Chapter One: The Night of Shadows
The moon hung low in the sky, casting an eerie glow over the dense forest. The night was unusually still, and deep within the heart of the woods, Kael's home stood as a quiet testament to the said simplicity of his family's life. Tonight though was unusually quiet,The only thing he could hear in the quiet night was the distant howl of the crimson claw vampires. Not even the chirping of birds or the usual croaking of frogs around the vicinity.
He had always felt a sense of unease settle over him whenever the wind carried the distant howls of the Crimson Claw vampires even though he was just a little boy. These vampires were known for their ruthlessness and their unending feud with the Moonlight Pack,which was Kael's pack. He didn't know the reason for their enmity and whenever he asked his dad, he just brushed it aside.
As Kael lay in his bed, he could hear the faint sounds of his parents' voices downstairs, discussing the day's hunt.
" Don't cry Anya Shhhhhhhh" Kael said in a singsong while patting his baby sister as she stirred beside him and she relaxed. The always cheerful baby had been restless since the previous and kept crying for no reason and for some reason she had refused for anyone to carry her except Kael,Not even his mother. She had been in his room all day and still cried without any known reason while tilting her head towards the window as if expecting something yawning widely. it was as if she sensed things he couldn't sense. Anya stirred beside him again , her soft breaths comforting him as she drifted to sleep.
Kael's eyes drifted to the window, where the moonlight cast a silvery glow on the forest beyond. He felt a pang of restlessness, a feeling that something was wrong.
Before he could process his thoughts, the silence was broken by the loud unmistakable sound of the main door of their house bursting open. Kael's heart pounded in his chest as he glanced towards his own door, terrified . Their parents' voices rose in panic, followed by the unmistakable snarl of vampires. His own door was soon kicked open and he could hear the door, his latch and door bolt breaking.
"Run!" his father shouted, but it was too late.
His bedroom door exploded inward, and smoke filled the room. His father's blurred figure fell right in front of the door as two male vampires pounced on him, restraining him. The scent of blood and death thick in the air.
" Kael, I said run! run!!" his father shouted amidst the restraint. "Take your sister with…ahhhhhh" his words were cut short as one of the vampires landed him a blow to the head with a rod and almost immediately, the same rod was driven into his stomach.
Kael screamed.. and one of the vampires turned to him.
Kael's mind raced. He grabbed Anya from the bed just as the eyes of the other vampires shifted towards him but only one started moving towards him. "Let me have this one dad, he is easy" a little female vamp said in a shrill to the other vampire as she walked slowly towards him. She seemed to be around his age.
Kael ran towards the window and jumped out unto the grassy floor, he was particularly grateful today that his room wasn't upstairs
.He could hear the vicious growls and attacks behind them, and the screams of his pack being torn apart, And the sound of the little girl vamp behind him. She seemed powerful and she caught up with Kael almost immediately. She grabbed him by the hand, her grip very strong that he could barely move. Kael tried pushing her away severally but it was futile especially with the baby he was holding in his arms.
"Relax!", she said.
Kael looked at her like she was joking. How could he relax in this situation?
"I am not going to harm you" she whispered in a rush.
Just give me your shirt, I will rub some blood on it,so my dad will think that you are dead". She continued with a wide grin on her face. His eyes narrowed, suspicion written all over his face. He stared at her, unable to speak. How could she be smiling at him amidst this chaos? What is so amusing about his pack being killed all around him? Does she find this funny?
She released his hand and nudged at his elbow, "I am trying to save you Kael.."
"How…how did you know my name ?"
"From your dad, dumbass. He called your name, remember?" She replied hastily.
Just pull off the shirt dammit!" she was becoming evidently impatient.
He looked at Anya who was sleeping peacefully and knew he couldn't risk putting her down in order to pull his cloth so,
He balanced Anya in one arm while he removed the deer skin cloth from his left hand. He did the same for his right hand and the cloth finally came off. He handed the cloth over to her.
"Now go through the back, I will get some blood on this and show it to my dad."
"Thank you. I won't forget you."
