CHAPTER 18

They arrived to a sleepy morning at the den. The two wolves at the front gate waved through the entire convoy. Alex’s father honked the horn of the truck waking up anyone that wasn’t aware they returned.

Connor appeared on the porch within seconds with Tess behind him, snacking on breakfast.

“Get everyone up,” Marcus shouted.

“What,” Connor asked, “What’s happening?”

“It’s a raid. They’re coming fast. I don’t know how long we have before the bears attack, but it’s big,” Alex said, “really big.”

Connor stood tall and began to bark out orders. It looks like this is what they’ve been preparing for the past two months.

Cynthia ran up to join Tess on the patio.

“We need to get the kids out before the attack, and that includes you and the baby,” she said. Tess nodded and scurried about the farmhouse. Connor looked Cynthia up and down. She held up a hand to stop him. “Seriously, don’t ask.”

Cynthia watched as Connor trotted out to meet with Alex.

“Alex,” he said, “If the bears are as close as you say they are then we’re going to need to buy some time to get as many of these people to safety as we can.”

“I can help you buy some time,” he replied.

The rest of the camp was in chaos; people running this way and that, the children were being loaded onto the trucks along with any other people unable to fight.

Cynthia didn’t see her grandma anywhere outside. She was already thinking the worst. She pushed through the crowd towards her small house at the edge of the den and pressed the door open.

“You gotta get out of here,” Cynthia said.

She was lying in bed. Cynthia couldn’t tell if she was asleep but was given an answer quickly.

“I’m staying here,” she said.

“Like hell you are,” Cynthia retorted. She walked over to her grandma and tried to pull her from the bed but she didn’t budge.

“This is my home. I’m not running away from it,” she shouted, “I don’t care what it is, I’m not leaving.”

Cynthia got her arms around her grandmother’s waist and lifted her from the bed. She wiggled and tried to break free but Cynthia was much younger and capable.

“This might be your home right now, but I’m not going to let you get yourself killed,” Cynthia said while struggling to keep her grip.

“Fine, just get your hands off me,” she said, pushing Cynthia away.

Cynthia backed off. Her grandmother straightened her hair and caught her breath. Cynthia’s mouth started moving before her brain could catch up.

“I met him,” she said.

“Who?” her grandma asked.

As she said the word, she realized who Cynthia meant.

“So, you finally met him,” she exhaled, “What did he tell you?”

“He told me enough,” she replied.

Cynthia stood in the center of her room with her hands on her waist.

“Listen, I wanted to let you meet him but I didn’t want you to get involved with bikers,” she said, “I lost your mother to those ruffians and I wasn’t about to let my granddaughter do the same.”

Cynthia rubbed her temple to press away the frustration that was building up in her head.

“That’s not your decision to make. You should have let me meet him,” Cynthia said.

“And what? Have you run off and join some biker band? Let you get passed around a bunch of dogs until you’re used up and thrown out?” she questioned angrily, “no, my granddaughter isn’t going to grow up to be like her mother. You need to do something better with your life.”

You frustrating old woman!

Cynthia felt the tears gathering in her eyes.

“You didn’t know what he was like before. When your mother came back she came back for a reason. He was a violent, outspoken man that ordered her around like a slave. He did come a few times, and every time he came he clashed with the pack alpha. They got in more than a few fights and after the last one I decided it was enough.”

“Okay, this isn’t the time to talk about this. We need to evacuate with everyone else before the fighting starts,” Cynthia sighed with frustration. She pressed a tear away from the corner of her eye and turned to leave but was stopped at the door.

“I’m sorry,” her grandma said.

Cynthia lingered a moment. Would chiding her grandmother further really accomplish anything? She swallowed the lump in her throat.

“Just get ready to leave,” she said.

That said, she left the small house.

Across town she saw Alex and Connor sprint off before everyone else. She worried for him. Even his new abilities as a primal probably wouldn’t protect him from the onslaught that was coming.

Come back to me, you promise?

Cynthia joined the convoy that was loaded with all the children and women unable to fight. She eased into the driver’s seat of the old yellow truck and brought it to life. Tess slammed the passenger door shut beside her and without a word they began their journey to safety.