📎A/N. Hello my lovelies... Today Buried was #9 in Paranormal... thanks for all your wonderful support to get it there!! Each and every one of you are absolute legends who give me the courage to continue to post my stories :D

This week I interviewed the lovely Nicole Sturgill, better known on Wattpad as conleyswifey - you can check out the interview at  http://mnjgreenhill.com/mnj/2015/12/16/nicole-sturgill/

I hope you enjoy the chapter.

Take care

❤ ℳ 

PS. If you spot any errors let me know.

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Kaitlyn rushed up the stairs and through the front entrance. She headed towards the magnificent archway of the twin staircase that dominated the two-story foyer to the main wing of the house, in the direction of the distinctive sounds of combat. As she navigated over the bodies that littered the marble floor, she made a mental count. Including the dead upstairs, she calculated twelve downed mafia soldiers.

She reached for her gun, took the safety off, and edged around the gateway to the central area. Kaitlyn glanced back towards where she had come, ensuring that none of those on the floor were playing possum. The majority in the foyer were in human form and showed no visible injuries. If she had to guess, she was looking at standard mafia foot soldiers, too weak and slow to put up a fight against the more superior Werewolves. At some point during the fracas, lights had been switched on giving Kaitlyn ample ability to follow the trail of bodies.

As she entered the grand living room, Kaitlyn scanned the area that made up at least half of the ground floor. The soaring ceilings made the room appear cavernous. She took in the chaos disbursed in pockets inside the house.

Less than an hour ago, the place would have been pristine. The furniture, fittings and artwork attested to the wealth of the owner. Right now, all she could see was a battleground that had taken no prisoners. There wasn't a stick of furniture that had been left undamaged. The majority of the large windows had some form of breakage. Many of the broken glass panels had held in place, the web of shattered glass obscured the view of where the battle had moved to.

Kaitlyn spotted dents in the walls where something large had been thrown. For the amount of damage inflicted on the innocent room, there was only a smattering of bodies. Unlike the foyer, Murphy and the others must have gone up against other Werewolves. She was dismayed to discover surfaces caked in blood. The few bodies that lay broken were torn and limp, reminding her of a discarded rag doll.

Double-checking her surroundings to make sure that she wasn't about to be ambushed, Kaitlyn headed towards the wall of the once picturesque windows which opened onto a large outdoor area. Whatever was happening, was happening outside.

As she navigated the upturned furniture, her heart stopped when she laid eyes on the broken body of Jose. The Werewolf policeman had a gaping chest wound that exposed more than half of the insides of his torso. She fought to hold back the bile that made its way up her digestive system. The damage to his chest, coupled with the chunks of torn flesh from his legs and arms, an indication of the valiant fight he had put up. The wolves that had shred him to pieces had shown him no mercy.

Just as Kaitlyn reached an area with an opening in the glass large enough for her to move through, she let out a sob when she recognised one of the downed wolves. She rushed towards him and sunk to her knees to check for signs of life.

"Danny," she croaked when she realised he was gone.

Kaitlyn, knowing this wasn't the time to grieve and remembering that they were now three Werewolves down, jumped up and went in search of the others. She didn't need to go far. As soon as she reached the patio she was confronted with the sight of her grandfathers and Tim's wolves herding six mafia wolves and three in human form back into a corner next to an open fireplace. All eight of their 'sheep' looked worse for wear and it was clear they had surrendered.

Both Joshua and Tim's wolves coats were matted with blood. From her vantage point, she saw deep lacerations in various places across their bodies. Chunks of missing fur and exposed flesh an indication of just how violent the battle had been for them.

A yelp from the grassy area, on the other side of the pool, caught her attention and she turned in time to see Murphy's wolf tear his massive jaws from the throat of his latest attacker, snapping its neck and almost decapitating it. Within a heartbeat, he rounded on the two others champing at his hind legs. She flinched as the larger of the two caught Murphy's wolf off guard and clamped its sharp teeth on his shoulder. Kaitlyn quickly took stock of the other wolves held prisoner and back at those circling Murphy's wolf.

Elijah would not be taken alive, there was no possibility he would surrender. Kaitlyn recalled the bodies she had passed and the ones she could see. Elijah wasn't one of them. And, based on Murphy's description of his two-tone colouring, he wasn't one of the downed wolves.

So where the hell is he? He should have been here!

