The Triplet Warriors and Their Pup Mate novel Chapter 3

~Ellie's Point of View~

I desperately wanted to ask where he was sending them, but I didn’t think he would tell me anyhow. He said it could be anywhere from a few hours to three days before they could send a response. I shuddered at that, hoping that I was wrong, hoping that I was just being dramatic.

However, the look on Beta Hank’s face told me he not only believed me, but he believed it was likely.

I was also curious what exactly a “response” was, who it was. Would we have vampires here, witches? What would they do exactly? The obvious answer was that they would kill everyone, but that only made me terrified that innocents could be slaughtered.

The Alpha and Beta immediately began barking orders to every single pack member, directing them where to hide the rations and how to board up their homes. One of the biggest fears with any invasion … is fire. It is the easiest thing for the enemy to do … burn down everyone’s homes. And well, Gunner was known for leaving nothing in his wake. Taking what he wanted and to hell with the rest.

We frantically gathered a large cache of water and put it outside every home, hoping it didn’t freeze. All valuables, keepsakes, women and pups were to go into the shelter by dusk.

The bunker had two ways to get out, just in case one exit somehow became blocked. I was extremely impressed with the way it was built and the thought that went into it. I really hoped we were just being overly careful, taking more precautions than necessary, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that something awful was about to happen.

The entire night went by, and nothing happened, much to everyone’s surprise and delight. When morning came, the Alpha let certain people come out, but he still wanted the majority to stay sheltered for now. There was still no sign of the missing guards, and every hour that went by it became less likely we would find them alive.

A few people were gathered by a large fire, near my home on the outskirts of the main area of the pack. They were cooking up a huge dinner for everyone that would also have to be enough for breakfast. I had left the shelter to help gather more water to keep outside the houses.

I heard it before I saw it, a horse … hooves beating and crunching into the bit of snow that fell the other day. Some of it had melted, but a bit remained. I could swear I felt my heartbeat in my ears and it began to race. I felt sweaty, nervous and my body moved on its own, just trying to keep working.

I heard a commotion and then a howl. I ran to the source, not far from the large fire and saw a white horse covered in blood, with the body of one of the missing guards strapped to its back. Howling to the horse’s side was a large black wolf, which was the boy’s father, Bruce.

My knees gave out, and I fell to the ground. I immediately knew what this meant. My worst nightmare came true, Gunner and Tyson were coming.

I felt someone elbowing me on my arm, and it was Valerie. She had her arms full of some food to take back in the bunker. Her eyes were huge and she was panicked.

“Come on Ellie, there’s not a second to waste, we have to hide!!”

I couldn’t move, I was stuck, staring at the lifeless body before me. Any sadness I had left me, and it was replaced with rage. I couldn’t leave, I wouldn’t leave. This might be it … it might be my last night on this earth, but I wouldn’t just hide. This was my fight to have.

“You go down, I’m fighting,” I said, jumping to my feet.

She moved in front of me, not able to touch me without dropping something, but trying to get my full attention. Her eyes pleaded with me.

“Don’t be ridiculous, you haven’t shifted yet! You’re basically a human, you can’t fight!!”

“I have to Valerie, I have to! This is my pack and I will defend it, you took me in when I had absolutely nothing, no one. I would rather die than be forced to mate, forced to be a breeder for the rest of my life, you have no idea what they are, I would be their slave!”

She looked at me with pity, and I hated it. But she knew she wasn’t changing my mind.

Just then we heard it, the humming of engines, likely snow mobiles and trucks. They were probably only a minute away. I gave Valerie a desperate look, begging her to go, and as the Alpha began barking commands, she fled.

It would be fully dark in just an hour, and now there was a feast almost cooked, just in time for the Blood Claw warriors to eat. Perfect … timing. Several men immediately put out the fire as best they could and ran to take their positions.