When Elias dropped Jay off, he and Jordan left and made their way to The Pit It was a long run, but they reached it in no time
Elias heard shouting and screaming, people were on the ground bleeding and pleading for help. Elias blinked in surprise when he saw a handful of armored people standing in front of the entrance to the building.
Jordan gasped. "Is that...Vanguard of Valor knights?"
How?
"Elias"
Ranger stepped into view and Elias gawped at the sight of the man. "Ranger?"
"My daughter is gone." Ranger fell to his knees. "My baby girl is dead, Elias"
Elias nodded for Jordan to go ahead while he stood beside Ranger. He put a hand on his shoulder. "Then don't let her death be in vain. Fight for her. Your wife. For all of Phoenix."
Ranger's face darkened. "I will."
"Have you seen my parents?" Elias asked, looking around.
"I've seen your father. Follow me." Ranger got to his feet.
Elias followed behind Ranger as he led him toward a side door to The Pit. Ranger opened the door. "Your father should be on the first floor."
Elias thanked him then ran inside past the guards His dad was on the ground crying and Stacie was patting his arm
"Dad!"
He bit his lip to hold back tears as he squeezed his dad in a hug.
"Elias? Son? How?" his father whispered. He squeezed him back.
"You've gotten taller." Stacie mused. She turned and shouted, "Callum! How's that ice holding?"
"It's holding. Go check on my dad!" Callum cried.
Stacie rolled her eyes and did as he asked.
Elias pulled away from his dad. "Where's mom?"
"I...Alpha took her." His father's smile fell, and he wrapped his arms around himself.
Elias got to his feet. "Dad. That's not good. Alpha has a background of raping and abusing women. We need to find her. Now."
"Elias!" a voice cried. "Elias! I know where your mom is!" Allen ran up to them. "Levi found her first, actually. Just...come on, it's really bad."
...
"All the warriors and werewolf men have been taken care of." Callum's oldest brother, Tomas said. "But father is..."
Callum whirled toward him. "What is it, Tomas?"
"Father is dead."
Stacie had tried to tell him, but he had shaken his head in disbelief. Dead?
"He wouldn't be dead if he had listened to me. If you had listened to me, Tomas." a tear fell down his cheek. "But I was just a joke to you, an embarrassment-"
"Callum-"
"What Tomas? Are you going to tell me that I'm a weirdo again? List off all the reasons why I shouldn't be your brother?" Callum spat. "Go ahead."
This was years of anger that he'd bottled up since his tenth birthday. His brothers talking down on him and pushing him around. His father hardly glanced his way. Then there was his mother...
"No, Callum. I wasn't going to do that." Tomas flashed a small smile and pulled him into an embrace. "Mother heard what you told us and was able to escape to our safe house."
Callum, surprised by the hug, looked up at him. "That's good."
"Yeah. And you know what else? She wants us to leave Phoenix, and start over." Tomas released him. "If you're up for it that is."
"I am! But what of the war?"
Tomas beamed. "We won, Cal. Alpha and Blade are dead."
The other three brothers came running over. Evan, the next oldest and the twins, Casper and Chase came, all of them grinning.
"Did you tell him?" Evan asked.
Tomas nodded. "He's in."
"Perfect. I can practice some of my fighting moves on him." Chase smirked.
Laughing, Callum punched him in the arm. "I want you to try it."
"Ooh!" Tomas gasped. "That sounded like a challenge, Chase."
Casper looked at Chase expectantly.
Chase rubbed his hands together. "I like a challenge," he pounced.
Callum took off running down the hall.
"Get back here!" Chase called.
Callum laughed. "Catch me if you can!!"