Chapter 12 The Williams' Massacre

*Alpha Connor*

We have been on rotating shifts, protecting the baby. It's been a helluva 48 hours, but it has been all worth it. Protecting her inside the hospital was the easy part, but it's going to be a whole new ballgame once the baby is discharged, and unfortunately, today is the day.

After the failed attempt to kidnap the baby, the wolves in the black cars were called off. They all left the hospital, but I was sure they were in the vicinity, lurking. We didn't let our guard down. You make mistakes when you underestimate a wolf with a sinister plan.

No doubt that plan now was to take the baby when she was in her new home from her human family by cover of night. This also meant, the Williams family was in grave danger.

"Alpha Connor, the Sheriff is going to escort the brother when they head home. The men have arrived in the vicinity of the residence... as well as the wolves in the black cars." My Gamma informs me.

"How many this time?" I ask.

"They've counted around 10 cars packed with wolves. So I estimate around 40 wolves, give or take." Damn, this is going to be a massacre. 40 wolves against a defenseless family. Where is the honor in that?

"They really want to get rid of the baby. Make sure the men watch their every move and report back to us. We are going to escort Diana to the Williams' home and we are going to make sure, those wolves go home in a body bag." I instruct my Beta and he bows and leaves to gather up the men.

I look over at Diana's unsuspecting Uncle Rob, signing the discharge forms at the cashier. He installed a baby seat in his car yesterday. One of my men, who has children of his own, helped him put it in. He felt sorry for Rob because he couldn't figure out how to put the baby seat in properly. I felt sorry for Rob for not knowing what he is up against.

I look at my watch. It's already 3 in the afternoon. It will be dark soon and whether or not the Williams family is asleep, the wolves of the Lotus Pack will come barging into their home.

"Alpha we are all set. I had some of the men bring their bows and arrows from the territory and they are already on their way to the location. I've already briefed them on the best hide sites around the family home." I had suggested we should have our best archers on site and obviously my Beta agreed. Although it would be more convenient for any one of us to use guns, it would be loud and alert the neighbors and we didn't want that.

"Alpha, here comes Rob and Diana now." My Beta nods in their direction.

"It's time to hightail it out of here. Is the Sheriff outside?" I ask my men.

"Yes, Alpha. He's waiting for Rob to come out of the hospital." My Gamma points just as the hospital doors slide open to let Rob out and I see the patrol car, waiting.

"You guys know what to do." I said loudly and we all part ways to go to our respective cars.

We stay behind the Sheriff while my Gamma drives ahead of Rob. He visited the area this morning and knows his way to Rob's home. My other men drove beside us or behind us, making sure they were close enough in case something happens while we were driving.

The Williams' home was in the suburbs around an hour away. Rob's father was a dentist while the mother did real estate. They lived in a nice neighborhood where houses weren't built so close together.

Rob, after finishing his tour in Afghanistan, opened a custom car and motorcycle shop and is one of the best in the vicinity. His clientele comprise mainly of those rich folks living in the large gated communities around the area.

Because the Williams' home has a lot of yard space, Rob built himself his own tiny home in their backyard. He also has living quarters at his car shop so, if he isn't at the Williams', he's at his shop.

I had heard Amy's room is now Diana's nursery and since Rob had promised to raise Diana as his own, he will be moving back in with his parents.

I notice it was getting dark. I take a look at my watch, it's just a little after 4, too early for night. I look up and I see a bunch of dark cloud hovering in the sky. Great. Looks like we're in for a snow storm.

"Seems the sky is about to dump snow. The weather is working against the Williams family." My Beta noticed the dark clouds too.

"I hate it when you're right. Snow will provide cover for the wolves."

"Alpha, I hope you're ready. We're almost there." We turn right at the fork of the road into a housing community. We stop at the side if the road and watch Rob's car turn into his neighborhood. I glance at my Beta and I saw his eyes fill with sorrow. I myself was feeling the same way.

Honestly, how can you tell someone tonight will be your last?

_____________________

*Lucas*

I've met Amy's mother. She was the real estate agent I called to buy the house two blocks away from theirs in the hope Amy would forgive me and allow us to become a family. I knew Amy loved her family and would want to be near them when she gave birth. It was still empty and no Amy will ever set foot in this house, ever.

I stood by the window and watched the black cars park at each corner within a mile radius of the Williams residence. I counted about 8, but I knew there were more. Tonight, the whole family will be slaughtered.

I didn't expect my father to be this ambitious, selfish and heartless, to kill his own son and grandchild so he could secure a seat in the council. "You shouldn't be surprised, Lucas.  Remember the rumors spoken by the older wolves that Eric killed his own father? If he could kill his own father, he can definitely kill his own son." My wolf, King, reminding me of the whispers I would hear when I was a child.

The parents of the private school I attended forbade their children from ever associating with me. All my classmates avoided me like I had a contagious disease. I was very young then and could not understand why I couldn't make any friends.

Until I met Harriet. She was a spirited wolf and never followed what was asked of her. She was a born rebel, a rule breaker and when her parents forbade her to speak to me, it made her want to speak to me even more.