He turned and ran as fast as he could with Anya in his arms towards the back of his house but the sight in front of him made him stop abruptly in his tracks. His mother was being torn apart by a female vampire. Her hands were dangling in the air as the vampire held her by the neck while using her other hand to gorge out her intestines.
"Mama!" he shrieked, almost dropping Anya, in the bid to save his mother.
Despite her bad state, his mother's eyes shifted to him and she mouthed weakly
"run Kael, run!" He was surprised that she was still alive.
The vampire's eyes also shifted him as he stood transfixed on a spot.
Anya's screams jolted him back to reality just in time for him to dodge the hands of the vampire trying to grab him.
He sprinted towards the forest but the vampire was by his side in no time, and just when he thought she already had her hands on him, she screamed.
He turned startled.
"Catch" his elder brother threw a satchel towards him while pinning the vamp to the ground as she struggled under his fierce grip. The satchel landed at his feet and he grabbed it immediately.
"Karl!"
"Go kael! I will be right behind u" he shouted
"Keep Anya safe and do not look back". He continued yelling. "I repeat, do not look back no matter what u hear".
Just as he turned to leave, he heard his brother roar painfully. His roar shook the ground and the neighboring trees that Kael almost lost his balance.
He sprinted towards the thicker part of the forest, his body barely functioning through sheer adrenaline. He was grateful Anya's cries didn't alert the other vampires on the lookout amidst the chaos , else he knew they would be chasing them by now and he was no match with vampires armed with silver weapons. The same silver they used to defeat this pack. The same silver that can kill them easily or cause a torturous wound.
He ran deeper into the forest despite the weight of Anya and the sachet on him. He ran for a long time, as long as his young legs could carry him.
After running for a long time and covering a very long distance. He sat down under a huge tree to catch his breath. Kael looked back at the way they came from, hoping that his brother would come out from behind one of those trees. Afterall he promised.. Tears welled up in his eyes and he blinked to keep them back but it flowed.
His arms were aching from carrying Anya.
He looked down at her in his arms, and dropped her down on his lap and opened the satchel, hoping to find something useful and sure enough, he did. A flashlight.
"Aha!" he whispered weakly.
He turned it on and inspected Anya. She had a tear on her left arm, probably from a tree branch.She seemed terrified but for some reason, she wasn't crying. He knew he had definitely sustained some injuries too, his body was sore but he didn't bother to check it.
"It doesn't matter, at least Anya is safe and we are not dead" he muttered.
As the night wore on, the forest seemed to close in around them. He grew cold and he knew Anya was cold too because she shivered a bit. She only had her little nightie on and Kael wasn't able to grab her blanket amidst the chaos.
"Cold right?" He asked her as though expecting a reply. He touched her little cheeks while he spoke."Sorry Anya, I am cold too".
Somehow, her presence comforted him.
He imagined how lonely he would have been if she wasn't here with him.
Kael knew they couldn't keep running forever. They needed help, and fast. His mind raced with memories of the stories his pack had told him about the Bloodmoon Pack's allies but he didn't even know how to locate them as he had never really paid attention to those classes since he considered them boring plus he had never been outside his pack.
Just when he was almost giving up, he heard faint voices, followed by the faint glow of lanterns that appeared through the trees. Kael was scared. What if it's was another group of vampires? What if they succeed in capturing them? His mind raced with questions but he didn't think about them as his body stumbled towards the light on its own,exhausted and battered. But he knew that no matter how faint his werewolf senses are, he could still smell vampires. He sniffed and didn't make out any vampire smell. So he bravely walked towards the light. As they reached the edge of the forest, he peaked through the high grasses that demarcated them from the light. He saw a group, which were unmistakably werewolves.
Anya suddenly began to cry.
Before he could move forward, a hand grabbed him from behind.
He turned back to see a huge bearded 6 ft 10 man with a bow and arrow in hand. He was so huge and was almost-fat kind of huge. His eyes glowed in the dark.
"What are u doing sneaking up on us Like that boy?" He asked in a not too friendly tone with a deep baritone voice.
"I..we..sir…we…" Kael stammered.
"Speak!"
