And Then There Were Four (Lilith Carrie)

Chapter 111: Sound of Battle

Hale.

After Talon had called upon the pack and explained ev erything going on, the three of us stood as a

united front, let ting our warriors know the battle was coming – the war was coming-and with it, death, but

we had to fight for what we loved.

All the warriors agreed, and they knew what was expected of them. They had been trained for this their

entire life, and now that it was here, they would not back down.

We separated the women and the children who were not part of the battle and prepared them for the

underground bunkers that would keep them safe while war raged above them.

We knew what was expected. We knew exactly what we needed to do.

The only thing was actually executing the plan.

So, after hours of preparing for the worst and hoping for the best, the bunkers were ready, and those

who would use them knew if the howl was sounded, to go straight there. Hopefully, we wouldn’t need

them, but that was wishful think ing on my part.

As the sun sank below the sky, we sat waiting at the bor ders, all three of us, with our warriors, ready for

whatever was to come.

If it was actually coming.

Part of me still thought Talon was over-exaggerating, but the other part of me, deep down, had a feeling

he wasn’t. I felt he was right, and because of that, I stood waiting.

The only problem was when we faced the roars of hun dreds of wolves approaching our borders,

we realized that though we had the power and equal numbers… the council wasn’t alone.

Richard’s pack and two other small leaders had joined them.

This was a battle we weren’t prepared for after all, and as I watched the vicious snarls of ravaging

wolves approach us closer, we shifted, preparing for battle. I didn’t understand why my Lycan refused to

come forth at the moment.

.

But in the back of my head, he whispered, “not yet…”

The clashing of bodies and the scent of blood filled the air as their wolves clashed with our own.

Somewhere in the mix of things, I was separated from my brothers. Their bodies were lost in the wave of

wolves that battled around me.”

One by one, I tore through the wolves who came at me. Breaking one wolf’s neck and then tore through

the throat of another. There was no way I would allow this pack to fall at the hands of our enemies, and

from what I could tell, every one from my pack felt the same way.

‘Hale!’ James cried through the mind link. ‘Wolves just headed towards the house!

I could sense his panic through our link, and looking to

wards the house, I saw the enemy wolves running there. Dread filled me, and before I could move

toward them, I was surrounded by three more wolves and unable to run to their aid.

‘We have to protect them!’ I called out to anyone who was able to hear me. ‘We have to protect the

Luna.’

However, it didn’t seem like anyone could do anything, and instead, I prayed she had made it to the

panic room safely with the children.

“She has awakened,” the Lycan inside me said. “The time is coming.”

Ivy.

I felt a pit of sorrow within the darkness that told me to wake up.

It was a feeling I couldn’t shake, but the screams and howls of despair came through into the darkness.

The sounds shook me from my slumber, and laying on the bed, I took a deep breath, trying to calm my

currently racing mine.

That was until I heard it again. The screams of everybody around me. Screams that made blood run

cold. Jolting from where I had laid within the comforts of my bed, I sat up, my eyes wide as the door to

my room burst open.

Kara, the Valkyrie who had once visited me before in the sanctum of elders, stood before me with her

mighty sword strapped to her back and her wings folded behind her. “You need to get up now. We have

to get the children, and we have

to protect them.”

I was shocked to see her. I hadn’t seen her in months, and yet here she was, just in time for chaos to

consume the out side world. Jumping from the bed, I ran to the window. The fires outside the lands of our

pack and the howls of wolves surrounded us.

The scene before me was unlike anything I had ever seen, yet it felt so familiar.

The elders were attacking, and I was left in the center. “I have to help them.”

“No,” Kara said firmly as she took two steps forward, strid ing closer as she grabbed me by my arm. “You

cannot help them.”

My mother and Priscilla quickly entered the door behind, stopping to look at Kara. My mother’s eyes

widened, never having seen a creature like that before, a soft gasp leaving her lips as the twins began to

cry. Their cry was different, though. It was almost ear-piercing, and as I strode towards them, 1 picked

them up to soothe them.

And as I did, the crying stopped.

It was odd… I had never seen them act the way they did, but looking down at them now, I knew their

safety came first. No matter how much I wanted to go out there to help my mates.

“Please, you must tell me what is going on out there.”

“Ivy, you already know who is here. They are here for you, and they are here for your children. The panic

room that you

created, where is it?” Kara’s question caught me off guard. She had never been inside this house that I

knew of, so how would she know I had a panic room?

