Chapter 44
Apr 17, 2025
A sudden, ear-piercing crash jolted Felicia awake, making her heart leap into her throat. The sound was like a firework exploding in her ear, leaving her breathless and disoriented.
Her heart pounded violently in her chest as she sat up, her ragged breaths filling the silence. The room spun around her, and she felt like she was trapped in a nightmare from which she couldn’t wake up. Something was terribly wrong, and her instincts screamed at her to act fast.
The faint sounds of shouting and growling filtered into her room from downstairs, like a distant storm brewing on the horizon. The clash of claws against flesh, followed by a bloodcurdling howl, sent a chill down her spine, making her skin crawl. It was as if the very walls of the packhouse were screaming in terror.
Felicia threw the covers off, adrenaline surging through her veins like a powerful current. She got to her feet, her legs trembling beneath her like a leaf in a hurricane. Then she heard it – a door slamming open with a force that made the floor shake.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
The footsteps thundered down the hallway, each step echoing through the corridor like a drumbeat in a primitive ritual. Before she could even take a step, Lucien’s door flew open, revealing him in nothing but sweatpants, his chest bare, his hair disheveled from sleep. His golden eyes burned with an urgency that bordered on desperation as he locked onto her.
“Get in your room and stay there with the boys!” he commanded, his voice low and authoritative, like a general barking orders on the battlefield.
Felicia’s stomach twisted into a knot, her mind racing with questions. “What’s happening?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Lucien whirled around, his eyes scanning the darkened hallway like a predator sensing a threat. His nostrils flared, and for a moment, Felicia thought she saw his eyes flash yellow. Then he growled, “We’re under attack!” The words hung in the air like a challenge, a warning that the packhouse was on the brink of chaos.
Felicia felt the blood drain from her face, leaving her pale and shaken. She didn’t waste another second.
She spun around and dashed back into her room, her heart slamming against her ribs like a caged animal. Protecting the Boys was her top priority, and she would stop at nothing to keep them safe.
Felicia rushed to the bed, shaking Danny and Max awake with a sense of urgency. “Mommy?” Danny mumbled sleepily, rubbing his eyes like a curious kitten.
“What’s happening?” Max yawned, his voice husky with sleep.
She bent down, cupping their faces gently, her voice calm but urgent. “Listen to me, my loves. We have to hide, okay? Right now. Like when we play hide-and-seek, but this time, it’s real.”
The boys blinked drowsily but nodded, sensing their mother’s urgency. They knew something was wrong, and they trusted Felicia to keep them safe.
Felicia scooped them up, her legs moving on instinct. She darted to the large closet, pushing the door open with a sense of purpose. Inside, she quickly pulled aside clothes and tucked the boys into the deepest corner, pressing them against the wall.
She dropped to their level, pressing a finger to her lips. “Stay quiet, no matter what, okay? Like when we’re watching a scary movie, and we don’t want to make a sound.”
Danny and Max nodded, their small hands gripping hers tightly. They were scared, but they trusted Felicia to protect them.
Outside, the sounds of snarls, roars, and heavy footsteps echoed through the packhouse, making the walls shake with the force of the battle raging beyond. Felicia wrapped her arms around her sons, pressing them close as she whispered, “It’s going to be okay. Mommy’s here. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
They huddled together, trembling, but Felicia stayed strong for them, refusing to let her fear show. She was the rock they needed, the shelter in the storm.
The sounds outside grew louder, more violent, like a torrent of fury unleashed on the packhouse. A deafening crash made her flinch, and for a terrifying moment, the air felt thick with unspoken danger. It was as if time had stopped, and the world was holding its breath.
Then—silence.
No more growls.
No more howls.
No more fighting.
Felicia didn’t dare move. Her ears strained for any sound, her breath shallow. She felt like a small animal frozen in terror, waiting for the predator to pounce.
Then, the bedroom door creaked open.
She felt her stomach clench, her heart skipping a beat.
She tightened her grip around the boys, her mind whirling with escape plans if she needed to fight. But then—
A familiar voice broke the silence, like a ray of sunshine in the darkness.
“Felicia? Danny, Max?”
Felicia exhaled sharply, her entire body going slack with relief. It was Damien, his voice a beacon of hope in the chaos.
She loosened her grip on the boys, her eyes filling with tears of gratitude. They were safe. For now, they were safe.
