miss Smith warns me not to upset Elspeth but I don’t care, I need to make sure Mum was okay.
“Where’s Mum?” I shout at her as a strange burst of anger takes over me. I held on to the anger until Miss Smith’s neck turned and she responded. Only then did my strange anger go away.
“We are under attack, the Alpha is outside.”
“Mummy? Is she okay?” As soon as Elspeth asks the question the foundations of the house shake which makes us all steady ourselves on the nearest things to us.
A shriek from Miss Smith results in my terrified sister screaming in fear. She covers her ears with her hands and starts to tremble as she slides down against the wall into a crouched position on the floor.
That must have been some sort of explosion, only that or an earthquake would make the foundations tremble, and we didn’t get earthquakes.
I look to Miss Smith who is currently in a mind-link, she isn’t comforting Elspeth as she usually does. I make my way over to Elspeth but she screams at me to leave her alone. She’s punishing me for being distant with her lately. She sure knew how to hold a grudge.
It is only when Harry walks over to her and crouches by her side does she start to calm down. She clings on to his pyjama top as if he were her life line, as if only he could bring her comfort.
I didn’t like this. I didn’t like her relying on someone like that.
Elspeth POV
I didn’t want to open my eyes.
I wanted Mummy, and Daddy. Where were they? Why were we alone in this horrible room without them. What was all that noise upstairs and why was it so dark in the house.
Harry had picked me up and placed me on one of the beds, still cradling me. I refused to let him go. I couldn’t explain it but he was the only one I wanted next to me.
It used to be Rex, but since he went missing I found a new different comfort from Harry. He stayed up with me watching films until the late night stroking my hair. When I saw him upset earlier I just wanted to cuddle him and bring him the same good feelings he brought me back then.
He kept saying it was his fault that Beatrice fell down the stairs, that he left a toy and she tripped on it. It’s something I’d do so I need to take my toys up to my bedroom like Mummy says. Rather than leaving them on the stairs. I wouldn’t want the same thing to happen to Mummy. Beatrice will know it was an accident, that Harry didn’t do it on purpose.
As I curled up into Harry’s lap, Rex was just staring at me from the other bunk bed, some weird energy coming off him. Like it does with Mummy when she’s talking to her warriors. Harry struggled to look at Rex when he was angry, but not me, I could keep his eye contact. He didn’t scare me.
Miss Smith was pacing the floor, she was scaring me even more. She’s never been like this before. Was Mummy and Daddy okay?
“They are trying to get in.” Rex says with a slight growl, he sounds like Alpha Reuben when he growls.
“Rex.” Miss Smith tuts at him, telling him off. He was in such a weird mood but I could also feel some kind of weird sensation…as if someone was blowing air on the back of my neck.
“Harry…” I start to pull him closer to me, worried as Rex was always right about these kind of things.
“It’s okay, I’ll keep you safe.” He whispers into my ear and a rumble leaves Rex’s chest.
“What?” Harry scowls at my brother, now managing to hold eye contact.
“I’m the one that will keep her safe…”
“You’ll both keep her safe, sshh what’s that?” We all look up at the ceiling as we hear some kind of banging from up above.
“Are they trying to get though the shutters?” Harry stands up walking away from me and I feel scared and cold again. Empty.
“Impossible, surely…” Miss Smith turns pale as her eyes glaze over into a mind-link. “Dad said the shutters are strong but would only last for a couple of days.” Harry says looking to Rex.
“Then what?” I ask which must be a silly question as Rex rolls his eyes at me, I hate it when he does that.
“Where’s Mummy?” I ask, my voice quiet as I curl up hugging myself on the bed.
“She’ll be here when she can…”
I don’t like it in here. I was starting to struggle to breathe, I was missing my bedroom and having Mummy and Daddy close by. I was missing something.
“My bunny, I left my bunny upstairs. I need to go get it.” I’ve never been away from bunny. I start to head towards the door when Harry pulls me back and wraps me in his arms again.
“You can’t it isn’t safe..”
“I want bunny!” I start to cry, my bunny always made me feel better. It’s what I need right now.
“You just keep cuddling me for now and when Alpha Evelyn says it’s safe, we will go get your bunny…I promise.”
