Chapter 3. Fated ambush.
It has now been about five days since the birth of little Fenrir. Julian and Allyson's beautiful baby girl was named Faith. She was a perfectly healthy baby when she was born. Allyson was lucky in the regards she had a relatively short and easy labor that day.
All of the females now had a few days of rest since giving birth. Drogo woke up early that morning and made his normal pot of coffee in the fire that was still left over from the night before. Fenrir was asleep peacefully in his baby blue bassinet next to Luna while she slept on peacefully. Once he poured himself a cup of coffee he went inside and wrapped his treasure up in warm, soft blankets and took him outside to sit by the fire while he rocked his son back and forth. He enjoyed the early mornings of sunrise with his child.
It gave him some time of peace and serenity where he could spend a few precious moments with him, without everyone else trying to steal his attention. He began singing then. He sang of journeys far and wide, of the excitement of things to come and traversing new obstacles. His soft deep voice filled the campsite as he sang his tale to his son. Shortly after he began, a beautiful high pitched voice joined him in perfect harmony as she sang along with Drogo.
He turned his head to see Luna step out from the tent, her hair disheveled and clothes a wrinkled mess. She smiled sleepily at him as she continued their soft melodic song, their voices filled the campsite in a blend of peace and harmony. The other members of the pack would never admit to this, but they loved waking up early and listening to their alpha's singing together in harmony for their child. It brought them all a sense of comfort. It gave them a feeling that so long as they were all together, there was nothing they could not accomplish.
As their song finished, she walked over and placed her hands lovingly against her husband's hard, muscled back. "Today's pack and move day isn't it?" she asked him softly. She had always hated these days. So much stress and worry about getting the entire camp packed up. They had to pack the tents, bedding, solar gear, technical equipment, everything into the wagons and saddle the horses. It took hours of work just to get everyone ready.
Drogo sighed and nodded at her. "It is. We've taken a large enough risk staying here as it is. We need to hurry and get to the mountain caverns before winter sets in and snow makes the passes inaccessible." Drogo said. He disliked these trips as much as she did. But it was a necessity to keep their clan safe. They had to constantly move from area to area to avoid detection by The True Lord's Army. The extremist group would stop at nothing to hunt down and kill every last alpha bloodline shifter.
She reached down to take their happy, smiling son from Drogo's arms. "Go, do your duties and I will tend to our son in the meantime," she said as she giggled and smiled at Fenrir.
He stood up from his seat and placed a gentle, tender kiss to Fenrir's head and then to his mate's lips before he walked away and began packing their belongings and equipment up. Luna grabbed some soft fabric and wrapped it around herself and her son, making a carrier for him to lay snuggled against her chest while she moved around the camp and helped out who she could, where she could.
It took then a few hours to finally get everyone packed up, the wagon's loaded, and horses geared up for the trail. It was mid-morning by the time they were able to finally get on the road. They followed the main path through the forest north from where they currently were at. Their next destination was about 50 kilometers away and it would take them two to three days to reach it at their current speed. Usually the path offered little problems to their group. They would spend the summers down south in the forest, where they could occasionally go into town to get certain supplies when needed. Then retreated up north to the mountain caves for shelter during the cold, snow-filled winter months.
Drogo would begin to sing at random times throughout the journey, as the children would run around in between the wagons when they grew too restless during the trip. Usually Luna would join in. The rest of the caravan that could hear their beautiful music would listen in quietly and sometimes join in during one of the songs. Fenrir mostly slept against Luna's chest in the sling she made from strips of soft cloth. Though she would go lay down in the back of the wagon occasionally when she had to feed him.
It was nearing the evening when there was a loud crack followed by a boom sound towards the rear of the caravan. Suddenly voices called out in alarm as one of the elder's was hit between the eyes with a bullet. Screams echoed up and down the caravan line as shots rang out throughout the forest. Drogo growled low in his throat as he recognized this as the ambush that it was. He concentrated his manaflow and threw up rock walls down the length of the caravan to offer his people a modicum of temporary shelter. Luna's eyes glowed red as her wolf was begging to shift and be let loose. More gun-fire rang out along the forest as the unknown enemy forces attempted to break through the rock walls.
