Blood on Marble

Chaos exploded without warning as the front doors of the mansion burst open in a hail of splintered wood and snarling fury. My pulse hammered in my ears while I grabbed Ezra's arm. "Move, now!"

"They're everywhere," he gasped, blood already soaking through his shirt from a nasty gash along his side. His face had gone pale, eyes wide with shock. We had seconds at best.

I yanked him hard toward the hallway, my sneakers slipping on the polished floor. "The panic room. It's our only shot. Stay with me, Ezra. Don't you dare pass out on me."

Damien's voice roared from the grand staircase. "Jax, flank left! These bastards are wolves, masked up tight. Take them down!"

Gunshots cracked like thunder. I didn't look back. Ezra stumbled beside me, his weight heavy against my shoulder. "Avery... it burns. Feels like silver or something worse."

"Save your breath," I snapped, fingers fumbling along the wall panel. "Just keep talking to me. What do you see? Stay awake."

He coughed, a wet sound that twisted my gut. "Shadows... moving too fast. One of them clipped me before I could shift properly."

The hidden door clicked open under my palm. I shoved him inside the reinforced space, the dim red emergency lights flickering on. It smelled of stale air and metal, but it was safe. For now. I slammed the panel shut behind us and hit the lock. "There. We're in. Breathe, okay? I've got pressure on this wound."

Ezra slumped against the wall, wincing as I pressed my hands over the tear in his side. Blood welled between my fingers. "Why the hell did they come tonight? We were supposed to have more time."

"Doesn't matter," I said, ripping a strip from my own sleeve to bind it tight. "Focus on me. Tell me about that last job we pulled. Remember the mark in Monaco? You talked your way out of that vault like it was nothing."

A weak laugh escaped him. "Yeah... the guy thought I was room service. Nearly pissed himself when I cracked the safe." His voice faltered. "Avery, if I don't make it..."

"Shut up with that," I cut in, tying the knot harder than necessary. "You're not dying in here. Damien and Jax are out there cleaning house. Hear that? That's them ending this."

Outside, the sounds of fighting raged on. A howl cut short, followed by a heavy thud. Jax's shout carried through the walls. "Damien, two more coming up the east corridor! Wolves under those masks, moving like they know the layout."

"Copy that," Damien barked back. "I see them. Aim for the throats. No mercy tonight."

I kept my eyes on Ezra, but my mind raced with every noise. "They're handling it. Just like always. You hear Jax? He's probably grinning through the whole thing, the crazy bastard."

Ezra nodded faintly, sweat beading on his forehead. "Jax lives for this crap. Remember training last month? He took down three dummies before I even shifted once. Kept yelling at me to commit."

"Exactly," I said, forcing a smile as I checked the binding. It held, but he needed real help soon. "And Damien? He's probably out there turning their own tactics against them. You know how he gets. All strategy and fury."

A sharp series of pops echoed closer. Then Jax again. "Got one! Mask came off, pure wolf underneath. These aren't random thugs, Damien. Someone sent professionals."

"Keep pushing," Damien replied, his tone ice cold. "Avery and Ezra must've made it to cover. We finish this, then regroup."

I leaned closer to Ezra. "See? They're coordinating. You're safe because of that quick move to the panel. My dad installed it years back, never thought we'd use it like this."

He gripped my wrist, eyes locking on mine. "You saved my ass, Avery. Pulled me out of that open hall like some action hero. If they breached the main gates that fast..."

"We'll figure the how later," I interrupted, wiping blood from his cheek. "Right now, tell me what you felt when they hit. Any scents? Voices?"

"Masked, but one smelled like old money and rot," he muttered. "Voss connections? I don't know. Everything happened too quick."

More gunfire rattled the walls, then a brutal crash of bodies hitting marble. Jax whooped. "That's three down! Damien, the last one's yours. Big one, leader type."

"Copy," Damien growled. "You bleed on my floor, you pay with your life."

Silence stretched for a beat, then a final, gurgling snarl cut off. Footsteps pounded closer to our hiding spot. I tensed, hand hovering near the emergency release.

"Avery? Ezra?" Damien called out. "Sound off if you're in there."

"We're good!" I yelled back. "Ezra's hit bad but stable. Give us a second to open up."

The panel slid aside. Damien stood there, chest heaving, shirt splattered with dark stains. Jax loomed right behind him, knuckles raw and a fresh cut across his jaw. Both looked wired, alive with the fight.

Jax pushed in first, crouching by Ezra. "Damn, buddy. That's a nasty slice. But you're breathing. Avery, you legend for dragging him in here."

"Team effort," I said, stepping out into the hallway. The marble floor gleamed with blood under the chandelier lights. Bodies lay scattered near the entrance, masked figures twisted in unnatural angles. "What the hell just happened out here? They came like ghosts."

Damien wiped his hands on his pants, eyes scanning the mess. "Wolves for sure. Coordinated breach, silenced weapons at first, then full force when we pushed back. Jax took out the rear guard while I handled the foyer."