Kaitlyn held on to the hope that Murphy had already dealt with him. After all, she couldn't make out everybody that had fallen.

Holding on to the wish, she focused back on the skirmish. If she had to take a guess, the wolf who had just attacked was Ambrose, the mafia Don and new immigrant. While nowhere near Murphy's wolf's size, he was much larger than the rest of his diminishing army.

Instead of dislodging the beast, Murphy's wolf raised himself on his back legs and brought the full weight of his massive paws down on the second wolf. It collapsed under the weight of Murphy's wolf and, a moment later, was lying dead, its neck broken and parts of its throat missing. From the amount of blood coating Murphy's wolf's fur, he must have repeated this procedure multiple times this evening.

Only at this point, Murphy's wolf returned to dealing with Ambrose's wolf. The mafia wolf tried his very best to separate Murphy's wolf's front leg from the rest of his body. A savage growl could be heard as the wolf shook his head from side to side as if he were attempting to tear at a piece of meat.

Murphy's wolf's jaws snapped open and bit down on the other wolf's neck, near its shoulder bone. This was enough to dislodge Ambrose's wolf's grip on Murphy's. The Mafia wolf again dashed towards Murphy's wolf, who darted out the way snapping at his opponent's hind legs. A moment later, there was a flurry as both wolves attacked head on, tumbling to the ground and rolling over each other as they continued to seek the advantage. Murphy's wolf gained the upper hand and turned Ambrose's wolf onto his back, exposing his soft underside.

Using the full force of his paw, Murphy's wolf slashed the underbelly of the attacking wolf. It was enough to have the downed wolf scrambling to his feet and backwards with a yelp as blood began to spread from the wound. Not willing to concede, Ambrose's injured wolf stalked towards Murphy's, his fangs bared as he snarled and gnashed his teeth. Murphy's wolf, using the same technique as before, slashed at the approaching wolf. He was too fast for Ambrose's wolf to avoid and the mafia wolf emitted another yelp and retreated once again still snapping at the superior wolf.

Kaitlyn was distracted by the sound of a warning bark. She turned to discover Tony bearing down on her with a kitchen knife over his head. As he plunged the blade toward her, Kaitlyn dove out of the way, bringing her leg into a round-house kick as her hands reached out to soften her fall. As she hit the ground, her gun slid across the tiles out of her grasp.

From her position Kaitlyn glanced behind to see Tony doubled over, clutching his midriff. She was satisfied when she heard a pained groan burst out with his exhale. He quickly recovered and, from his bent position, he swung towards her and broke into a run.

"You'll regret that," he vowed.

Whipping her head around for her gun, and realising she wouldn't get to it in enough time, Kaitlyn reached for her Taser, pointed at her former teammate and fired. The two probes embedded in his chest and he dropped to the ground like a tonne of bricks, convulsing with the force of fifty thousand volts coursing through his body. The shock was so quick he had no chance of calling out in pain.

"No, can't say I did," Kaitlyn assured Tony as she scrambled up from the floor and raced to him. Before the effects wore off, she dragged his still shaking body towards the other prisoners.

As she turned back to the cat and mouse game between Murphy and Ambrose's wolves, she spotted Liam's wolf herding two others. It looked as though he had come from the small pool house a short distance away. Straining her eyes, she scanned the area between the main house, the guest and pool houses. The pitch black of night edged its way towards the dawn and she was able to make out the silhouettes of bodies, both human and wolf, laying dead on the cold, damp grass.

Liam's wolf snapped at one of his prisoners hind legs to hurry them along and after a shrill yelp, they quickly complied. The smaller wolves were bleeding profusely and as they got closer, Kaitlyn noticed one was missing an ear.

After Liam's wolf had deposited his charges, he moved to stand next to Kaitlyn. As with the others, there was no doubt he had been fully occupied during the raid. His muzzle and neck was matted and stood out as a dark contrast to his golden brown pelt. As he watched the last remaining brawl, she noticed that as he shifted impatiently, drops of blood fell to the ground.

"Elijah?" Kaitlyn asked, not sure if she wanted the answer or not.

Liam's wolf stopped his pacing and glanced up at her. Her hopes crumbled when he shook his head from side to side then turned back to observe his son's progress.

Kaitlyn jumped as Liam's wolf let out an unexpected deep bark in Murphy's direction. Tim and Joshua's wolves howls, which rang out in unison, quickly followed this. Liam's joined in and the sound was almost deafening.

