The Alphas waiting by the road jerked in surprise and alertness at the sudden change of climate. It began with a slow rumble of thunder in the sky, then the temperature dropped really low in one instant. An angry rod of white, fiery lightening struck the forest somewhere and a tree fell violently. Then the snow began falling rapidly like the gates withholding them in the sky was beginning to open.

The most frightening of all was the sudden burst of flaming heat like a detonated bomb ...