Casselba stands watching the black armoured vans leave from the driveway. The vehicles raise a swirl of dust as tyres screech across the gravel. Ryan is also close beside her.
The Werewolf Professor and the young man stare at the vehicles until they disappear out the Mansion's gates. Clear worry shows in both their eyes as they look out into the evening, both praying for the same thing.
...the safety of Caden Hallow on his journey to rescue Ren Curtis from the jaws of the Ferals.
"Come on, Casselba. Let's go inside," Ryan says, turning to her.
The beautiful Shewolf looks up at his words, her brown skin glinting in the evening's rays.
"Will he be safe?" she asks with worried gray eyes.
Ryan nods, giving her a small smile.
"If there's one thing I know about my father is that he never leaves anyone he cares for behind. He is going to bring back Ren, I'm sure of it. Besides, with the information you've given us on how to tackle the Ferals, you've levelled the playing field."
Casselba smiles at Ryan's comforting words and she follows him as they both proceed into the mansion, his arm slung over her shoulders.
As they reach the large Brownwood doors, she can't help but feel Caden and his men were still outmatched by the Ferals. While she didn't doubt Caden's leadership nor the elite force he'd gathered in the recent hour, Hiram still had control of dominant werewolves at his beck and call, his delusional psychosis, and a human hostage.
There was no question as to the fact that blood would run. A blood pool was always inevitable whenever Canines and Humans crashed, all through history.
After Hiram's threatening video call made to Caden's office, the CEO had sat down with Casselba. In the hours prior, she had told him everything, just as he asked. She had told him about Hiram. His crazy ideas that their species were meant to control the rest.
...'The Apex' as he called it.
She had told Caden about how the man and his pack of Ferals had slaughtered the RavenClaw Shifters, all of them save her as the Luna. She'd told him of the years she had spent after that, meticulously plotting her revenge on the bastard.
Adele had walked into the Lounge sometime during their conversation to give Caden updates on the situation. The company's IT department had traced Hiram's call to a place called Alpine Yard: the same location Travis had given her that night at the MC bar.
Caden had immediately moved into authoritative mode, telling his Assistant to assemble his best trained paramilitary officials. Since he had the location of the Shifters, the next thing was to rescue his Head of Security, Ren Curtis.
The Ferals were so named for a reason and since Caden had clearly made up his mind to go after them, Casselba had made him promise to leave their lair once he got Ren back.
Another conversation followed where she'd told him about the kind of bullets to use. First, she'd told him of the immobilizers to use: stun guns that had three times the normal voltage.
Werewolves had terrible speed and shocking verve, so to hinder them, he would need use higher power. Also, she'd told him about the use of silver bullets for dire cases.
...Silver bullets from the Legends were real. It could cause deadly harm to the werewolves already turned.
Caden had quickly ordered for the arsenals to be delivered. Casselba had told him everything she could in order to ensure his safe trip to and fro from Alpine Yard.
Since his mind had been set to go in search of Ren, her mind had been set as well to ensure he returned alive.
The people he was going up against were not normal—literally.
The five hours since Hiram's message had passed in a blur. She had returned with Caden to the house about an hour ago. While he had set out to prepare for his rescue mission, Casselba went about the activity of explaining all that had happened to Ryan.
Now here she was, walking into the Manor with the young man and seriously hoping his father—and her other mate returned from his destination safely.
Once the doors click shut behind them, Ryan turns to her. In her eyes, he sees trepidation for his father. He was worried too. They both needed to take their minds off Caden for a bit, so he gestures to the home bar left of the large kitchen.
Casselba reluctantly walks to it, grabbing a stool. Ryan goes behind the counter and looks down on her with a playful smile.
"What can I get' ya, pretty woman?"
This makes her smile and he is glad. Her thoughts seem to have shifted for awhile.
"Don Simon, please," she replies.
"Don Simon coming right up," Ryan declares with a grin, turning to the rack of wine bottles behind him.
Grabbing the liqueur she'd chosen, the handsome young man spins back around, grabs a glass and pours. A white napkin follows and only two seconds later, a cold glass of the white tangy liquor sits in front of Casselba.
She grabs the drink, careful in lifting it off the napkin.
"Thank you," she says after taking a sip.
Ryan nods and engages her in small talk, intentionally doing so to get her mind off Caden. They seem to be lost in their conversation for a while, but there's still an inkling at the back of both their minds for the safety of a man that was both father and mate.
~. ~. ~.
About three miles away from the Hallow Manor, the convoy of black military vans glide to a sharp halt at a bend off the road. A dozen armored men jump out of the vehicles, clutching guns to their chest.
A taller man jumps out last and proceeds to the front of the group, obviously their leader, and the men flock around him.
Caden looks to the ex-soldiers looking on him with determination lighting their eyes. These men were his friends and the friends of Ren. They all knew the Head of Security had been captured and had all voluntarily offered to help rescue him.
Caden respected them for it.
Few men had courage to know the danger of death and still face it head on.
However, the CEO now turned Troop Commander felt the need to address them. If any of them turned away after his words, he vowed inwardly not to judge them. The risk at hand was great.
"Friends and brothers," he begins, meeting each man's eyes with equal fortitude.
"The people we are about to face are not men. They are monsters. Monsters that captured our brother, Ren Curtis, the bravest man I've ever known..."
A few heads nod in agreement at these words.
"...This monsters would not hesitate to rip you apart limb from limb so I urge to give back likewise. Don't hesitate to shoot down the bastards. Don't hesitate to make them kiss the earth. As they rush at you, rush back at them,"
Caden paused a while, lifting a clutched fist to his chest covered in a vest.
"For brother Ren!" he toned.
"FOR BROTHER REN!" the soldiers echoed back.
Caden gave a small nod and turned around. He gripped his gun high in the air. His weapon of choice was a handy pistol for quick and sharp shooting, and he had a ready load of silver bullets filling his pockets.
In a single file, the men swarmed across from their parked vehicles to the darker rise of tall pine trees, flanking into a woodland leading straight to their destination; a ridge about twenty yards ahead.
...Alpine Yard.
The men begin to move in slow creeping movements with crouched knees and upraised hands with guns at the ready. The Woods are silent as the move further until they spy a clave of wooden buildings.
Caden makes out about three dorm-style houses, a taller Lodging and a few ATV trucks parked around. He and his men creep around the vehicles.
They then fan out in twos around the houses. It is then they hear a loud howl that has their fingers freezing on triggers.
...They had been detected.
Caden holds his gun up as the first Feral rushes across the moist earth of the forest to him.
Caden holds his gun cocked and ready...
Few feet away, the man lunges into the air, shifting mid-air to a dangerous dark beast with sparky fur. He rushes down with blinding fury, jaws open wide with paws large as a bear's. It was clear the Ferals were bigger than normal wolfs.
But Caden and his brave men had also come prepared.
Just before giant werewolf teeth connect with his face, he pulls down on the trigger.
A silver bullet peels out, faster than the creature can dodge. The bullet runs clean through its open mouth, shattering a hole in its skull and bursting out the back of it's head.
The black werewolf falls to the ground, inches away from Caden.
A dark blood pool soon forms around it's head, soaking the earth under.
He looks to his men spread out in the Yard of buildings.
"KILL THEM ALL!" he yells.
More Ferals rush out, changing shapes to ghastly werewolves and rushing for the humans but each silver bullet released brings down a Feral.
Caden sees their leader from afar, Hiram Arespoulos.
With a swift press on his pistol's trigger, he disposes of the Feral gnawing at his leg, then strides across the yard...
Straight for the Alpha.