Isaac, "They burned it down...the whole house?" Blake sat down his head in his hands and nodded despairingly. Lilly was holding her mother's hand tightly, she'd fallen asleep from sobbing. Aiden couldn't believe his ears, someone had taken away their home, the place they all bonded together. It was almost like losing a friend, surely Ally and Blake felt the same they'd been there since childhood. They all startled as Damien burst through the door his face painted with pain.
Aiden, "Damien? What the hell happened?" His face was the spitting image of Blake when he arrived, did that mean he'd also been targeted? Lilly ran over and hugged her brother tightly, he looked so pale and worried it made her stomach churn.
Damien, "You've grown a lot huh?" He said stroking her long white-blonde hair behind her ears, then his eyes fixated on Ally. Lilly noticed the frown behind those eyebrows like he was sympathizing with her.
Lilly, "Brother what is it?" Damien calmly walked over to Ally and put his hand on her forehead. Ally was running a fever and her whole body hand curled up on Isaac's lap almost for reassurance she was safe. It had been such a long time since their beloved alpha had been so hurt and truthfully they all wanted to cry too. Aiden sighed and sat down waiting for Damien to talk.
Isaac, "I need you to fill me in Damien, what did you see?" Shockingly for such a strong person, they all were taken back as tears fell from his face, even he was surprised catching them on his finger and staring intensely at the clear drops.
Damien, "They killed everyone...even fathers grave was..." He stopped tilting back the tears, he'd seen it too what they did to their territory. Isaac flinched, did he say Luther's grave?
Aiden, "Killed everyone? You mean in the territory...Blake?" Still hiding his face he nodded, Lilly covered her mouth no wonder her mother was so upset, technically her role as top alpha meant she was called in times of crisis for help but...there had been no word at all.
Lilly, "And Jack? Where is Jack!" Panicked she grabbed hold of Blake's arms and pulled them down, his face was wet with both tears and sweat. This had taken a toll on both of them seeing such evil.
Blake, " Jack's fine, Maya's parents dropped him off before we got to the territory. He's safe." There was so much relief inside of her it felt like her lungs were going to explode but then came a startling revelation... Lilly gritted her teeth and began shaking. Aiden worriedly grabbed her shoulders, her violet eyes were glowing in rage.
Aiden, "Hey, what's wrong honey talk to me." Isaac was also thinking about the same thing as Lilly, Blake had helped them with a lead unknowingly. Lilly began taking deep breaths trying to keep her mind together.
Lilly, "Isn't it odd that Jack was brought back just before you both entered the territory, why wasn't Jack also harmed? Maybe it's because a certain someone knew what was about to happen and got him out before the bloodbath. Blake call aunt Maya here or I'm going to her myself, and none of you can stop me." It was the darkest Isaac had ever heard her speak but he understood, something was amiss and Maya knew what. Cogs started turning in Aiden's brain for the first time in a long time, it was all fun and games living a life of luxury until the past sweeps you up like dust.
Blake, "You believe Maya was in on this?" Lilly frowned at her pitiful uncle, he would have a hard time believing that his wife would do such a thing but people always had at least two masks. Some wore them better than others.
Isaac, "Blake I swear to god if your f*cking wife is responsible for this I won't let her off easy." Lilly was so enraged she thought her eyes would burn a hole in the floor, Aiden had a comforting hand on her shoulder sure not to overcrowd her, Ally never liked to be caudled when she was enraged but that didn't mean to say she didn't need a helping hand. Lilly was very much the same, she could never shrug off her uncle.
Aiden, "Our niece has a point, why did Maya's parents bring Jack home hours before the attack, Ally wouldn't have gone there if it wasn't for him. What else Blake did you notice anything?" They needed everything right now, a huge jagged border sharper than before had separated them from home yet again. Blake sighed, he would be an idiot not to notice their movements and intentions.
Blake, "I wasn't the target at all, they never even looked in my direction. They wanted Ally that was for sure, and they used the bodies of people still left in the settlement to spell out the word free with a huge black cross over it as if saying there was no such thing as long as they were around. Then they intentionally defiled Luther's grave...I think that's what shocked her the most." He almost shed a tear for his sister remembering her weeping body hung separately over the grave as if protecting whatever dignity it had left, it had been so long since that crack in her armour had shone through.
Lilly, "My father's grave? What did they do?" This was more crushing to Lilly than she expected however that was the place she went every year and had an emotional attachment too mostly because of her mothers love but it was important to her.
