V Y X E N

8.

Arisa jolted from the bed, knocking stan unto the ground in the process, her heart beating wildly as her mind registered the chaos from outside rattling the room she was in, she quickly jumped from the bed and went to the window gazing down at the gravel front yard.

Men, all dressed in black descended the concrete steps in long determined strides, the light streaming from inside allowing her to see them, The noise seemed to flow through the forest in front of the mansion like the wind in an open field, Arisa ran down the stairs, her heart beating furiously against her chest, Stan hot on her heel what was happening?

A scream tore through the house and Arisa propelled forward, her feet taking her to the edge of the forest, slowly, she halted, staring into the darkness of the woods, the trees towering over her, covering its depths from the silvery light of the distant half moon

someone gripped her arm and she turned around eyes wide "Olivia!" she scolded, hand over her heart "you scared me"

"What are you doing down here Arisa?" she asked harshly, eyes hard.

Arisa frowned at her, ripping her arms from Olivia’s grip "Trying to figure out what the hell is going on!"

"Beta Jeremy won't like this" Olivia said worriedly, Arisa scoffed “so he’s your concern if that’s the case no need to look so terrified I haven't seen him”.

She marched into the forest evading Olivia who growled and ran alongside her, she soon stopped hearing the crunch of leaves beneath the feet of many, her eyes adjusting to the mild darkness.

Arisa covered her mouth feeling her eyes sting"oh my God" she breathed staring at the women and children, bloodied and bruised, their eyes cast downwards as the cradled their wounds and loved ones, shaking in fear, the moon gave them an almost deathly glow.

Without thinking she helped a frail woman who looked as pale as death stand upright, when she saw Olivia just standing there, staring at the mass of persons, she glared at her.

"Help them!" she snapped, feeling her heart filled with fear and panic

Who did this to them? Who could be so cruel?

Arisa could see Olivia shaking and looking around her wildly “Arisa get away they could be infected!”

She forced herself to look away from a toddler with burns covering half his body, but even as she looked away his wails pierced the forest, his painful cries echoing through the stillness of the afternoon.

"Help them now!" she shouted at the sturdy men clad in black attire standing behind the trees.

"I'm afraid they cannot do that" someone called, Arisa turned to see Katnis standing in front of the men, unaffected by the chaos happening right before her eyes.

"Send them away," she said icily, her regal beauty and unaffected state stunned Arisa

Arisa tried to quell the unease she felt settle in her Stomach when the men stayed put "They need our help!" Arisa shouted, hoping at least one of the men would step forward to help the poor women and children, but they all stayed put.

Gritting her teeth, she began moving forward, she'd do this on her own if she had to, but in her peripheral vision, she saw the man leave Olivia’s side and lift a young woman into his arms, walking forward.

Katnis glared at her, taking slow precise steps towards them, Stan snarled from beside her Arisa looked around seeing that little boy again wailing and withering in pain made her snap, she interrupted Katnis turning to the man.

"Quickly, get anyone you know with medical experience from the house" she ordered him, he nodded and she turned sharply but was stopped by Katnis's glare "I just said to escort them off our land" she growled

"You can't just send them back!" Arisa reasoned, "We have to help them!"

Katnis smiled coldly, her attitude so different from the one Arisa woke up to. you don't know these people, the thought flitted through her mind as Katnis' gaze caused chills to run through her veins.

"I do not care, they are a rival pack, they do not have a place here with us!" she growled. Arisa frowned "so you're just going to let them die?" her face became impassive as she stood straight, the coldness seeping into her eyes. "Death comes to all, I am Luna, do as I say."

Arisa stepped back, eyes widening in horror. She would just let them die? even the children?

"Arisa!"

Her Brother came jogging through the trees in only jeans about a size too big, he stopped in the clearing, arms folded.

"What are you doing here?" he questioned, voice hard, staring her down at her.

She didn’t answer him but she also didn’t move from her spot beside them

"Send them back, they have no place with us"

Arisa watched, silently, as the Alpha stepped through the canopy of trees into the small clearing, a shadow across half his chiseled features giving him a dangerous aura, his eyes seemed to reflect the light from the moon as he stared at them, his impressive height causing Arisa to squirm where she stood, the girl she was holding felt about a ton heavier.

