Love and the White Wolf - Book 3

21. First Cut is the Deepest (Violence warning)

The next morning I was feeding the three older kids while James played with Alina.  She had awakened during the night for feeding and again half an hour before the rest of the kids woke.  I was tired, grumpy, and I just wanted to go to sleep.  I looked at the clock.

"Don't you have a dentist's appointment at 9?" I asked James.

He looked and jumped up, handing Alina off to me.  Kissing me quickly he jumped in the car and left.  The kids finished eating and I took them upstairs to get dressed and threw some sweats on for myself.  As we went downstairs about twenty minutes later I noticed the dogs were acting strangely at the bottom of the stairs. 

"Mom," said Steve, in an odd voice. "There's a strange car in the yard."

Goldy and Rowdy both growled.  I put Alina in Steve's arms and gathered them to me.  "You hide in the best place you can think of," I said.  "Don't come out unless Dad or I calls you.  Go NOW!"

Steve ran with Alina, telling Sam to take Rebecca's hand.  Rebecca and Alina were laughing but Steve was afraid, as was Sam.  Looking out the window I could see two men in black.  I was aware of another one on our porch.

"Friday, emergency security protocol!" I said loudly. "Notify Avengers for immediate portal."

There was no answer.  Then I noticed the display on the stove was blank.  They had cut the power.  I swore then looked at what I had on hand.  Kitchen knives and a frying pan, exactly the weapons James had me practice with when I took the self defence course between Sam and Rebecca's birth.  My other assets were the dogs and the intruders didn't know I was strong.  It hit me, I was strong and I was analyzing this threat as it happened. 

"Wanda," I thought, "tell James I'm under attack.  Send help."

I listened carefully and could hear the creak of the boards on the porch as the third intruder crept towards the door.  Even though a part of me worried about the kids and the other two intruders, my focus sharpened on dealing just with him.  The curtains were still drawn on the window and door but now I could see his shadow in the door window.  Screaming I opened the door and both dogs jumped on him snarling.  He fell back and I jumped, plunging my knife into his groin.  I saw the dark blood gushing out and left him.  The dogs were fighting the other two men and one went down on his knee so I went after him swinging my frying pan at his head.  It connected and he staggered.  The other one slashed at me causing a sharp pain in my arm but I swung back with the frying pan and lunged forward with my knife, slashing his hand.  Goldy was lying motionless on the ground and I realized she was probably dead.  I tamped down my grief and focused my vision on that man.  A sharp yelp made me back up, and I saw Rowdy on the ground.  My knee was hurting terribly but I was not letting them into my house.  My senses must have been hyper aware as I heard a car horn blaring, seeing James roaring into the yard with the car aiming at the two men, splitting them apart.  Slamming the brakes he jumped out and started fighting the one closest to him.   I concentrated on the one closest to me and began a deadly dance with him.  There was a taste of blood in my mouth, and I realized my nose was bloody, while my side, arm, and knee were injured but it didn't matter as all I wanted to do was hurt the man in front of me.  Suddenly, a tricycle was thrown at the intruders's legs and he went down.  With a primal scream I jumped on him and shoved the knife into his abdomen up to the hilt.  Blood gurgled out of his mouth.  I sat there, exultant in my kill.  When a hand touched my arm I whirled around screaming, biting and hitting.

"Gail! Gail!"  yelled James. "It's me.  Stop, they're neutralized."

My focus widened and I saw his worried face.  As I burst into tears he held me.

"The kids," he said. "Where are the kids?"

"I told Steve to hide," I gasped and he helped me up and supported me when my knee buckled.