Blake, "They wrote her name next to his in blood, along with all the names here." Damien felt a shiver run down his spine, could this be a past enemy of his father?
Damien, "Eli and Camilla too?" Blake nodded, there was everyone's name even little Noah. People who had done nothing wrong to these monsters. Ally began breathing heavily and twisting in pain. Isaac kneeled down carefully on the cream carpet and pulled up his mate's shirt, his face turned pale immediately.
Isaac, "These wounds aren't healing at all..." He muttered in a panic, Aiden rushed over and sure enough, the couch was soaked in blood and a huge hole in her side had begun healing but stopped halfway as if rejecting something. Aiden looked closely if this didn't close soon she'd be in trouble. Isaac's blood was potent and helped her heal but not as quickly as Luther's could. Suddenly a thought struck Isaac, he worked with guns and protective weaponry so he had a good idea of what fired what.
Isaac, "Blake what noise did the gun make? Was it silent or did it ring out?" Blake closed his eyes, the situation was harsh so it was hard to recall but it was fresh enough to collect.
Blake, "It was loud enough to give us a shock but not enough to disturb the birds above." Isaac shuddered, that meant it was something like a close-range pistol, they wanted to get up and personal with her all along. However, this ruled out the S.E.S they would never be so reckless to use such short-range weapons in a supernatural environment. Isaac unconsciously gripped Ally's head, there was an endless turmoil in his mate and he knew that. The past was a harsh one, now all of a sudden they felt like naive teenagers reliving someone else vendetta.
Damien, "I haven't the slightest clue but whoever it is are going to pay for this." Aiden nodded in agreement, their past home filled with so many memories they could never get back. The countless people who were now dead on their lawn. Things couldn't get any worse. Lilly was thinking of what she was going to do to aunt Maya when she arrived, suddenly her mother began to stir. Isaac flinched and rolled her over to see her face. Sure enough two cloudy blue eyes stared back. Then without a word, she clutched her wound and stood up.
Isaac, "Ally your hurt please sit down." His desperate arm outstretched for her sake but Lilly gasped as she smacked it away and limped over to Damien. Unsure what to do, Damien stood looking into those eyes, they were so empty it scared him.
Damien, "Ally it's me, wake up." Slightly unnerved he began shuffling towards Aiden and then the moment struck. With wide eyes peeking through black locks he gasped in pain as a sharp needle-like pain shot through his body. Everyone stood for 5 seconds completely flabbergasted until finally, Aiden could see that she was drinking heavily from him. Like lightning, Isaac shot up and grabbed her back but Damien screamed as her fangs stayed in place. Why wouldn't she let go?
Lilly, "Mom! Look at me it's Lilly!" Desperate for a response she looked Ally straight in the eyes and gripped her hands. Almost like she was possessed a growl escaped her blood filled mouth, Lilly was moved back by Aiden before Ally could hurt her. Sometime in your life, you will encounter such a feeling even if it's for a brief moment. That feeling you get when you look at someone you know and realize they aren't the same. Their attitude, facial expressions even energy sometimes. You can tell when someone has changed for the worse, that gut-wrenching pain in your chest, wondering if the connection you had was still there. Lilly couldn't even help her tears being pushed away by her precious mother. It was a lot watching Isaac and Aiden try to talk her into letting go, her brother clearly drained his skin as so pale.
Aiden, "Ally you need to snap out of it, Damien is going to die if you keep going!" All words fell on deaf ears. Now Damien sat down too weary to stand Ally latched tightly around him like a venus fly trap. Lilly was struggling to watch anymore and tried thinking the best she could. Damien was her closest sibling if he died everything would crumble including her mother.
Isaac, "What's wrong with her, she's not even there I know it." Meaning he couldn't see his mate in this person at all, she looked like Ally with those gorgeous black curly locks, slim waist, perky buttocks, cherry lips all of the things he loved didn't belong to the girl he knew.
Lilly, "Wait for a second..." she said trying to scramble her thoughts together. Her mother had just faced significant trauma, not only that their pack was officially broken eaning they no longer had a founding territory and that made them...
Lilly, " Officially she's been removed from her role as Alpha, we all know what happens to wolves when their den is compromised." Aiden looked on at Ally and read the signs as quickly as he could Damien was struggling to hang on.