"I'm not allowed to speak to you because your daddy is a bad man." It was free time and I was playing cars by myself as usual.

"No he's not. He's just..." I try to find the right word to describe my father, but I couldn't think of one at that very moment.

"He's just what?" Her eyes lit up in anticipation to what I was going to say.

"Mean. He's just mean." It was true. My father was a cold-hearted sadistic man. He never paid any attention to me nor my brother and as for my mother, she was only good for one thing, breeding.

"Are you mean?" She asked, her voice curious.

"No." I wanted to add to my answer, yet that one word was convincing enough.

"Oooookay. So are we friends?" It was the one thing I wanted from the Moon Goddess and she finally heard my heart's prayer.

"Yes. We're friends." My smile was so wide on my face, I felt my cheeks crack. From then on, we were inseparable, her and I, bestfriends. Until the end of grade school, that is. Harriet moved to London with her family and I never saw her again.

During my time with Harriet, that's when I first heard the whispers. "He's Lockwood's son. You do wrong with him, his father will kill you just like he did his own father." I had always wanted to do an investigation on the whereabouts of my grandparents, but I have always been busy.

"There he is, Lucas." I peered through the window and saw a car drive up to the Williams residence. A man comes out and walks to the other side and opens the door. He gently brings out the baby carrier and walks to the house where Amy's mom was waiting, arms outstretched, excited they were home.

"It's not night yet and there's a storm brewing. They'll wait until the storm is howling before they attack. When the snow starts to fall, we'll head over to the house before the snow becomes heavy."

"Copy." Michael checks his phone. "Alpha Connor is already here and he says they have archers at key points."

Nightfall came quickly signalling the snow to fall. Dressed in disruptive overwhite snow camouflage, Michael and I took the back entrance to exit the house. We saw one of the men from our former pack hiding behind one of the houses. Michael came from behind and grabbed the top of his head and chin and twisted it, breaking his neck. He falls to the ground.

We crouch close to the ground to blend in with the snow. I see another one, hiding behind a child's playhouse. I slowly creep up from behind him and grab his head and chin then twist it, until I hear a snap. I let go and he falls to the ground, lifeless. Michael gives me a thumbs up sign, another one dead. I point to another one, crawling in the snow, in the big yard of the house across from the one I bought. Michael avoids the light and creeps behind him, hitting him at the back of the neck then proceeds to break his neck.

We suddenly hear a howl. It was instructing the men to shift to their wolf form and proceed to the house. Michael and I take out our silver daggers and wait, crouched down, to see if a wolf is nearby. I was on one side of the pathway that led to the Williams residence while Michael on the other. A brown wolf appears from behind the house I bought for Amy, sniffing the air. He comes closer, trying to locate the scent. We hear a whizzing sound then a whimper from the brown wolf before it hits the ground with a resounding thud, an arrow stuck behind his back.

I was impressed, Connor's archers are very precise. We follow the pathway to the road that leads to the cul de sac of the Williams' home, and hide in some bushes to see what we were dealing with.

I saw an army of wolves of different colors walking, coming from every direction. They all met in the middle where a huge gray wolf stood. Chase, that bastard, was leading the wolves to kill my daughter!

It happened so very fast. Arrows coming from everywhere started whizzing in the air. One by one, the wolves that had grouped in the middle fell on the icy pavement, arrows behind their backs. One wolf, which was struck in the leg, started running towards us. We readied our daggers, but Connor's archers got to him first. He landed a few feet in front of us, his tongue sticking out.

Unfortunately, not all the wolves had been struck. There were still several left and they sprinted and jumped over the cars, breaking the window and the door of the house, gaining entry.

I ran as fast as I could to the house. When I was near, I shifted to my wolf, King, a golden brown wolf with black paws, sinking my teeth in the neck of the wolf that entered through the window. I broke his neck and he fell. Sadly, he had mauled Amy's mother who was on the floor dead, her eyes wide with fear.

I hear someone yell, "No!" I follow the sound and I find a wolf in the living room tearing through the body of Amy's father. I was about to pounce when a red wolf jumps on top of him and bites his neck and tears a chunk of his flesh. Michael!

"Get to your daughter, quick! I will hold them off with Alpha Connor and his men!" Michael mind links me.

I walk up the stairs, sniffing the air for her. I see Chase throwing the body of Amy's brother through the wall before he enters the nursery at the end of the hall.

I run towards the room and jump on top of him, biting his back. He shakes me off and turns to look at me. He snarls, his teeth out in a malevolent grin.

"Brother, you're alive. Good. Now watch me snap your daughter in two." Chase says through mindlink. He turns to the crib and I try to block him, but he suddenly stops in his tracks. The crib was empty!

I charge towards him, taking advantage of his bewilderment and push him out of the window where he lands on one of the cars below.

I watch him get up, shake the the debris off of him and howl his retreat. He looks up at me with fury in his eyes before he sprints away, arrows following his path.

I could have sworn though, I saw his lip curl into a smile.