Shadow Dancer

One

One

It all happened in a rush.

Leila and I were relaxing in the small pond near the pack house, splashing each other and giggling. We occasionally checked out the other males as they also were swimming in the pond.

I was under water wetting my hair when it started. The muffled cries and screams alerted me that something was wrong. I pulled my upper body from under the water. And saw that everybody was running like crazy.

“Cecilia!” Leila yelled. She was rushing to put her clothes on. “Hurry, it’s an attack!”

That got me into action. I quickly waded out of the water and threw on my clothes. Shifting into our wolf forms would do us no help. It would heighten our chances of fatality, actually. We wouldn’t be able to hide if the attackers came close.

The minute I got both arms in the sleeves of my shirt, Leila and I were off. The broken branches snapping into smaller pieces didn’t faze me as we sprinted towards the pack house.

The familiar white brick building sent a sliver of relief through the body, and I quickened my pace. The faster we got inside, the better.

Mom was at the door, ushering people in with her hands. When she saw Leila and I, there was a cry of joy from her mouth.

“Good,” she breathed, and closed the door behind her. We were the last people to be in the woods, which meant that everyone else was already inside. “Your father wants all females in the basement. Any male from sixteen to fifty are to be with you too. Now go.”

“Mom,” I croaked, “you need to come to.”

Mom feverishly shook her head, “no. As Luna of the pack it is my responsibility to be beside the Alpha during the attack. I must be there and fight with Kale. I’m sorry darling, it’s the only way.”

Tears were rolling down my cheeks. She wasn’t dead, but she might as well be. There is a big possibility that she could die.

“I love you Momma,” I whisper. Mom grabs me in a hug, holding me tight.

“I love you too Cecilia. Always know that your father and I love you.”

Those words only sealed the possible fate for them.

Mom met up with Dad after that. Nana rushed Leila and I down the stairs into the basement. At the base was a titanium gate that locked by a code, key, and voice recognition system from the inside. There was no windows, so attackers couldn’t get in.

The only other way besides the door to get out is the secret passageway. As cliché as it is, it was behind a book case in the living room. Only the Alpha family, Beta, and pack historian knew about it.

This meant that only Nana Evers and I knew about it. When we were taught that about the passageway, we were sworn to tell nobody. We were only allowed to use it when we couldn’t get the gate open, the intruders got the gate open, or we needed a quick getaway.

The passage turned into a tunnel that lead to the police station in town. Since most of the officers there are warriors of the pack, the Police Department would be heavily guarded.

“Nana,” I whisper, “when do we use the, you know what?”

“Child,” Nana scolded, “you should know this. My son drilled it into your thick skull. We will use it when the requirements are met. When that happens, we will let groups go through.”

I nodded, and sulked down in one of the couches that Leila was sitting. Malorie, one of the little toddlers, crawled onto my lap, and sniffled.

“When is Daddy coming back?”