Drogo's eyes glowed red with his anger and hatred. So, these people came for his clan and their lives? He would make sure they paid for such insolence with their blood. He looked at his mate. He could see the worry and fear in her eyes as she looked back at him. They had to protect Fenrir and the other children. They had to survive no matter what. "Go, gather Allyson, lead the other women and children to safety. Reach the caverns and the other clans will protect you. I will take the men and fight off the attackers. We will buy you as much time as we can." He instructed his wife. The chaos and bangs still echoed all around them. More gunshots, more shifters were killed by the minute.
Luna wanted to argue. She knew he most likely wouldn't survive. "Kill them all, and let the god's sort it out," she told her mate. She gripped the scruff of his neck and pulled his lips down to hers in a searing kiss, knowing this might very well be the last time she gets to do this.
Drogo growled low in his throat as he kissed Luna back. He knew the chances of them surviving an assault of this magnitude with women and children nearby would be almost nothing. But by the gods they would not just roll over and die. He concentrated his mana flow and felt that familiar burn throughout his body as he shifted into this true werewolf form. He would show these fools just how powerful a member of the royal shifter bloodline was. There would be one heck of a bloodbath to witness this day. He threw his head back and let loose a baleful howl. His cry filled with rage and anger as it echoed throughout the forest.
For a moment the chaos became silence. Gunshots ceased, and screaming halted. His howl was a rallying cry for his pack. The men gathered towards him as the women and children ran towards Luna. They all awaited orders from their Alpha's. Drogo turned and used his mana to summon a long mighty earth tunnel that stretched for several miles. This would offer the women and children a chance to run and find safety. He turned towards Luna. "You will lead the women and children down the tunnel and to safety. We will kill everyone that attempts to get past us. Go now, while you have a chance," he said.
Luna nodded and closed her eyes. She focused on her manaflow and felt the burning sensation fill her body as she shifted into a beautiful red fur werewolf. She glanced over her shoulders to see every female wolf and child over the age of eighteen also had shifted. The shifted form would give them greater physical strength, speed and stamina for the run ahead of them.
Drogo turned to see his Beta, Julian by his side already shifted, his claws already bloody from the battle. "We lost Seraph, and some children. Ashlyn didn't make it either," Julian reported on the first early casualties that could be confirmed.
Drogo's hackles raised as he let out a vicious snarl. Seraph was their messenger for the gods. The children were too innocent and caught up in this horrible game of war and violence. Ashlyn was barely fourteen. Drogo's rage was nearly blinding as he listened in to the reports. An explosion occured near the back of the caravan as a section of the rock wall had been blown down and men in white coats with an anarchy symbol started pouring through.
"Listen now and listen well my brothers. We are the Lykos werewolf clan. Ours has the bloodline of the last royal wolf. We will not allow these fools to come into our midst and think they can kill us with impunities. So here are your orders," Drogo said as he paused for a moment as another explosion and another section of the wall came crashing down. "Kill them all. Hold nothing back. If they get past us now, it will be your mates and children that die next. We are wolves! We protect our clan and kin above all else!" Drogo called out. He threw his head back and let loose a mighty hunting howl. The sound caused the other members to join in.
Their combined howl was something almost ethereal in the sound it made that filled up the forest around them. Something so hauntingly beautiful that promised pain and retribution on the ones that attacked them. As a well trained unit the male wolves all moved out in pairs. For a wolf may be strong, but the strongest wolf does not hunt alone. The only problem was, they appeared to be outnumbered five to one in this battle. His wolves fought bravely and savagely. They were taking down a lot of the opposition. However their own losses were far too great a sacrifice.
Drogo went from body to body as he used a blend of his magic and his savage physical abilities to cut down any enemy that stood before him, Julian at his back. The two of them fought side by side without even the need for communication. They had done this a thousand times together over the years. There was a reason, Julian was his Beta. Gunshots, magical blasts, and howls of pain and suffering filled the forest around them as both forces moved to annihilate the other.
