Lost Alpha

Event February 14, 2024

I am sitting outside bundled up in the rocking chair. Mom finally got sick of all my pacing and hand twisting and sent me to sit outside because 'you are making me nervous with all of your nonsense." Geez, cut me some slack. I have been waiting for this guy for four months.

Film and Max went to pick up Zee from the airport a couple of hours ago and I am straining my senses to catch the sound of a car coming up the drive. I am taking softly to Strawberry. Telling her that Daddy is coming. Singing her favorite song. She is restless. It's probably my fault because so am I. I have been out here awhile, and I am thinking of going inside to get a cup of hot tea when I hear a car.

"Mom. Dad. I hear a car. They're here!", I scream like a happy maniac.

I see a car, but it's not Max's car. I stand up and start inching toward the door.

"Dad!", I scream.

All parents can tell when their kids are really in distress. It is something in your child's voice that strikes terror in your heart and makes you go running to rescue your baby. That is what my dad heard when I screamed his name, and he came bursting out the front door. Just in time to see four strange men get out of an SUV and make their way towards the house.

I am trying to get up, but I am wrapped up in a blanket and the corner of the blanket is caught under the rail of the rocking chair and I am trapped. Dad takes one look at me and calls for Mom and strides out to meet the strange males.

"No Dad. Don't go.", I say.

Mom is by my side untangling me and pulling me into the house.

"Dad, get in the house. Hurry.", I yell.

He ignores me and keeps walking. I know what he is doing he wants to put distance between us to give Mom time to get me untangled and into the house. But these men look like thugs. They are probably all alphas in their prime. They are not smiling and most of them are looking past him at me.

"Dad!"

"Mom, call Max. I am calling the police."

We are watching from the window as these men surround my dad. I have the police on speakerphone, but I don't know the stupid address of the house. Mom does so we switch phones, and I am on with Max, no wait it's Hia.

"Nhu, I want you to go out the backdoor with your mom and go hide in the woods.", Hia, says.

"Can't Hia. I am not leaving Dad.", I say.

I run into the kitchen and grab the step stool. There is a shotgun hidden in the space between the tops of the cabinets and the ceiling.

"Nhu. I am not kidding. Think of Strawberry. I am almost there. I need you to go out the back and hide, right now."

I am on my tippy toes feeling for the gun. All I feel is dust, and then I feel the cool hardness of metal. I shove Mom's phone in my bra and carefully pull the shotgun from its hiding spot. I look at the gun. I have no idea how to check if there are bullets, or how to disarm the safety. All I know is this end, points at the bad guys.

"NHU!", Zee says.

"Mom, do you know how to use this?", I ask.

ΩΩΩ

Three of the men have my dad. Two of them have his arms pinned behind him and the third has been striking him in the face and stomach. The fourth thug is out of sight.

My tiny omega mom bursts out the front door with the shotgun and yells at the top of her lungs.

Neither of us knew how to use the damn thing. We are not even sure it works, but those thugs don't know that. We did figure out how to pump the shotgun and make that scary shotgun noise when you are loading the bullets in the chamber.