As if this was what he was waiting for, Murphy's wolf rose to full height and a dangerous snarl burst out as he barred his fangs at his opponent. A moment later he had Ambrose's wolf in a death grip, his jaw had become a vice around the other wolf's jugular. She could hear the deep growls from Murphy's wolf with each move to resist Ambrose's attempted. He was giving the weaker wolf a chance to yield and surrender to his authority. The question was, would the mafia wolf take it?

Ambrose's wolf continued to buck against Murphy's deathly grip. However, even Kaitlyn could see that each time was becoming less forceful. The instant he whimpered and lay still, she knew he had conceded. It was over.

Murphy's wolf let go and backed away with his head low to the ground, ready to pounce if the other wolf tried anything. He was reinforcing his dominance. Ambrose's wolf remained on the floor and rolled onto his back, whimpering in surrender. It was clear this was over, and was reinforced, when the mafia don's wolf joined the rest of those captured.

Except for the occasional snaps to push an unruly prisoner into line, the chaos was over and everything became still and quiet. Kaitlyn could hear the sound of her own heartbeat as she retrieved her gun. From the way Murphy's wolf was glancing between Liam's, Joshua's and Tim's wolves it was clear they were deciding on the next course of action.

Her hands still bloodied from when she had found Danny, Kaitlyn made her way across to the pool and bent down to wash the blood from them. The metallic stench was rife in the air, each deep breath she took a reminder of the carnage that surrounded her.

Kaitlyn froze when the silence was broken by a cold voice that sent tremors down her spine.

"What the fuck happened h‑" he broke off.

She glanced up from her position to discover Elijah had materialised from the far side of the house. Even from this distance she could see the contempt and maliciousness that oozed from him. Despite his handsome outward appearance, to Kaitlyn, he was the personification of an evil and ugly soul. Through her eyes, he was grotesque both inside and out.

"You!" he stormed as his gaze rested on Murphy's wolf. His initial surprise dissapeared in an instant as he raked Murphy with freezing contempt. "I was wondering when you would turn up."

The resulting growl from Murphy's wolf only resulted in Elijah's amused sarcastic laugh ringing across the area. To Kaitlyn, the sound was like nails down a chalkboard. She felt the physical desire to lash out at him.

"I would have thought by now you would have tired of losing," he shrugged, "but you know what they say about the Irish, thick as two planks."

Elijah scanned those left alive, his shifty eyes darted across at the prisoners and their jailors.

"And who do we have here?" Elijah smirked as he noticed Kaitlyn. She felt violated with how he was scrutinising her. Kaitlyn grimaced when she saw a spark of recognition. "You must be Quinn's offspring. Your mother and I had such a lovely time together."

Enraged, Kaitlyn made a move to attack. The powerful need to lash out overtaking every other emotion. Before she could take a step forward, Murphy's wolf leapt between her and Elijah. His body was tense, ready for attack.

Elijah's eyes narrowed to slits as they darted between Murphy and Kaitlyn. A sly, calculated expression as he removed his top. "I see we are a bit protective of the human," he remarked, "Don't worry, when I'm done with you, I'll make sure to keep her very entertained. When I'm finished, she'll be begging me to end her."

An enraged growl ripped from Murphy's wolf as he stalked forward towards Elijah, his tail horizontal and straight. She could see his fur bristle, making him appear larger and more threatening. His eyes took on a wild, angry expression and his lips curled back to expose his dagger-like fangs.

With more speed that Kaitlyn thought possible, Elijah transformed into his wolf form. She scrambled backward to move out of the way. Whatever was about to go down, this area was about to become centre stage.

The two wolves circled, snapping at the other in an attempt to find an advantage. Kaitlyn tensed as Elijah's wolf rushed at Murphy's, his jaws snapped together with a loud crack and Kaitlyn relaxed when Murphy's wolf jumped back out of harm's way. Then, almost in unison, they both attacked front on, raising themselves on their hind legs to gain leverage. The resulting flurry of parry and thrusts was almost too fast for her to keep up with and her chest knotted tighter.

Unlike the fight with the mafia don, this one was more even. Elijah's years of experience showed. He was smaller, but his wiry frame had the ability to keep out of Murphy's wolf's grasp. For each bite or slash, Murphy's wolf inflicted, Elijah's responded in kind. Kaitlyn's heart nearly burst up through her throat when Murphy's wolf yipped out in pain after Elijah's faked a move and then at the last moment spun to clamp on to Murphy's hind leg. With a viciousness that was hard to watch, it shook its head violently in an attempt to hobble the larger wolf.