He dragged Kael closer and sniffed. His eyes softened as he loses his grip and steadied the shaky Kael on his feet.
"Sorry I scared u boy. U shouldn't be sneaking up on a pack like that"
"Ye..yes.. yes sir"
"Call me Andouille. Who is the little one?
"My sister"
"Let me hold her, u look like a mess".
Kael shook his head as he held Anya tightly to himself. Andouille got the message and didn't probe further. His lips curved up into a smile. He admired the boy's bravery and protectiveness that despite the fact they were safe, he still didn't let his guard down.
"Now let's go meet the rest of the pack" he nudged them forward. By now Anya's cries have stopped after several patting from Kael.
Andouille looked at the kids and instinctively knew what they had been through. He had heard about the attack on the bloodmoon pack and instantly suspected that they were from the pack.
They arrived at where the pack had gathered, and all eyes shifted towards them, their eyes filled with concern and relief.
"Is it the Crimson Claws?" one of the wolves asked, his voice trembling.
Kael nodded, unable to speak. The wolf let out a low growl of anger.
"My father was the pack leader. They killed my whole family" he managed to say as tears welled up again in his eyes. He fought to keep them back by blinking and this time around, it worked. He wasn't about to show weakness to a bunch of people he just met. He was ready to implement the 'show no weakness advice' his father always gave.
"We need to get them to safety." Andouille said.
As Kael and Anya were led away, the forest behind them fell silent. The night had taken its toll, but they had survived. For now, that was enough. But Kael knew that this was only the beginning. The promise of vengeance burned in his heart as he was being with his sister in his arms. They were being led by three men whom he later got to know as Adrian, Louis, and Eder. Them, like Andouille had tried to take Anya from him but he refused. He didn't even let them take the sachet from him.Andouille followed closely behind them.
They got to a huge grass wall and they Andouille pushed a part of the wall and the whole leaves around it disappeared. Opening to a whole different place.
Unlike his pack, this place was heavily guarded and the guards had guns compared to the sword, bow and arrow his pack used. He had seen a gun before, his father was the only person who owned one among everyone in their pack. It was a luxury to them and was only brought out when they wanted to teach the children of his pack about guns. A sign boldly had the inscription 'THE BLOOD MOONS' on it, so that even a short sighted person can see it clearly. Eder went ahead of them and got into a minivan, started it and drove towards them.
The other two men got in and Andouille signaled for Kael to enter . He was skeptical at first but finally entered while holding his sister tightly that Andouille became worried for the little girl whom he felt might be suffocating with that grip.
Kael was terrified and amused at the same time. He had never been in a car even if he had learnt about it from his pack even though he had heard about them. He had seen picture drawings of them and knew what they were and the different brands but had never rode in one.
His legs felt very numb by the time he they got into the huge mansion they entered and his tiredness and grief didn't let him feel the excitement he always thought he would feel when he got to see the things he has been taught about.
The car drove for some time, until they got to a gate.
The gates were opened by some guards in front of it..
The house was undeniably large and mansion-like. The men came down from the car and Andouille signaled for Kael to come down again.
They walked towards the house and pressed the doorbell.
They were met by a lady at the entrance. She was dressed just like a maid,in a blue long gown and a white apron tied on top. Kael immediately assumed she was a maid
"Welcome sirs. The master is not around. Shall I get 'lady Lorena' instead?"
The men nodded.
She gave a slight nod and went upstairs.
While Andouille and the other men went to sit on a sofa.
"Sit down boy," Eder said. "You should be tired from running and standing all night. Make yourself comfortable."
Kael slowly walked to a chair, removed his satchel while he steadied Anya and sat down.
The sofa felt so soft that he felt like sleeping on it.
A Few minutes later, A very beautiful woman dressed in a white robe walked down the stairs with the same maid following closely behind her. She had long almost-white blonde hair. She was barefooted and appeared to be waking up from a long sleep. Despite how tired Kael was, he definitely noticed her beauty. It radiated throughout the room.
Eder, Adrian and Louis stared at her. Kael could see the admiration and awe on their faces.