“How was it that you knew about this?”

She hesitated for a moment, staring at me with thinly met lips before crossing her arms over her chest,

shaking her head. “I am your guardian, Ivy. I am your Valkyrie. It is my job to know these things. I would

have assumed that you had al ready realized this.”

Staring at her for about a second, I took a heavy breath. With my children in my arms, I made my way

from the nursery to my room and pushed the button that moved a shelf from the wall sideways, revealing

a large ten-foot by twelve-foot panic room.

The panic room had never been used before, but as soon as the children came and their fathers knew

these troubles were coming, they made sure to have everything stocked: So that way, if anything

happened, the twins would be safe. It was Talon’s idea at first, and the brothers quickly agreed.

Talon was very paranoid. Very… paranoid.

However, we can see now that he had every reason to be.

Looking over at my mother, I gestured with my head for her to enter, and she did not say a single word

as she nodded and moved with Priscilla into the panic room.

“I cannot stay in this room. You know that.”

My eyes cast over to Kara, whom I had been talking to, and as the stern gaze upon her face slowly

started to melt,

she looked around, rolling her eyes as if she didn’t want to al low me to do whatever it is that I felt that I

had to.

“I have my orders to protect you. Now get in, and I will stand guard.”

I didn’t want to do as she said. I didn’t want to get in, but as my eyes gazed down at my children… I

knew I had no other choice. Quietly, I walked forward and stepped inside, and as I did, she nodded her

head at me, and I hit the red button.

The door to the panic room closed, and within it, the cam eras that had been scattered throughout the

house revealed the scene before me.

The chaos that would slowly consume us.

“You’re doing the right thing,” my mother said softly as she took Pollux from my arms.

“Am I, though? My mates are out there, and I’m stuck in a panic room with my children, my mother and a

Seer, instead of out there fighting for my pack. No offense, Priscilla.”

“None taken,” she replied with a wicked smile as she brushed off the jab I made.

My mother couldn’t say anything. What was she to say? She wasn’t one of us.

I didn’t want to think the way I was, but I couldn’t help it.

What kind of Luna did that make me? What kind of god dess did that make me?

The guilt that swirled and filled me was unlike anything! had ever felt before. I stood there watching the

cameras, and

as I did, I watched the front doors blow open. The cracking of wood splinters shot across my foyer as a

gasp left my lips.

“They just broke my fucking door,” I snarled, watching two wolves enter my home downstairs. Their

massive forms caused more damage than I would have liked. It was not long – lasting, though, as Kara

appeared into view, slashing her sword through one of the wolves as if it was nothing and then stabbing

the other.

Their mangled bodies dropped to the floor as I heard her snicker, shaking her head before stepping in

front of the doorway. She was staying true to her word. Guarding the house and protecting us was top

priority, but I couldn’t allow her to do this alone.

It wasn’t right, and she was only one person. From the looks of it, hundreds of wolves were out there,

and my mates were somewhere in the mix. “I have to get out there.”

I could feel their pain and anger through our bond. It was fueling a fire deep inside me that wanted to

escape. A fire that wanted to destroy everything I held dear.

“You can’t do anything for them,” my mother said as she laid her hand on my arm. “You’re safer here with

us.”

Turning to face her once more, I shook my head in disbe lief. “How can you say that?”

She seemed shocked and a little taken aback but pushing through it, she opened her mouth and

surprised me. “They are fighting to protect you. You’re not built for this kind of thing, Ivy. You’re safer

here, just like the rest of the women and chil dren are in the bunker.”

I wasn’t built for this?

I was the fucking Luna of this pack!

“This is my birthright, mother. You may not understand that, but fate proclaimed me their leader. Fate

proclaimed me to be what brings forth peace.”

“What are you talking about?” she asked as her brows fur rowed in confusion.

“It doesn’t matter,” I muttered, turning back to glance at the cameras. “There is more to this than you

realize.”

“Don’t tell me it doesn’t matter, Ivy. I am your mother.”

I cringed at her words. Not because she said she was my mother, but because of the tone she was

using. I loved her dearly, but her ignorance of how this world worked killed me. She had no idea what

she was in, but she sure liked to think she did.

Just as I was about to say something, I watched three fig ures on the screen come into view, and as they

did, my blood ran cold.

The elder Alokaye stood side by side with Allison. A wom an who was supposed to be dead, and at her

feet, kneeled a man I knew all too well.

It was Damian, and he was their prisoner.