Not to be outdone, Murphy's wolf twisted around and pounced on Elijah's with his front paws leading the way, talons digging into Elijah's wolf's backbone as he made contact. Gnashing his teeth, Murphy took a bite out of Elijah's rump. The resulting yelp giving Murphy enough time to pull his paw free.

A heartbeat later, they were digging into each other again.

A movement from the corner of her eye caught her attention. Liam's wolf was pacing back and forth. She knew how he felt. Kaitlyn noticed the others were just as agitated. The barks and small howls voicing their concern. If her nerves weren't so frayed, she'd be inclined to join them.

Kaitlyn threw out a prayer and she shifted her focus back to the fight she knew would only end when one of them was dead. She was unwilling to entertain the thought it would be Murphy. The battle, which had been half a century in the making, could not have Elijah walking out alive.

A breath of wind passed by and the metallic smell of blood dulled. The odour muted, and Kaitlyn realised that each breath was no longer sharp as it filled her lungs. In its place, the air became thick, almost suffocating. She was sure if she had a knife, she could cut a slice from it. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up as a chilly breeze came and went. Kaitlyn glanced around. None of the others appeared as if anything was untoward. No sooner had she watched Murphy's wolf take another swipe from Elijah's she felt a cold hand on her shoulder. Kaitlyn let out a small yelp and jumped forward as she swung to face whoever touched her.

Kaitlyn's brows knitted into a frown. She scanned the area. To her astonishment there was no one near her. The others were still glued to the action on centre stage. With each passing moment, the air around continued to hum. It was as though a throng of people surrounded were pushing and shoving for position. But how could it? She was standing by herself. Liam was at least four feet from her and no one else was remotely near her.

The instant she turned back to the fight, Liam's wolf raised his head and let out a howl. The melodic tones were joined a moment later by Joshua's and Tim's. It was as if they were rallying, giving Murphy's wolf the extra encouragement to finish this fight once and for all. The howling grew in intensity and so too did the feeling she was not alone.

Murphy's wolf, after evading another strike by Elijah's, lashed out and caught his opponent's underbelly. He tore through the fur and skin to expose a deep gash. Before Elijah's wolf had the ability to recover, Murphy's struck again. This time, he slashed into the other wolf's flank. If possible, the howls from Liam and the others became even louder and more vigorous.

Elijah, not to be outdone shred into Murphy's muzzle. Kaitlyn flinched, she was sure it was deep enough to cut to the bone.

"Murphy please, end this. I can't take much more," Kaitlyn whispered.

Her prayers were answered when Murphy's wolf, seeing his advantage, leapt in for the kill. He had snapped his jaws in a vice around Elijah's wolf's neck. Elijah's, bleeding profusely from all the wounds Murphy's had inflicted, was doing his best to extricate himself from the deadly grip.

With each attempt at escape, Murphy bit down harder blocking Elijah's airway, making it more difficult for him to breathe. The wolves, having stopped their howling were still as they glued their eyes onto the scene. The distinct sound of bones cracking under pressure was music to her ears. While not as rousing as the howls, she was adamant it was more satisfying. Kaitlyn clenched her fists and willed Murphy's wolf to finish Elijah's reign of terror. All around her the very air seemed to echo this chant.

She could see Murphy's wolf ready himself for the kill and she closed her eyes. Visions of her father washed through her. They were clearer than they had ever been, almost as if he were with her. If she reached her hand out she was sure she'd be able to feel him. Justice would finally be served. The monster that had taken her father and resulted in her losing her unborn brother, was meeting the end that he deserved.

With any luck, every victim he had ever taken could rest easier with his death.

Kaitlyn opened her eyes to discover Murphy's wolf staring directly at her. His jaws still clenched around Elijah's throat, blood pooling on the ground below. She was shocked to find Elijah still alive.

Murphy's wolf let out a whimper, not once taking his eyes from her. She was confused. Why had he not ended it?

Her confusion escalated when Liam's wolf's wet and bloodied nose pushed her from behind.

"What?" she cried out as he nudged her again.

Kaitlyn turned back to Murphy's wolf, who had continued to hold firm onto his prey and not shift his gaze from her. She glanced down at Elijah and then at Murphy. She couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched by hundreds of eyes.