He stood beside Katnis, and Arisa couldn't help but realize how devilishly handsome they both looked together and how evil they both seemed to be at the moment.

She ignored the crackle of electricity that he caused to erupt in the air and held the girl tighter, she winced, and Arisa snapped out of her trance-like stare off with her Alpha, she walked forward, glad the man had already left before his arrival, she still didn’t know why he helped her.

"Please, they are just women and children" she pleaded "Please"

When they all stood still, staring at her, looking content with their decision to send these people away, she realized maybe they weren't only beasts in one form, but both.

“We would be breaking our own laws if we allowed them to cross those line of trees” Jeremy spoke up, nodding towards the trees behind them.

“So it’s fine so as long as they don’t cross the tree line?” she asked quickly and Jeremy blinked, hesitating.

Jeremy looked taken aback for a minute but Vyxen answered her "At the moment you're on safe ground" he answered, Arisa nodded, not knowing exactly what that was but the word 'safe' made her more determined to carry out her plan.

She helped the young girl unto the forest floor, she winced a couple of times during the procedure but told Arisa she was fine. She wasn't.

There was a deep gash just below her last rib and if Arisa had been holding her up from that side her clothes too would be soaked with blood, she hoped that the man would return so she could tell him to bring the medical equipment's and personnel here.

She wondered if they would allow that? She looked at them weighing the possible outcomes.

"May I have permission to use your medical supplies, a few blankets, and portal beds please?"

Vyxen's lips pressed into a thin line, Arisa tried to focus on him without being affected but that seemed almost impossible as her breaths began coming out in small pants.

His nod was stiff and curt and before he could change his mind she turned to Olivia "Get the medical staff, you must have people here, stack up on medical supplies, hurry" Olivia nodded, confusion and worry making her brown eyes bigger, “Olivia broke into a run and disappeared into the night "Elliot, get beds, awnings, towels, blankets, and a few friends to help you set up a tent" Elliot nodded, disappearing into the cover of night also.

Arisa looked around her, seeing most of the newcomers sprawled out on the floor of the forest,

were they like that man? She wondered what exactly were they?

She heard rustling from in front of her and turned to see a swarm of persons entering the clearing, rushing to help, two men walked towards her and lifted the frail girl that had rested her head on Arisa lap unto the portable bed, she watched as a woman in a white doctors jacket tended to her.

Realizing that she was not needed and that she was of no help since she had no medical experience, she walked towards the pack house, with another plan in mind.

When she finally got into the kitchen she realized she had no idea where the utensils were, she sighed and quickly opened all the drawers to find them. An older lady walked in with a thin face and broad nose, she smiled when she saw Arisa, her pink tam the same color as her jacket "need help girly?" she called, Arisa's head snapped towards her and she smiled softly "please, if it doesn’t bother you" she muttered falling to her knees to get the massive pots and pans.

The lady came back a few minutes later with several elderly ladies, all chubby and soft except for one, she had coily dark hair in a huge fro atop her head, a large contrast against the four other ladies with different shades of grey and black. Her eyes were a dark piercing blue and clear dark brown respectively, she moved into the kitchen gracefully, the long black dress she wore hugging her small curves and showing off her hips, she was young and very beautiful and despite the unease, Arisa felt around her she still stared at in awe.

The ladies got to work and in about fifteen minutes Arisa- had enough servings of fruits and Vegetable to probably feed about twenty people, she sighed in defeat, the meal she had told the ladies to make was going on well but would take another thirty minutes.

The old lady, whose name was Hagret smiled warmly at her "don't worry your head child, only the children will need those fruits and vegetable, here" she said, pointing at the largest pot on the stove "Soup, to open their appetite, don't give them a large amount, just enough to settle their stomachs"

Arisa nodded quickly and along with a few girls her age, stacked up on foam cups and plastic spoons while a muscular boy took the pot from the stove and walked with them into the night.

Arisa had simply asked Elliot to connect wires to the house so they could have electricity outside, but Elliot had shaken his head, telling her the Alpha would not allow it and instead got lamps from the small town and hung them on broken branches.

They began serving the food, it was a slow process since most of them were being looked at, she tried to avoid eye contact at all cost, she didn't want to see that lost and defeated look again, and as she gazed up at the distant half moon feeling something deep within her stir she vowed that she would help them at all cost.