As it comes to an end, he looks like he wants to say something to me, but my phone suddenly buzzes in my pocket.
I check the screen. A text from… Storm?!
That’s odd. My brothers don’t usually text.
"Get home by Uber as fast as you can!!!"
"What happened? I’ve still got one more class."
"You need to leave school. Now. Something happened!"
It feels like the ground disappears beneath my feet. My mind fills with terrifying possibilities, none of which I want to picture fully. I shut down every thought, turn on autopilot, and run out of the building.
Lots of students are heading outside for the break, some sneaking behind the school to smoke, which helps me slip away unnoticed. I quickly order an Uber and pay with the family card.
Twenty minutes later, I’m home. My nerves are pulled so tight I feel like I might snap.
I just know something terrible has happened. I jump out of the car, don’t even wait for the gate to open, just vault over it like some damn commando.
It’s strangely quiet as I sprint toward the house.
But it’s not empty. In the living room, on the couch, sit Storm and Skye, clinging to each other.
Storm’s clothes are… covered in blood.
Fuck. I freeze at first, but force myself to move closer, stopping only when I’m right in front of them, gasping for breath.
"Bay!" Skye shouts, lifting his head from Storm’s shoulder. He jumps up and runs to me, wrapping his arms around me tight. It’s the first time in my entire life that one of my brothers has ever hugged me. The shock of that almost hits harder than everything else.
"What happened?" I choke out, my voice trembling. I feel dizzy, like I might collapse.
"There were two of them… they wanted to hurt us. Storm, he…"
"Storm what?" I almost yell.
"Storm fought them. You know he’s a purple alpha, he can—"
"Where are those men?!" The words rip out of me. I can’t stand listening to this.
Skye’s shaking so hard it’s painful to watch. "They were in the grove by the next field. Dad heard us screaming. He ran over with a gun and killed them."
Everything blurs. My legs give out. The world fades to black.
But not for long. Skye catches me before I hit the floor hard enough to crack my skull. He’s only eight, but somehow, he keeps me from falling completely.
He bends over me, shaking me. "Bay! Bay!"
Storm doesn’t move. He doesn’t help. He just sits there, motionless, his clothes looking horrible, soaked with blood.
"I…pushed…the…spikes…out…" he stutters, his lips trembling.
"Where’s Dad now?!" I manage to force it out. My face feel numb, like I’ve been pumped full of dental anesthetic.
"He’s with the bodies. He called Father. He’s already on his way."
I push Skye aside and sit up, even though my head is spinning and I feel like I might vomit. But I have to go.
"I have to see it. I need to see them."
