Chapter 3

Anna froze in terror as her eyes took in the gruesome scene before her. Silver stakes, wolfsbane-dipped silver arrows, and other weapons used to slaughter wolves were scattered haphazardly around the room. The pungent smell of silver mixed with the sickly smell of wolfsbane made her head spin, and her knees threatened to buckle beneath her.

Her mind raced with questions, but the terror in the air was so palpable that she couldn't find her voice. Who…? Why…? How…? The answers seemed to elude her, and the overwhelming sense of dread that hung in the atmosphere was almost suffocating that it made her stomach churn with sickness.

Trembling violently, Anna's eyes darted around the room, taking in the horrifying scene before her. The metallic tang of blood hung heavy in the air, and her stomach churned as she realized that every inch of the space was splattered with blood. As she scanned the room, her heart leaped into her throat as she recognized the familiar faces of her family members, one by one.

A scream clawed its way up her throat, but she choked it back, unsure if making a sound would reveal her presence to the killer. Tears streamed down her face as she struggled to contain her grief, her mind reeling with disbelief. She was unsure of what to do. Should she scream? Cry? Or simply succumb to the same fate as her loved ones? The lifeless eyes of her loved ones that had sparkled with vitality only moments ago were now closed, forever frozen in the stillness of death.

She gasped repeatedly as she sobbed under her breath. She'd just seen her father's corpse pinned to the wall by a large silver stake.

The air caught in Anna's throat as she choked back sobs, her breaths coming in short, rapid gasps. The sight that greeted her was too much to bear. Her father's lifeless body was impaled on the wall, a large silver stake driven through his chest. Everything was happening so fast she couldn't make sense of it all. How could the man who had just held her in a warm embrace moments ago be now as pale and lifeless as the very stone on which he hung?

Her mother lay face down in a pool of her own blood, her back riddled with a dozen arrows sticking out like twisted branches. The sheer brutality of the scene reflected the sadistic mindset of whoever was responsible. But why? Why go to such lengths to inflict such a cruel and merciless death? One arrow would have been enough, so why the excessive brutality? The questions swirled in her mind, but the answers seemed just out of reach like smoke slipping through her fingers. Anna felt as though her world had been shattered beyond repair.

Malcom... Morris... Martin... Mason... not them too... It felt like someone had just blown out the candle in her world. The previously brightened illumination had been replaced by drab darkness. A dark cloud from nowhere had settled over everything. Her brothers' bodies were scattered around, arrows lodged in their lifeless, pale bodies. But she noticed Mason's body was not in the pile.

The huge banquet table in the center of the room had blood all over it. Of course, everything had been planned.

Anna's breath caught in her throat as a soft whimper escaped her lips. The air was thick with the acrid stench of death, making it difficult for her to breathe. The weight of sorrow and grief that settled heavily upon her chest felt suffocating, and she struggled to comprehend the enormity of what had occurred. Why today, of all days?

The sound of approaching footsteps echoed faintly through the room, and Anna's ears pricked up at the sound. Were the assailants still present, lurking in the shadows, waiting to strike again? Her heart lurched in her chest, and her blood ran cold as the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. She was paralyzed with fear, unable to move a muscle. Her mind screamed at her to get up and run, to flee in any direction she could think of, but her body refused to obey. She was numbed with the icy grip of fear that held her firmly in place.

A hand emerged from the shadows, latching onto Anna's arm with an iron grip, dragging her across the floor. Panic seized her heart, and she let out a sharp gasp, certain that the assailants had caught her. But as she looked up, she saw Mason's familiar face, pulling her through a dark hallway adjacent to the living room. Then she realized that the sound of footsteps that echoed in the distance was not Mason's.

Mason pressed a finger to his lips, his expression stern as he silently urged Anna to remain quiet. She had lost everything - her family, her home, her sense of security - and yet she had no time to grieve. Her spirit was shattered, and her heart was heavy with the weight of loss. Now, she had to abandon her grief and focus on fleeing for her life, a task her shattered spirit made all the more difficult. It was a daunting task, like trying to outrun a hurricane on foot.

The two of them moved stealthily through the hallway, which was quite long and was supposed to lead them out to the back entrance. Then there were footsteps. They quickly diverted into one of the open doors on the right, not caring what room it was. It turned out to be a dimly lit storeroom. They couldn't shut the door behind them, as that would eventually lead the assailants to them. About five piles of grain sacks were stacked together, about ten bags high. Perfect cover.

The siblings crouched behind the stacks of sacks, their breaths coming in short, shallow gasps as they listened intently to the sound of approaching footsteps. With every passing moment, the footsteps grew louder, closer to the door where they were hiding. And then, just as suddenly, they stopped.

They held their breath, their bodies tense with the effort to remain completely silent. Mason clasped Anna's hand in his, his grip firm and reassuring, silently urging her to stay calm. Anna struggled to keep her emotions in check, tears streaming down her face as she fought the urge to sob, knowing that even a single sob could be their undoing. They could hold their breath for an extended period, as they had been trained for it. Each passing moment felt like an eternity as they waited, hearts pounding, for the footsteps to move on.

Anna let out a small gasp as she couldn't stop sobbing. She quickly regained consciousness of the situation and returned to holding her breath. At that, the footsteps resumed and seemed to be heading toward them. A look of alarm and fright came on Mason's face. He took out a dagger from his side and held it with shaky hands as he awaited whatever fate would befall him.

"We've checked upstairs." A voice that seemed to be coming from the hallway reported to the one inside the store room. Mason nearly dropped the dagger in fright.