"Brother" she said as she got to the edge of the stairs and stretched out her arms towards Andouille for a hug, which he reciprocated. She glanced at Kael as she walked past him towards the older man. "How are you brother? I am pleased to see you."
The other men greeted her enthusiastically. They smiled widely at her and Andouille rolled his eyes at them.
"What brought you here by this time brother?"
Her soft voice radiates calmness as she exchanged pleasantries with the other men too before looking back at Kael and his sister with her head tilted and a questioning expression on her face and back at her brother.
Andouille explained everything to her and her expression softened as her gazed return back to them as if inspecting them. She looked so kind and calm that Kael began to feel safe.
She came towards him and bent down to his size.
"Hi Kael"
"Hi," he whispered.
"I am sorry about what happened to your pack Kael" she said softly yet there was still a hint of anger in her voice. "We will protect you and your sister here and provide whatever you need. I will personally see to that"
Kael looked down at his feet not knowing what to say.
"If you will let me, I will take your sister and see to it that she has a change of clothes. She seems cold, injured and needs a proper nap".
"Can I go with you ma'am?"Kael asked.
"Absolutely!" She affirmed. "Besides, you need a bath, first aid and a nap too. But first hand her over to me so that I can know what exactly she needs". She continued.
Kael nodded and loosened his grip around Anya. Lorena stretched her hands and he handed Anya to her. Anya cooed and yawned.
"Come" she said as she turned to go upstairs.
He looked back at Andouille and the other three men who seemed like they were about to leave.
Andouille waved at him with a gummy smile.
"See you around boy".
He nodded, too tired to wave back.
He started going upstairs while the maid followed closely behind him.
They were led to a room and the maid opened the door and ushered them in.The room had obviously been decorated for a child. A female child precisely because it had a whole lot of pink aesthetics. Pink curtains and baby pink decorations and a lot of girly decorations. The only thing that wasn't pink and white was the crib which appeared to be made with unpainted wood.
Before he could ask, Lorena said,
"This was my ariella's room before she passed away 6 months ago. I haven't brought myself to redecorate it."she said looking sadly at the crib.
"Your sister can use it for now, I am glad there is another baby to continue using it". She smiled down at Anya who was already sleeping in her arms.
She Laid Anya down on the changing table. While the maid casually went to the drawer and pulled out baby wear, baby powder, and other baby stuff he hadn't seen before.
They started changing the baby while applying different baby stuffs on her.
"I have asked Andonis to prepare the opposite room for you. I know u wouldn't want to stay far away from your sister".
"Go take your bath and have a change of clothes Kael". She continued. " I will tend to your wounds soon".
He nodded and with one more glance at his sister, he turned and headed to the other room.
He opened the door opposite his room and walked into it. The wall were painted white and the decor was plain and simply a mixture of white and beige.
He saw a man in the room arranging the blinds.
The man turned to him.
"Hello there, I am Andonis and I am the steward here" he continued, "press this red button on the wall if you need anything".he said on his way out.
Kael nodded and watched as he shut the door.
He laid down faced up to the ceiling, he thought about his parents and Karl and fresh tears well up in his eyes.
It just dawned on him that he doesn't have his home anymore. He had many questions… What exactly was the feud before his pack and the crimson claws? What if they came to find them here? What if this pack gives them away to the crimson claws to avoid their problems? Was this pack strong enough to fight against the crimson claws?Was any of his family members still alive?
How would he locate them? Because obviously, they would be on the run too. many questions lingered on his mind as he was drifting to sleep.
He was almost asleep when he heard a soft knock on the door, jolting him fully awake.
The steward opened the door slightly and popped his head inside the room.
"Are u sleeping?" He asked. "I am sorry for cutting short your sleep."
"I brought some towels, body wash and oils just in case you want to take your bath." He continued, "you really need to."
"Hmmmn" Kael nodded,too tired to say anything.
As Andonis turned to leave, Kael asked;
"What about my sister? Is she okay?"
"Your sister is perfectly fine. She is asleep now." Andonis answered, bowed his head and left the room.
Kael felt a bit relaxed and slowly drifted to sleep.