The Blue Blood Alpha

Chapter 37 - I am Atlas

Trigger warning: This chapter will have depictions of sexual assault. Some readers may find this content disturbing and may be traumatizing. Please read with caution.

As Lily nears the rose garden, she hears the first rumblings of thunder in the distance. Looking up, she notices the line of dark clouds moving in quickly from the west. Uncle Bob's predictions were right, it looks like a storm is brewing. Deciding she should get back to the cabin before it hits, she begins walking back, but then notices the food scraps in her trug. That's right, she was going to feed Henrietta. Now that it was about to rain, the hen would not be able to venture out to find food, she would be hungry. Maybe the baby chick has hatched by now, she should check to make sure they were alright. She decides to make a quick detour to the hen house, and then get back to the cabin, hopefully before the downpour comes.

Pushing open the door of the hen house, Lily calls out "Hey Henrietta, I brought you some lunch". Henrietta is not in her nest, and her egg is gone too. Lily senses something is not right, she notices some chicken feathers scattered around the hen house. Exiting the hen house "here Henrietta, here Henrietta, where are you?" Lily calls out frantically. Henry let's out a loud rooster crow in response to her calls, which calms Lily, maybe the chick hatched and they're all together. She heads towards the sound of Henry's crowing, suddenly the loud crowing abruptly halts mid-call. That's not like Henry, he usually does three calls in a row. Rounding the bushes, into a small clearing, she is horrified at what she sees. Torn and bloody chicken carcasses are strewn around everywhere. Some type of predator has decimated the entire flock. She spots Henry lying amongst the carnage, his body is still intact, but his neck has been cruelly snapped.

"Oh Henry!" Lily cries as she strokes his still warm body. Looking around, she tries to see if Henrietta is amongst the dead chickens, but it's too hard to tell. A flash of lightning streaks across the sky followed by a loud crack of thunder. Scooping up Henry's body, Lily dashes back towards the cabin, as rain begins to fall.

"Uncle Bob, Uncle Bob! All the chickens are dead!" Lily cries out as she climbs the porch cradling Henry's lifeless body. Uncle Bob is waiting in his rocking chair, he immediately gets up and takes the dead rooster from her an inspects the body, giving it a good sniff.

"Do you think a fox did this?" Lily is sobbing

"It weren't no fox that did this. Lily, bring me my shotgun from the wall and a box of ammo".

Lily looks at her uncle hesitantly, but obediently enters the cabin, grabbing his shotgun from where it is mounted on the wall, and a box of ammo, and brings it back to him.

"Go into the cabin, and hide in my room. Do not come out until I call for you. If you hear my shotgun firing, that's the signal for you to run. I have positioned a step ladder on the outside of my window, so you can climb down easily. Climb out my window, and run and hide. Do you remember the secret hiding place I showed you?"

Lily nods.

"Run straight to that spot. Don't come for me, no matter what. Promise me you will run and hide?"

"Uncle Bob you're scaring me! I can't just leave you alone like that" Lily pleads.

"Lily it ain't about me, or even you anymore. You're a mamma now, you need to protect your unborn child. That's all that matters. I've lived a long life. It would be my honour to die protecting you and the pup. Go into the bedroom now, and remember when it comes time to run, don't look back".

Lily knows Uncle Bob is right, although it kills her to think of leaving him, she has to protect her pup at all cost. With a pounding heart, she rushes to the very back of the cabin, going into her great uncle's room and waits.