BLOOD TIES AND BETRAYAL; ALPHA'S REQUIEM.

The attack

Arianna's POV**

Something didn't seem just right. Since I had turned Damon down and had chosen Sergio to be my mate, I had been on edge. The safety of my parents was the most important factor for me at this stage. I started to keep track of them. I made sure that either of them was always in my sight.

I needed a break, though—just to clear my head. I decided to have a light walk outside, hoping the breeze could calm my nerves a little.

Walking through the woods, I came across Sergio. He was leaning against a tree, his eyes fixed on me, as though his gaze could drill into my soul, which suddenly missed a beat.

"Arianna, take a walk with me," he said in his low, husky voice.

I faltered, not wanting to spend time with him at that moment. But something in his expression made me nod my head in agreement. Maybe it was the concern etched on his face or perhaps the way he looked at me as if I was the only person in this world.

For some moment we just walked in silence; the crunch of leaves under our feet was the only sound. He broke the silence, his voice so soft. "Arianna, I know you're worried about your parents. I am, too. Together, we'll keep them safe."

I gaped with surprise at his words. How did he know what I thought?

As we trekked on, I began to relax in a manner I never had with Damon for Sergio was cool, soft-spoken, and really felt concerned about how I felt.

Still, I sensed that something was awry. And when I looked behind, there was Diana, watching us from the shadows, dark intent in her eyes.

Diana's words still hung static in the air, venomous, when suddenly a loud cry went through the forest, and we all stopped. That yell did something to me—it sent shivers down my spine—and I knew then that everything was very wrong.

Sergio's eyes had telescoped into mine, and at that moment there was no need for words. The enemies had just attacked.

With my heart racing, I started running towards my parents' room. My mind stopped working at the thought of reaching the door. I threw the door open and called out, "Mum, Dad." but there was no response. The room was vacated; well, my parents were nowhere.

Panic set in while I frantically searched every corner of the room, but they were gone. I thought back to the cry we heard, and it came into my mind like a ton of bricks - the attackers weren't rogues. They were way too organized, too calculated.

This was an attack, and my parents were the target.

A hand landed on my shoulder, and I turned to see a worried face—a worried Sergio. "Arianna, we have to find them. Now."

I nodded, running through my worst-case scenarios in my mind. We need to move fast before it's too late.

Together we searched for my parents; all our senses remained alert against all the dangers that would spring from the face of the earth. The forest was no more a peaceful haven; it had changed into a zone of unrest.

We walked on when this sort of feeling just did not get out of my mind that we were being watched. I turned around, and my instincts had been right. Diana was standing there, her eyes fixed upon us with a malevolent glare.

Sergio turned around at the words of my observation, following my line of sight. His narrowed eyes lay on Diana too.

Diana popped animatedly out of the shadows, a sneaky smile crawling across her face, saying, "Well, well. Look what we have here. The happy couple, taking a romantic stroll."

Her voice was so full of sarcasm it sent my blood pressure rocketing. "Diana, what do you want?" I said, now quite firm.

She squared her shoulders, softened her voice, and said, "Oh, I just wanted to remind you, Arianna, that you're making a huge mistake. He is far from what he seems. Sergio has secrets. Those secrets will destroy you."

Sergio's eyes flashed with anger, but he remained calm. "Diana, that's enough. You're just trying to cause trouble."

The words spilled out of Diana like venom. "You're so blind, Arianna. You think you know him, but you don't. He's using you. You can't be so blind to not see it." Was Diana trying to distract me? Her words stung, but I knew she was trying to get a rise out of me. I stood my ground, my eyes locked on hers. "I'm not listening to you, Diana. We need to find mom and dad!" I shouted.

As he searched in the forest, somehow the cry that had rung through the air some moments back seemed to be soothingly forgotten by some sort of very uncalled refined calmness that had spread over all that place. Still, I couldn't shake away the realization; everything was not right until I located my parents.