Jax grinned, though it didn't reach his eyes. "One tried to flank me through the kitchen. Big mistake. Clawed my arm but I ended him quick. You two okay? Ezra, talk to me."

Ezra eased himself up with my help, wincing. "Hurts like fire, but I'll live. Avery kept me conscious the whole time. Kept me chatting about old jobs to stay sharp."

"Good call," Damien said, clapping my shoulder briefly. "Quick thinking saved him. We cleared the rest, but this wasn't random. They knew entry points."

I glanced at the fallen attackers. "Any IDs? Markings?"

Jax kicked one mask aside. "Nothing obvious. But they fought like they had a paycheck waiting. Mercs."

Damien moved among the bodies, boots leaving red prints. He paused, bending down near the grand staircase. "Wait. This one dropped something." He held up a small coin, turning it in the light. "Voss family crest. Etched right there on the edge."

The words hung heavy. Ezra straightened fully, ignoring his wound. "Voss? As in the rival pack? No way this is coincidence."

"Exactly what I thought," Damien replied, pocketing the coin. "Silver edging too. Explains the burn on your side, Ezra. They came prepared to take us out."

I crossed my arms, adrenaline still surging. "So Voss sent wolves to our doorstep? After all the treaties and warnings? We need to hit back, and hard."

Jax paced, cracking his knuckles. "Agreed. But smart, not reckless. I counted six total. We dropped all of them. One almost reached the panic room hall before I cut him off."

"You were fast," I told him. "Heard you shouting positions the whole time. Kept me calm while I patched Ezra."

Ezra managed a nod. "Yeah, your voice carried. Made it feel like we weren't alone in there. Avery, you tied this wrap perfect. Bleeding's slowed."

Damien examined the coin closer under a lamp. "Crest matches their old sigil. Lion and thorns. They want us to know who did this. Bold move."

"Bold and stupid," Jax shot back. "We send a message tomorrow. No more playing nice. Ezra, you up for planning once that wound closes?"

"Try and stop me," Ezra said, leaning on me as we moved toward the stairs. "But first, someone get me a real bandage. And whiskey."

I laughed despite everything, the sound sharp in the bloodied hall. "Whiskey after stitches. Doctor's orders. Damien, you call the cleanup crew?"

"Already did," he confirmed. "They'll be here in twenty. Jax, help me drag these out back before they shift back fully. Last thing we need is evidence piling up."

Jax grabbed two by the collars. "On it. Avery, keep Ezra talking. Don't let him go quiet."

"Got it," I said, guiding Ezra to the sitting room couch. "You hear that? More stories. Tell me about the time you outran border patrol in the old truck."

He settled down with a groan. "Truck nearly died on us. You were driving, remember? Yelling at me to shift and push from behind."

"Worked though," I replied, grabbing the med kit from the cabinet. "Just like tonight worked. We survived. Voss thinks they caught us off guard, but they messed up."

Damien returned from the hall, wiping sweat from his brow. "Coin's confirmed. Voss. Jax is securing the perimeter now. No more surprises."

"Good," I said, cutting away Ezra's ruined shirt. "Because next time they come, we'll be ready. Ezra, this is gonna sting. Bite down on something."

He clenched his jaw. "Do it. And Avery? Thanks again. Without you pulling me in..."

"Save it," I cut him off with a grin. "We're family. We fight together, we hide together, we win together. Now hold still."

Jax burst back in, breathing hard. "All clear outside. Bodies staged for pickup. Damien, you show them that coin yet?"

"Right here," Damien answered, tossing it lightly. "Proof. Voss wants war? We'll give them one they regret."

I worked on Ezra's stitches, the needle steady in my hand. "Conversation helps, remember? Jax, tell us how you took down that big one. Details."

Jax leaned against the doorframe, smirking. "Came at me low, wolf eyes glowing behind the mask. I sidestepped, drove my knee up. Mask cracked off, then it was claws versus fists. Ended with a twist to the neck."

"Sounds brutal," Ezra muttered through the pain. "Mine just grazed me in the rush. Avery here turned hero mode on."

"Hero nothing," I said, tying off the last stitch. "Survival. All of us. Damien, what's the plan with that crest? We confront them direct?"

"Subtle first," Damien replied, checking his watch. "Gather intel, then strike. No rushing blind."

"Smart," Jax agreed. "But I'm itching for round two. They spilt blood on our marble. We spill theirs next."

Ezra tested his side and nodded. "Count me in. Avery, you sticking close for the counter?"

"Try getting rid of me," I said, wiping my hands. The room felt charged, our voices overlapping in the aftermath. Cleanup lights flashed outside. We talked tactics, old grudges, next moves, words flying fast while the night settled into uneasy quiet.

The coin sat on the table between us, a silent promise of more violence ahead. But for now, we were alive, bonded tighter by the fight, already plotting our response. Voss had no idea what they'd started.