NIGHT OF BLOOD

Celine’s pov

I arrived at the warehouse and quietly crouched low behind a stack of rotting pallets, watching their every move. My heart hammered as they drove out.

"After them". I muttered more to myself.

I slide into one of the backup cars and followed the convoy from the estate. Damien kept to his promise as he distracted the guards long enough for me to slip past. I knew the route well; from every checkpoint to every escape path, so which route they took wasn't new to me.

I stared across the darkened lot at the abandoned Blackridge warehouse, I should’ve brought a weapon at least for defense but there's no turning back

Peeking over the edge of the pallets, I watched my father and his men file out of the SUVs. Black coats, tight formation, eyes scanning, classic Moretti protocol. Dali’s men stood opposite them; cold and calculated.

Guns first. Payment after. That was always the rule.

I scanned for anything unusual. So far, it looked clean but my instincts said otherwise.

From my position, I could just make out my father; Lord Marco Moretti shaking hands with one of the Dali leaders. His stance was rigid and authoritative, the same way he stood when warning someone they had one last chance to live.

Everything about this deal screamed danger, and I hated that I wasn’t beside him.

"He hadn’t trusted me enough to stand with him, and prove I was more than just his daughter". I exhaled as I bit my lip hard enough to taste blood.

A whistle rang out sharp and two-toned, a signal the deal was going down.

I watched the crates being opened; rows of sleek, matte-black rifles and high-powered explosives. My father was trading power, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that we would surely pay for it.

Then a guttural sound broke the air.

I froze, from the far edge of the warehouse, something moved, it was extremely fast. The shadows shifted, and then I saw it, not clearly, just enough to know… it was four-legged, with glinting eyes.

My breath caught in my throat as I stare in awe.

"What the hell is that?." I asked myself.

One of the Dali men turned, spotted it, and opened his mouth to shout but it was too late.

The creature was on him in a blink. One swipe, and the man’s body hit the ground in a heap of torn flesh and bone. Screams erupted and guns were drawn. Chaos swallowed the lot.

I covered my mouth, trying hard not to scream.

The creature was more than a monster, it moved like liquid death. It wasn’t just killing, but butchering. Bodies flew and blood sprayed. The Dali gang didn’t stand a chance, neither did we.

“Hold formation!.” my father bellowed, drawing his weapon. His voice was thunder; furious and commanding but I could hear the strain beneath it. I had never seen my father afraid… until now.

Moretti men fell around him, torn apart like paper dolls,but still,my father stood firing, reloading and ordering his men into new positions. I wanted to run to him, to fight beside him, to do something but I couldn’t move.

Then I saw the beast lunge straight for him. My father fired three rounds into its chest, but it didn’t flinch. It knocked the gun from his hands and grabbed him by the throat.

“No…”. I whispered.

I crawled forward a few inches, hand trembling as I reached for the knife hidden in my boot. What would I even do with it? This beast wasn’t a man or a trained killer, it was a nightmare.

From the shadows, I got a clearer view. It had thick fur, razor-like claws, and fangs that dripped with blood, and its eyes were full of rage.

It was a werewolf, but not like any I’d ever imagined or read about in books. It was huge, and worse; it looked at my father like it knew him.

It growled loudly.

“Son of a bitch.” my father stuttered as he struggled, teeth bared, hands clawing at the beast’s massive arms.

I wanted to leap from my hiding place, but the truth was… seeing this unfold before my eyes made my legs tremble, I couldn't get up.

My eyes filled with tears. I had to keep my eyes close, I couldn’t just watch the battle between my father and the beast. Then I heard a loud sound.

I opened my eyes, praying for a miracle, for my father to be alive but instead, I saw the werewolf rake its claws across my father’s head, over and over, before sinking its fangs into him.

His body went limp, and the beast dropped him like trash.

My scream never left my throat. I felt it burn, trapped behind clenched teeth as the world tilted sideways. My father; Lord Marco Moretti, was killed right in front of me.

Murdered by a werewolf, a bigger and more monstrous version than I’d ever imagined. I had always wanted to see one, but not like this.

Tears blurred my vision, but I didn’t move. I couldn’t. If I did, I’d die too.

The werewolf lifted its head and sniffed the air, as it began raining, and I still held my breath.

It turned away and disappeared into the dark.

My limbs moved on instinct. I slid back into the shadows, crawling, my heart pounding so hard it was all I could hear. Blood soaked the ground behind me. Men I’d trained with, men I’d known since childhood were all dead, slaughtered by a werewolf… a werewolf… Fu**ck werewolves.

I didn’t stop running until I was back in the car, slamming the door and speeding away, tires screeching like a banshee’s wail.

Grief clawed at me, but rage swallowed it whole.

“The werewolf just killed my father. It slaughtered everything I knew”. I stuttered, tears running freely down my cheeks.

I stopped the car, wiped my face, and forced my expression into steel. Under the rain, as thunder struck, I made my vow.

“This is just the beginning of the battle with the werewolves. Every one of them will burn for what happened tonight. I promise.”

Then I began the car and zoomed off.