“I think she should wear the plaid skirt on Monday,” Sofia said with a scoff, shooting Chiara a pointed look.
The five of us were crammed into Carlo’s gaming room. I was doing my best to keep up with the first-person shooter on the screen, but Sofia kept dragging me into their fashion debate.
“That skirt’s too short; it’ll show her whole backside,” Chiara replied, rolling her eyes. “She needs that cute dress I picked out for her.”
“Ella!” Sofia whined, turning to me for backup. “You loved the black skirt I got for you last week, right?”
I snickered, grimacing at the screen as Carlo’s character took me out. “Why don’t you let me decide?”
Carlo spun his chair around, his grin smug as ever. “Yeah, there’s no way we’re letting you pick.”
Chiara shook her head, her curls bouncing wildly. “No chance.”
Sofia chimed in, “Yeah, not happening.”
I rolled my eyes, but couldn’t suppress the smile tugging at my lips. “If you two can agree on that, you should be able to agree on what I wear Monday.”
Sofia and Chiara bickered constantly. It was their love language, like an old married couple who couldn’t help but argue.
Sofia crossed her arms dramatically. “Y’know, I don’t appreciate your attitude, Ella.”
Chiara grinned slyly, nodding in agreement. “Yeah, me neither.”
I shot them both a warning look, glaring at the TV screen. Carlo, Vito, and Enrico had been trying to teach me this game for months. They needed four players, but Sofia and Chiara couldn’t stop fighting long enough to learn. And after seven months, I still hadn’t gotten any better.
Suddenly, a yelp escaped my lips as Chiara and Sofia launched themselves onto the giant bean bag I was sitting on. The abrupt movement sent me rolling to the side, nearly tipping off.
Then, without warning, our minds clouded over as the mind-link snapped into place.
“Rogues at the South Border.” Carlo’s dad’s voice crackled through the link, thick with urgency and anger. “At least three hundred. All warriors, get to the South Border now.”
Confusion settled in the room like a fog. There had never been an attack this large. Vampires and rogues were always gunning for us, trying to take down the pack that produced the strongest warriors.
“What’s happening?” Chiara was the first to voice the question, pulling herself upright.
“I don’t know,” Carlo muttered, a frown on his face. “Dad should’ve had some warning. We’ve never faced an attack this big before.”
For once, I was the only one not caught in the haze of confusion.
“Well, get moving!” I snapped, my voice louder than expected.
They all stared at me in surprise for a moment. My face flushed, but I didn’t back down.
“Ella,” Carlo began, his voice softening, “he’s calling all the warriors… Your mom’s gonna be there.”
His words hit me like a punch to the gut. My mom… She would be out there, fighting. The thought sent a shiver down my spine. I wasn’t one for heroics, but the idea of her in danger left me feeling helpless and alone.
There was nothing I could do.
Without another word, Carlo, Enrico, Vito, and Sofia shifted and disappeared into the woods, their wolves heading toward the South Border.
“I don’t know what’s going through your head,” Chiara said, her frown deepening, “but I don’t think I’m going to like it.”
“Isn’t the preschool near the South Border?” I asked, anxiety creeping into my voice. “Aren’t there families and homes down there?”
Chiara nodded slowly. “There are, but… Carlo and the warriors can handle it.”
Her tone wasn’t convincing. She sounded as uncertain as I felt.
“We should go help,” I said, my heart racing. Fear churned in my stomach, cold and relentless. My fingers twitched restlessly, and I couldn’t stop picking at my lip. With an attack this size, every bit of help mattered.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Chiara said, shaking her head again.
We both knew what was right, but fear had a way of turning people into cowards. Or maybe we were always cowards; it just took a situation like this to show it.
“We should go,” my wolf, Blue, echoed my earlier thoughts, nudging me to take the first step.
“I’m going,” I said, my voice stronger than I expected. “I’ll stay out of sight, keep to the buildings. I just… I need to help.”
Chiara sighed heavily, pulling on her jacket. “I guess that means I’m coming with you.”