Aiden, "Damien is a pure-blood it's the most potents so she's prioritizing everything for the sake of survival, we have to get a reaction out of her. Snap her out of her mind, she's gone feral Isaac, she doesn't have a role anymore. It's fine for us we never had a connection to the pack even though we were part of it." Concerned they looked at Lilly but she waved her arms to say she was feeling fine.
Damien, "Ally please look at me." It was agonizing feeling the life leave your body while one of your most treasured things in the world did the deed without any consciousness, what could he do in this situation, if she tears his throat it would take a lot of recoveries and they didn't need another member down. Aiden and Isaac looked at him knowing the same thing sympathetically before bending down to Ally's level. Both in either ear whispering desperately.
Aiden, "Don't do it Ally, don't let go just yet please."
Isaac, " Listen to me honey, I know your hurting. Damien can't do this much longer, you need to let him go."
Lilly could hear over her mother's ragged breaths, They were so supportive and knew what to say like they had done this a million times over. Damien's eyes were becoming glazed, the light being sucked out of them. Ally surprised them all as she froze up for a second her eyes wild like she'd been struck with something.
Have you ever held secrets you knew would break you but confessing it would kill you more? Are you the type of person to tear your own skin off to keep someone else warm? Give up the last of your money to feed someone, knowing you may well starve? I'm that type of person, the type to do anything for someone else. Your hurting? That's okay I'll listen, if you need time I'll give you that. If I feel lonely I won't be sad, I'll smile. Even though it hurts I'll be the one to hold you while arrows stick from my back because I'd do anything to protect you. Even if you wouldn't the same. That was everything my mother was, all this time she was hurting and no-one looked because she hid it so well not even confident enough that those who could see would turn a blind eye or not.
You're always hiding your pain behind your pretty smile, I love you with all my heart but its okay Mom you don't have to keep it in. If your mad, you can scream and punch all you want. If your sad, I want you to cry until your lungs are hoarse. If you are happy I want you to tell everyone you love them and smile genuinely not because you feel like you have to. Just like you told me from being a child, just be yourself no matter how shameful because we won't reject you.
Gently Lilly put her hand on Ally's face looking at her head-on, both beautiful eyes meeting halfway, one filled with serenity and the other turmoil. Isaac could see a secret conversation going on inside them both no other ears could hear. Damien felt a fang retract from his skin giving him some chance. Whatever Lilly was doing, seemed to be working. But all she did was relay all of those thoughts back like a movie reel, showing their life together and the wisdom she shared for her children's future that she'd do anything to protect. Ally leaned back finally letting Damien breathe, he gasped in both realization and pain. Ally was so strong he couldn't do a thing, not even two fully mature vampires could restrain her. How long had she been that powerful? Aiden had also come to think of this. Ally was always strong but to just brush him off as well as Isaac was something else entirely.
Lilly, "I'm angry too Mother, so angry I feel like my blood is boiling but what will we do? I want you to look at me clearly and tell me what you want to do." Ally was still dazed but that question was easily answered. So easily it was almost scary.
Ally, "I want to tear them apart and burn the pieces so they can never hurt my family ever again." Isaac blinked in disbelief, it was like a recession to Ally seventeen years ago. Then he clicked on to what Lilly was doing. She was carefully exposing Ally's emotions without hurting her too much. Memories were painful but also beautiful. They needed to show her that.
Isaac, "What else are you upset about Ally? You can tell us honestly, I want you to be selfish, please do this for me. I want to help like you always have for me." Lilly had never heard the story of how Isaac met his mother. Still...it reached her, his emotions hit her, she could see it almost like watching her go back in time.
Ally, "I-I'm angry at me for not protecting Luther twice. That grave--That grave meant more than my life! And they destroyed it, and that was a string i wanted to keep connected at least for a while longer. Isaac, I love you, so much and I would do anything for you."
Isaac, "I know you do, and you know how much I love you and the kids. But you still love him too don't you?" Ally bowed her head sucked up her pride and nodded strongly. Lilly's eyes widened as Isaac walked over and hugged her so tightly it looked like she could barely breathe.
Isaac, "Thank you for being honest with me Ally and I don't hate you for loving him one bit." Lilly joined in the embrace casually stroking her mother's hair like she'd done for her a million times over.
Ally, "I never wanted you to see me like this honey, I'm sorry." Lilly hushed her and shook her head.
Lilly, "That's no good mother if you didn't cry that wouldn't make you human. We're a strange family, but we help each other up no matter how far they fall."