Sergio and I poked around the entire compound, but they simply were not to be found. I needed to start thinking of any possible places they might have gone.

"Sergio, I have to see inside the inner chambers," I said, trying not to let my voice be so inflexible. "My parents could be up there, or in hiding, or. something."

Sergio nodded in agreement. "I will check the perimeter, make sure we are secure. But be careful, Arianna. If the attackers were able to breach the compound …"

I nodded, his sentence finishing in my mind. If they breached the compound, anywhere would be safe.

"I'll be all right," I reassured him. "I know those chambers like the back of my hand."

Sergio paused for a second before nodding. "Okay, but go not thee alone. Take some of those guards of yours also."

I shook my head. "No, I need to do this alone. I'll be faster, quieter."

Sergio narrowed his eyes, but he knew better than to argue with me when I was in this state. "Fine, but be careful. I'll meet you back here in 10 minutes."

I nodded and made my way through the inner chambers, my heart beating in my chest. I raced inside the inner chambers and, at every step I took, I could feel my heart pounding.

The cries of my parents grew, and with every rise in sound, so did my anxiety. At that moment, I burst open the doors to whatever was happening. That's when I saw them—the masked men surrounding my parents. Their eyes were lit with malice. My mother's eyes met mine, full of fear and pleas.

That was it. Something snapped in me. I suddenly felt a sort of great fierce protectiveness and so attacked the men. I now felt this surge of power coursing through my being—my veins, senses—all heightened. I fought with a strength I didn't know I had. The men fell like leaves before me as I took them down, man by man, without a single wasted movement.

It was then when my parents stood in awe, watching me handle the attack from the enemy force with great ease. My father's eyes were shining with pride, and my mother's face showed relief. When the last of them fell, I was the last man standing.

My chest heaving up and down with exertion, I felt satisfied that I had saved my family. But looking at my parents, I could still see the fear in their eyes. "Who were they?" I firmly inquired. My father shook his head. "We don't know. They were masked and didn't utter a word." I nodded, questions running in my head. Who were these men? What was their intention with my family?

This I had to find out, and I dashed out but got hit with immediately blacked out!

The attack by the masked men still fresh, I reeled at the onslaught of questions and fears: Who were they? What did they want? And why did they have to target my parents?

But before I could even start understanding my thoughts, crazy land, here came Diana's face. Her eyes were crazy, hair all over-dressed, her voice a knife cutting through flesh and air.

"You!" she spat again. Her trembling finger pressed outward, and I flinched as though a dagger were to point at me. "You are to blame that I lost everything! It's all you, Arianna, you ruined my life!"

I tried to reason with her, to calm her down, but she was beyond reason. She was a force of nature, unstoppable and unrelenting.

And then the unthinkable happened. She clapped her hands, and out of the shadows, a group of men came rushing with wicked eyes fixed on me.

"Destroy her!" Diana screeched, her voice piercing the square of the Pack.

The men charged at me, their fists flying, but I was ready. They charged at me with raised fists, but I was ready.

I returned the attack with all the power which lay in my possession. My body moved at a speed undreamed-of and agile—taking down men one by one, my heart pounding in my chest and senses on high alert. Pack members encircled, gaping as I fought off my attackers. They were cheering and chanting my name, but I didn't hear them. I was too focused on survival.

It had started and then stopped, just like that. The men now lay at my feet, defeated, and Diana was nowhere in sight.

But I knew she was still out there, watching me, waiting to catch me in the next move that she had planned for me, and I knew I needed to be ready.

It was at that very moment that Damon came out, glaring fiercely with great anger and concern in his eyes. "Arianna, are you all right?" he asked, his voice very low but urgent. I nodded and took a few breaths. "I'm fine," I said, a bit shakily. Damon's eyes narrowed.

"I'll make sure Diana pays for this," he growled, and the venom truly dripped from each.

Suddenly, it was hard for me to breathe as it seemed like the room was swirling. Energy surged through my veins and it felt like my flesh was searing as blood began gushing out of my skin.