Battle of the Roses [Book 2]

Chapter 1

"Oh my god," I said.  The houses were engulfed by malignant orange flames.  Thick black smoke poured out from the places where doors and windows used to be.  The thing was, the fire wasn't the scariest thing.  I hadn't seen it until my wife let out an agonizing scream.  My vision swam, unwilling to believe what was happening.  Twenty-three heads on spikes, thirteen adults and ten children, displayed for the whole world to see.  Arya began to run up to them but I grabbed onto her.  My wife sobbed in my arms.

"Shiloh, call Erin and tell her to get everyone out of the compound in case whoever did this to them is trying to do it to our compound," I ordered.  Shiloh nodded and tearing his eyes away from the gruesome sight, made the call.  A few seconds later, he hung up.

"They've taken the kids to the Stanley.  They're bunking in the main building right now.  They have rooms for all of us.  The police have sent a bomb squad out to our houses to make sure it's safe to go back to.  They're heading here now," Shiloh informed.  After he finished saying that, police, ambulances, and fire trucks pulled up to the scene.  The firefighters worked quickly to put out the flames but I knew nothing would be salvageable of this.

"Sir, may I speak with you?" a police officer asked gently.

"Yes," I replied in as steady of a voice I could manage.

"Were you here when the explosion happened?"

"No.  I was back at my compound with a few others.  My wife and some of our pack were at the park with the kids.  We both heard it though.  They were... they were our family."

"I'm very sorry that you must go through this.  May I have your number in case I need to ask you any more questions?"

"If you need us, we'll be at the Stanley Hotel.  That's where we're staying until the bomb squad deems our house safe to return to." I stood up, gently bringing Arya to her feet.

"Ren... our pack..." she breathed.

"I know.  I know..." I felt tears streaming down my face.  Shiloh came over to us and whispered that the car was here to take us to the hotel.  I helped my wife into standing position, throwing her arm around my shoulder as I practically carried her to the ride.  We were silent the entire way.  Carrie, Melinda, Reyna, and Casey were all crying.  Loren, Shiloh, Dean, and Sam were all crying as well, not holding anything back.  I was too numb to do much of anything.

When we arrived at the hotel, we quickly filed in, not wanting anyone to get a look at our tear-streaked faces.  At least not the paparazzi.  They always had been too interested in our affairs.  We didn't want them getting too good of pictures.

The rest of our pack was huddled together in the room they'd booked for me and Arya.  The kids were playing in a corner, oblivious to what had just happened.  All but Caleb who seemed to pick up on his mother's distress almost instantaneously.  He ran over to her and hugged her leg.

"Everything okay mommy?" he asked.

Arya managed a smile. "It is now that I know you and the others are safe."

"Where's the rest of the pack?" Hunter inquired, coming up to us.  The other kids were following their lead, staring at us with curious eyes.  Arya picked up Caleb.  I sat down and let Hunter, Anna, and Elsa sit in my lap.  Ember went to her mother.

My wife's eyes glowed with a fury I hadn't seen since she attacked Lumine when that wench tried to kill me.  Arya cleared her throat. "There's no easy way to put this but we have just lost half our pack.  This was not a random attack.  It was calculated and done in cold blood.  I don't know who did this, why they did this, or why they chose us, but I'm going to find out.  I'm going to kill them.  Whoever did this, I'm declaring war on them.  And they better be ready.  Tonight, we will celebrate the beautiful souls of our family: Ray and Irene Flinn, Austin Gardner, Walter and Mia Mendel, Amy and Dmitri Ferguson, Michael and Katrina Jackson, Tony and Leyla Parker, and their children: Troy Flinn, Harley Flinn, Mary Flinn, Jane Mendel, Fiona Mendel, Neil Ferguson, Ryan Jackson, Carter Jackson, Allen Parker, and Georgina Parker.  But come tomorrow, we will be at war. "

"Did they leave us?" Caleb piped up.

"No.  They were taken from us sweetie."

"But they're coming back, right?" Hunter asked.

"I wish they were, but they can't." Arya knelt down and looked at her sons. "Your father and I, your aunts and uncles, we're going to find out who did this, and we're going to bring them to justice."

"You'll be safe here," I added. "We're going to have your grandparents watch you."

"Don't leave mommy, don't leave!" Caleb begged, tightening his grip around Arya's neck.

"If I don't, the people that killed our pack, they'll come after us again, and I can't let anything else happen to any of you."

"But-but what if you don't come back?"

My wife cradled our son as if she never wanted to let go.  "I will come back.  I will always come back."
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Hope you enjoyed the first chapter!  Short I know but still :) Review please!