Chapter 13:

Scinece rubbed her hands together as she watched Elaine just lying there. The poison had spread too quickly, but it didn't seem to be affecting her health. Something was definitely happening though. Karl was currently being held in the cells and questioned. They knew he was in contact with Kylie, they just don't know how. She touched Elaine's forehead and closed her eyes, in an attempt to heal her again.

She could feel her power spreading through Elaine and she thought it was working. Until that zap of electricity stung her again. Scinece yanked her hand away and cradled it to her chest to try and get some feeling into her hand back. Seeing no change in Elaine, her head dropped onto her hands and she sobbed. She faintly heard the door open, and she sensed it was Lincoln. "Nothing?" He asked, coming to sit next to Elaine. Scinece shook her head, still in her hands.

Lincoln stared at her sister, who hadn't looked up yet. At least she wouldn't have to see the state his hands and arms were in. Deciding not to tell her for the meantime, he wrapped his arms around her shoulder and pulled her close. Planting a kiss on her forehead, they stayed like that and let the silence comfort them.

Scinece fell asleep, so Lincoln was on watch. He placed Scinece next to Elaine and tucked them both in. For the first time since their kidnapping, he felt helpless. His mate was in some kind of slumber, the pack is in the middle of a war, and he felt like a small child all over again. He sighed and sat down on the chair.

"Karl still isn't talking, even after you beat him up," Faust linked him, making him rub his temple. One tough bitch. Lincoln can applaud him for not giving up information. But, his mate's life was at stake here. He usually wasn't that violent, even when he was fighting, but seeing Elaine collapse and start shivering like that, he just snapped. Remembering he still needed to answer Faust, he quickly linked him. "Do you need me to come back?" He asked, but wanted him to say no.

Faust answered back, "No. Just stay with Scinece and Elaine. Your sister needs you right now." Then he shut off the link. Lincoln smiled slightly. But that smile was wiped from his face when Elaine started thrashing around and shivering violently, almost throwing Scinece off the bed.

"Her heart rate's speeding up and her temperature's dropping!" Scinece said after she felt Elaine's forehead. "Go get Gina, Alaska and Jay! I have a plan. I'm not sure if it'll work, but it's the only plan we have right now. GO!"

Lincoln nodded and ran out of the room, panicking slightly, but keeping calm enough to follow the order. Scinece, on the other hand, quickly straddled Elaine's upper body and used her legs to pin her arms down. She held her head still and focused on getting the poison out. She felt the zap and the hair on her arms raised, but this time, she wasn't stopping until the poison was out, even if it killed her. Closing her eyes, Scinece breathed in and out, concentrating deep on the flow of the poison. Scinece could feel the poison nearing Elaine's heart and the electricity started getting stronger and you could hear the zap.

The door suddenly opened, but Scinece stayed where she was. "Scinece!" Someone shouted, but the blood rushing in her ear was making any other sounds muffled.

The group that entered stood at the foot of the bed and could only watch as bolts of electricity flew around Scinece and Elaine's body. Lincoln made a move to touch Scinece, but as soon as he was even in the vicinity of the circling electricity, he flew across the room.

"No!" Scinece shouted when she felt Lincoln's bond with her shut off. "Everyone, make a circle around us now! Don't let the electricity control you, it's a cover for something." Gina and Alaska immediately fell into position at the sides of the bed. Jay made a bold move and climbed onto the bed and struggled to push her hand past the electricity and not get thrown across the room. Breathing in and out, Jay managed to put her hand on Scinece's shoulder. The electricity was stronger around her and Jay could feel the electricity flow, giving her goosebumps.

Blood was rushing in everyone's ears. There was a scream.

Then everything was quiet.

Lincoln slowly opened his eyes, adjusting to the sudden light. What he saw next had him jumping up. The room was completely trashed. The dresser shredded to splinters, the curtains reduced to pieces of string, windows smashed. And, worst of all, everyone in the room was unconscious. Jay and Scinece laid on top of Elaine. Gina and Alaska were against the wall, slumped over. Lincoln immediately went to check their pulses and sighed in relief when they still had one.

He was checking Elaine's pulse when he saw something on Elaine's neck. He brushed away her hair and gasped as he watched the black mark slither down her neck and onto her arms and legs. Lincoln frantically shook Scinece awake, watching the mark swirl around Elaine's arm. Scinece groaned and sat up. "What's happening, S?" Lincoln asked, unable to look away. "I don't think that's the poison. We got that out," Scinece said, tilting her head to the side. They tried to wake Elaine, but she remained unresponsive.

Everyone else woke soon after. Alaska went to see Elaine and her eyes widened and she pushed Lincoln out of the way. She whispered, "Impossible." Gingerly lifting Elaine's arm, she inspected the markings as they continued to swirl. "Alaska? Have you seen this before?" Gina asked. Alaska nodded and stated, "The mark of the moon goddess." They gasped.

Then the markings soon finished and from black, it changed to a pale blue. The markings were beautiful, starting from Elaine's neck to her legs. "Remember that one pack we visited? The ones with the tattoos?" Alaska asked and Gina nodded. Alaska continued, "They weren't tattoos. Before we left, one of them pulled me away to tell me that Elaine had the blessing of the goddess. I didn't know what it meant at the time, but now, I think Elaine is protected by the goddess. The poison was probably unable to penetrate the shield inside Elaine, but it did manage to cause the shield to harden and that was the cause of the electricity."

Everyone's eyes darted from Alaska to Elaine. The peaceful moment was destroyed when a loud alarm sounded throughout the pack. Lincoln and Alaska immediately stood alert, while Scinece ran to the window and she was hit with a tidal wave of emotions.

She quickly countered it and sent her own wave. "I can't see!" Jay suddenly shouted, pawing at her eyes and reaching out. Lincoln closed his eyes and searched for Alister. Sending his own illusion and successfully breaking Alister's concentration, Jay sighed in relief when her sight returned.

Gina shouted out the window, "Nameless! Formation!" The command echoed and in seconds, hoards of warriors ran out the houses and tents, wielding swords, spears and bows. Some ran out in their wolf forms and formed around the pack houses. A loud howl sounded throughout the forest and wolves burst out from the pack house, Faust himself stood at the front, with Keller at his side. Gina moved back and ran head first out the window, shifting mid-jump, landing on all four paws. "I will stay here. Someone has to protect Elaine," Alaska said, before shifting too. Jay planted herself by Elaine's side and Scinece nodded at her and Alaska, silently thanking them. Lincoln had followed Gina out the window, so Scinece headed for the roof.

This was it. The battle that would decide who lives and who dies. And everyone was determined to live, even at the cost of another's death.