Killing the Wolf

36. Attack

Though Fay wished she could've been in two places at once, she had to force her mind to concentrate on the task that Seth had trusted upon her. Protecting the children and the senior members of the pack wasn't an insignificant task. She was trusted to protect the past and the future of the pack.

"Come on, sweetheart," she said to a little girl whose teary eyes searched franticly for her mommy. Fay lifted the girl into her arms, on her hip. She climbed into a yellow school bus with the sobbing child. The bus was already full of children and seniors. Only a few vacant seats were left in the front row.

"You are taking a small trip with auntie Fay," she cooed the child whose sobs were turning more and more desperate. She tried to place her on the seat, but the girl clung to her neck.

"Ok, you can sit on my lap," Fay said and kissed the little one's forehead. Before sitting down, she turned to face the children and the seniors. Just like she had done in other busses earlier after making sure everyone was on board.

She cleared her throat. Before speaking up she took a deep breath. The children, especially, were afraid. Hardly any eye was dry.  

"Children," she began. The girl in her arm buried her face into Fay's neck. Fay could feel her tears against her skin. "we will take you into a safe place. You don't have to be afraid. Alpha's men will escort us. They will keep us safe."

She turned her eyes to the seniors who listened silently. Some of them glanced through the bus windows probably feeling disappointed for not being able to join the fighters.

"I need your help,"  Fay said. "We need to keep the children safe and comfortable. I cannot do it alone."

Many nodded.

"No matter what happens, the children will survive."

Now, Fay had all of their attention. They were acknowledging her words with determination in their eyes. They might not be able to fight like in their early days, but they were willing to do whatever needed to be done for the sake of the pack's future - the children.

"Are we ready to go?" the driver asked.

Fay took one more look at the children.

"Yes. Let's go."

The busses were accompanied by several SUVs each carrying five male fighters. Some of them had their own children in the busses. They would escort them to the piers and help them into the boats. Then they would return back to the town.

As they drove in the darkness, most of the children fell asleep. The emotional distress had drawn out their energy. Most of them had not been away from their parents before. She watched as the seniors pulled them close and whispered comforting words into their little ears. Fay wondered how they would get the sleepy children into the boats.

As she was wondering about the boats, a weird sensation overtook her mind and like an ocean wave, it started to move through her body. It felt familiar. She handed the sleeping girl to an older woman sitting on the other side of the aisle. The sensation - she realized when she had felt it before.
Fay stood up. With a silent voice, she told the driver to stop the bus.
He didn't question her. He opened the door for her and Fay exited the bus. 

One of Seth's men stepped out of one of the SUVs and with long swift strifes he walked to her.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

The lights of the busses and the SUVs hit Fay's face. The man could see her lips tightly pressed together and her pupils dilated. Her arms hugged her upper body. He could see goosebumps.

"Fay?" he tried again, "Talk to me. What going on?"

"My wolf..."

"Yes, Fay. Your wolf what?"

"It's surfacing. It nearly ripped through back on the bus. Without my permission."

The man frowned. He took a look at the bus. His child was in one of them. How could he have his head in the right space, if the very person who was supposed to ensure his child's safety, was unable to handle her wolf side? 

"Any idea what made it surface?" he asked.

Fay shrugged. 

"I was just thinking about getting nearly a hundred kids and seniors on the boats and to the island."

Just as she said that another wave rushed through her body. This time the man stepped back and she could see her vision alter. Colors started to change sharper. Her body ached as she fought against the involuntary shift. The man put his hand on her arm. She felt the adrenaline in her veins scream of danger.  The man squeezed her arm. She was ready to rip it off, but the man was a skillful and seasoned fighter. He pushed Fay away.

"Fay," he spoke trying to meet her eyes with his. But she was too close to shift to recognice him standing there. 

"Oh shit," was the last words she heard before feeling a slap on her cheek. That stopped the shift. 

"I just slapped Seth Cage's mate," she heard the man mumble. The man helped her stand steady as her body started to relax. "I'm sorry for that," he said and pointed at her cheek.

"Don't worry about it. It brought me back."

The man let out nervous laughter. 

"Seth will never know," Fay said. 

The man nodded visibly relieved.

"I think we should get back on the road. Are you able to... um... keep yourself under control?"

She nodded, though she didn't believe it. But there was no time to waste; they needed to get the children to safety. As she walked back to the bus, something deep within her, the same force that had nearly forced her body to shift, told her safety was the opposite of what waited for them at the boats. It was her intuition - a protector's intuition stronger she had ever felt before.

She turned back to the man. She remembered he had been in the same class with Seth in school. Darren. Yes, Darren Hicks.

"Darren," she said. He nodded.

"Send five men to check the piers. Something doesn't feel right."

Darren nodded again. He went back to his car and the men stepped out. They moved behind the car and shifted into their wolf forms. She watched as five wolves disappeared into the darkness.

She sniffed the air. Nothing out of ordinary.

"Fay," she heard Seth's low voice inside her mind. He was out of breath.

"What is it? Are you alright" 

"Three of our allied packs are under attack. Get the children to safety, now."