"I don't know what you‑" Kaitlyn began and then broke off.

The realisation of what he was doing hit her like a freight train. Tears pricked behind her eyes and the lump in her throat made it hard to breathe. He was gifting her the kill. Murphy's wolf was allowing her to have the satisfaction of being the one that sent him to hell. With a laboured breath, Kaitlyn reached for her weapon and slowly made her way across the courtyard to where Murphy's wolf held Elijah's. She stood over the two wolves, looking down at Elijah's wolf's barely open eyes. He was already halfway to the other side.

Kaitlyn squared her shoulders and held the gun with both hands. Her grip tightened as she attempted to keep her arms steady as she aimed. It would not do to accidently shoot Murphy. He would be pissed. Of that, she had no doubt.

Just as she was about to pull the trigger, Elijah's wolf eyes opened wider and he noticed the woman standing above him. Self-preservation kicked in and he made a last-ditch attempt to extricate from Murphy's wolf grip as well as lash out at Kaitlyn. Before he had a chance, Kaitlyn emptied the remainder of her clip into both eye sockets.

Elijah's wolf's body went limp the moment the first bullet exploded in his brain. Kaitlyn stumbled backward and watched as Murphy's tore out Elijah's throat. A combination of numbness, satisfaction and relief spread through her. She wasn't sure if she should laugh or cry.

He. Was. Gone.

Murphy's wolf stood to his full height and let out a howl. One much deeper and richer than Liam's. This was a victory cry, one that was quickly joined by the others. Their voices raised to the heavens, as though to let the dead know they had been avenged. Kaitlyn was surprised when even the mafia wolves joined in. The infectious feeling of victory bursting forth uncontrollably that she almost joined in on the wolf choir. The euphoria was intense.

All around her, the air bristled and began to let up on the intense pressure that had built. Like a balloon that has released its contents, a deflated emotion washed over Kaitlyn and the feeling of being watched slowly evaporated. The gentle caress from a gust of wind was the last wisp of pressure before it settled back and the aroma of blood and death took over again.

A single tear ran down her face. For some unknown reason she felt a distant echo of something lost. It was as if something she never knew she had was now gone, never to return. Kaitlyn took a deep breath and wiped her eyes. It wouldn't do to have a mental breakdown; she needed make sure her mother was safe.

The first rays of dawn edged closer and the new day was almost upon them. Kaitlyn scanned the small army of bodies littering the park like grounds. In their hastily put together plan, they had not thought beyond freeing her mother and taking Elijah down. They could not just leave the dead for the authorities to find. The human bodies' maybe, but not the wolves. There would be too many questions.

Something flashed and the pool house windows caught her attention. It was brief, but she was sure she had seen a coloured light reflected from the glass. The next moment she felt a breeze on her ear and a woman's voice scream 'Run!'

Not sure why, panic welled and she called out to the others. "We need to get out of here."

The wolves stopped in unison. Murphy's wolf cocked his head as if listening to something. An instant later he was pushing her towards the trees forcing her into a sprint. Liam, Joshua and Tim followed closely behind. Not a sound could be heard as they made a mad dash to put distance between them and the house.

As they disappeared into the forest, Kaitlyn turned back. The mafia wolves sensing something was wrong were halfway to the tree line, with Tony and the other humans struggling to catch up.

Murphy let out a growl just as a small army burst out of the house and from both sides, automatic weapons firing at the retreating mafia. Not waiting to be told Kaitlyn raced full speed in the direction Murphy and the others were leading her. From somewhere behind, she could hear screams and howls as some of the slower mafia were fired upon.

Right now Kaitlyn couldn't worry about them. She and the others needed to get through the forest and out the other side. There was only one thought uppermost in her mind as she weaved in and out of the trees.

Who had attacked the estate?

The only thing she knew for sure was that it wasn't the FBI. The distinctive yellow letters were absent on the small army's clothing.

Dread welled and increased with each mile. At first, she was reluctant to associate the two separate incidents. However, her lungs that were bursting with fire were breaking down her ability to think straight.

Did Molly get mom out safely? Did whoever raid the mafia estate get to them first?

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📎A/N.  Wow! That was intense! Elijah came home just in the nick of time. Little happy dance that he's gone.

So what did you think? Any thoughts on what happened?

... And who the hell turned up and raided the property??

Don't forget to vote. Even you silent stalker readers!!! Go on you can do it.

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