"Have all the exits surrounded; they must be in here somewhere." The voice that drifted from the other side of the sacks was deep and commanding, sending chills down the siblings' spines. They could hear the shuffling of feet as the intruder moved closer, his footsteps echoing off the walls. Their hearts were pounding in their chests, certain that they had been caught. But just as suddenly, the footsteps began to fade, and the siblings knew that they were safe.

The tension slowly dissipated, and they allowed themselves a moment of respite, knowing they still had a long way to go before they were truly safe. Mason looked at Anna. It was time to make a run for it.

Mason was just about to sheathe his dagger when a voice boomed from above, causing him to freeze. The voice was deep and menacing, filled with ill intent, sending shivers down their spines as the siblings froze in terror.

"What have we here?" he sneered, his question more of a taunt than a genuine inquiry. The silence that followed the rhetorical question was deafening as his sinister chuckle echoed through the room, sending a chill down their spines.

The young wolves froze at the sight of the man standing on the grain sacks. He was clad in a black doublet and a pair of black breeches. He had a mask on, but Anna's gaze somehow caught the depths of his cloudy grey eyes, that reflected the darkness in his soul.

From the way he jumped down, they could tell he was a trained wolf. But as soon as his feet touched the ground, Mason thrust the dagger into the mask area where his left eye was. The once-chuckling man was now yelling in agony as the silver dagger sizzled his flesh.

Mason grabbed Anna as they scurried out of the room, leaving the victimized assailant to his fate. It would only be a matter of time before his cohorts would be drawn to his cry.

Soon enough, they were in their father's study. Mason threw caution to the wind as he pushed the big desk aside, tearing the rug underneath it to expose some sort of wooden trap door. Anna had no breath to ask questions of any kind as Mason opened the entrance to the basement. She could only see pitch-black darkness below.

"Go!"  Mason ordered.  "Now!"  As the assailants approached, they had already made their way close to the study door, and Anna finally complied because she couldn't see any other option.

Instinctively, she fell through the trap door; it was a far height for a wolf, so she stood on her feet as she landed. The place reeked of dust.

Mason wasted no time in following after Anna, and together they bolted straight into the darkness without looking back, their footsteps ringing out in the tunnel like thunderclaps. The tunnel stretched out before them like a never-ending nightmare, with no exits or diversions. The only way out was to keep going forward.

As the intensity of the echoes reduced, Anna could tell that they were approaching the end of the tunnel. They got to a steep set of steps leading to an exit that opened into the starry night. They were finally close to the door.

Anna emerged from the door, her heart pounding with fear as she waited for Mason to follow. But as seconds ticked by and he failed to appear, her anxiety grew to a fever pitch. She considered darting back inside to look for him, but Mason's hand on her shoulder slightly pushed her back, stopping her in her tracks.

His eyes bore into hers, filled with a mix of love and sadness. "I love you, Anna," he said softly, his voice heavy with emotion. "But if we stay together, they'll kill us both."

Anna's heart sank, tears streaming down her face. "I'm not going to lose you too," she sobbed, her words desperate and pleading, grasping at Mason's arm. "No! you come with me right now!" But Mason remained resolute, his eyes fixed on hers, as her pleas fell on deaf ears.

"Run to the woods; run far away," Mason urged Anna, his voice urgent as he peered into the darkness beyond the tunnel. The sound of approaching footsteps grew louder, and he knew they were running out of time.

Mason's gaze locked onto hers, and she could see the pain and sorrow etched on his face. "I love you, Anna," he whispered, his voice heavy with emotion. And then, with a final, desperate glance, he closed the door between them, leaving Anna alone in the darkness.

Anna pounded on the door, her cries echoing through the tunnel, but there was no response. "No!" she cried out in despair. Her biggest fear had come true - she was alone in the darkness, with nothing but danger lurking around every corner.

Anna fled into the woods, her heart racing with fear and her mind in turmoil as she ran blindly through the trees, driven by pure instinct and a desperate desire for survival. She moved quickly and quietly, her eyes darting around for any sign of danger.

Suddenly, the doors of the tunnel burst open. She ducked behind a fallen tree trunk just outside the woods, her breath coming in short gasps as she watched one of the assailants emerge from the tunnel, brandishing a deadly sword, his eyes scanning the area for any sign of movement.

Anna's heart hammered in her chest as she watched the cold-hearted masterminds of the massacre gather outside the tunnel, their dark forms silhouetted against the moonlit sky. She could feel the weight of their hatred pressing down upon her, like a vise closing in on her heart.

Anna could feel her blood run cold as she watched their movements, her heart pounding with fear and anger. She could only imagine the horrors they must have inflicted on her brother, and the thought of it made her want to scream.

She held her breath, hoping against hope that they would not discover her hiding place, where she was only a bowshot away. The terrain sloped gently towards the woods, offering her the perfect cover to avoid detection. It was like being the prey in a game of cat and mouse, with the hunters closing in from all sides.

As the men gathered outside the tunnel, prepared to discuss their next move, Anna watched in silent horror as two of the men removed their masks, their faces revealed in the flickering light. It was like a scene out of a nightmare, with their faces more terrifying than a nightmare.

Just then, the shock of recognition hit her like a bolt of lightning. "The Gamma wolves?" Her eyes widened in shock.

They were the most vicious and ruthless of all the lycanthropes. The realization sent chills down her spine, and she could feel her body shaking with fear. Anna wept uncontrollably as she stumbled into the darkness, barely thinking, her thoughts a jumbled mess of grief and terror. All that echoed in her head was Mason's voice, urging her to keep moving and fighting for survival no matter what.