Drogo landed in a crouch after his latest kill. He looked around and spotted a man with short blond hair that stood in spikes. He appeared to be leading a group of them that attempted to get around the fighting and go after the women and children. He let out a feral howl and charged at the group with Julian coming in from the side. The blonde man saw Julian first as he used some type of electrical trap on the ground that stunned his Beta. A quick headshot silenced Julian's screams of rage and anger from the electrical surges that coursed through his body.
Drogo let out a pain filled howl as he lunged into their midst. He would kill this blonde haired man next. He would kill him if it was the last thing he did. He shoved his claws through the chest of several of the men around him to clear space to get at the target. Several of his men were thrown aside as the blonde haired man turned. As he did so, Drogo swiped at him with his razor sharp claws. The man managed to pull back just barely avoiding a lethal strike. Drogo's claw still sliced the man down, from his left temple to his left chin. Blood poured down the man's face as he cried out in rage and agony from the blow.
"Die you filthy animal!" The unknown man shouted as he threw another device like the one that captured Julian. Drogo tried to jump to the side and dodged it. But whatever field it emitted was too wide and too strong for him to dodge. His mana was low. His body was injured and fatigued from the fighting. The electrical surges that went through his body locked up his limbs and prevented Drogo from doing anything in response. He struggled as hard as he could. He had to stop this man. He had to protect his males. He had to get to Luna. He had to get to Fenrir.
That was the last thought that went through Drogo Lyko's mind as a single gunshot rang out through the forest, and ended the life of the current leader of the Lyko's pack.
Luna let out a loud gasp as she felt a searing pain pierce through her heart. Allyson felt one as well as she stumbled to the ground as she carried Faith in a similar baby sling to Luna's. Allyson looked at Luna and tears flowed down both females' faces. Their males were gone. They could feel their mated bond gone from their hearts. Luna let out a banshee cry of a howl, Allyson joined in. They let their loss and anger fill their voices as they grieved for their mates.
The explosions and gunshots behind them were quieting down. As if the fighting at the start of the tunnel was nearing its conclusion. This was certainly ominous. If it was quieting down after they felt the bond broken, then it only means all the males were dead or dying back there. The enemy's forces would be coming, and soon. It was now up to Luna to protect their pack.
Several of the female warriors came running back towards Luna and Allyson. "My Alpha, my Beta. You are both new with a child, you must escape while we buy you some time" One of the women said as tears filled her eyes and stained her fur as well.
"No, If our combined males could not stop them, what hope do a couple of female warriors have?" Allyson said. She shook her head as she looked on at them.
Before Luna had a chance to give any orders, a section of the tunnel exploded and more men in white coats came charging in. They were led by a man with spiked blonde hair and a deep gash down the left side of his face. Gunshots and magical blasts rang out through the tunnel as the True Lord's Army opened fire on the women and children gathered there. Many of them were quickly gunned down. Allyson responded with a snarl as she summoned for another earth wall between them and the attackers. She stretched it across the width of the tunnel buying them a precious few minutes.
While she did so, Luna felt a pang of fear and hopelessness creep into her heart. She didn't see any way out of this battle alive. Let alone for them to save the children. The worlds of the prophecy slipped back into her mind as a feeling of what to do filled her. She used the last of her magic and dug a hole into the ground at her feet. She took little Fenrir out of his sling and placed him gently inside it. Then she covered the hole up and made sure there were a few discrete holes for air to come through. She looked at Allyson who nodded and attempted to do the same thing.
Only problem was, by then the wall Luna had created was shattered as the gunfire resumed. A stray round clipped Luna's beta in the back of the head as a raging fireball ignited her body and the child against her. Luna's scream of anguish and horror filled the tunnel as she turned to see the scarred man grinning at her as she snarled viciously at him.
"Oh, don't you worry love. You will join your friends soon enough," the man said. Before Luna could lunge for his throat, he threw a device at her feet that emitted a powerful electrical surge that overtook her body. The pain was indescribable as he walked up and pointed his gun at her. The last thought that went through her head was hope that her son might still somehow survive this massacre.