Filed To Story: Secret with Betas Daughter: Skylar Story Series
The Twins, Oliver, Sam, Sierra and I hop into the truck. Mateo and Jena join Elena, Gentry, My dad and Nickolas in another SUV. Lil is driving Nathaniel, Wyatt and a team of Elite warriors to cover us while we work. The rest of the former leaders are in a third vehicle.
We drive for about twenty minutes when I start to doze off. I lean into Dakota’s arm. He doesn’t move away, but neither twin has touched me or tried to hold my hand and I don’t know what to think of that. So I am trying to stay focused on the task ahead. Gentry said everyone knew their duties. I have no idea what the hell she’s talking about so I hope what I have to do isn’t super difficult, because I am screwed if that’s the case. As I come up with all the scenarios I can think of I fall asleep to the warmth of their bodies around me and all three scents filling my nose.
I wake up to a finger stroking my cheek and someone is playing with my ponytail. I take a deep breath in, they are all still here with me. I sit up and look out the window. It doesn’t look any different than when we were here the other day. It’s a clearing similar to the one behind the packhouse that the students use, but the twenty foot circular patch of wolfsbane lies in wait. The tall plants are deceivingly beautiful with their long pointed leaves scaling up each stalk meeting up to brilliant purple trumpet shaped blooms. Even with the pointy leaves the plant looks soft and unassuming as it sways in the breeze blowing off the ocean a few miles away.
“Gentry needs us, are you ready?” Cam asks softly.
“No, but that doesn’t mean I’m not going out there.”
All three of them laugh at me as we climb out of the truck.
I notice Mateo, Jena, Sam and Sierra are evenly spaced around the circular plot. Ava, Brett, Kyle, and my dad make a second circle behind them. For the first time I wish that Gwen was here in this mess too, but she is helping with all of our pack members in the Royal pack. Gentry and Elena motion us forward and I see stones and bundles of different herbs on the ground all around the circle. We walk up and Gentry positions me inside a ring of clear stones. She places Cam to my left and Dakota to my right, but a step behind my position. Oliver stands directly behind me so we form a diamond. They are each only about a foot away from me. If I wanted to I could reach out and touch all of them which makes me feel so much better.
Elena and Gentry take their positions behind us, completing the second circle. “Skylar, there is nothing for you to say or repeat, but you will be our conduit for the spell. Everyone needs to maintain their positions at all times, you will be tied to her and any movement can harm her.”
Gentry begins and as anyone could have predicted there are several growls from the circle. “Relax gentlemen, she knows what she was unwillingly signed up for. She can handle this, but she needs all of us.”
Gentry talks as if I am not here and I am actually okay with the whole thing. I am trying to tune her out. If I don’t have to say anything or repeat anything then I am going to stand here and just let her do her thing and try to get this done as soon as possible. The first experience is always the worst.
They both start chanting in a language I don’t know, but it sounds like deep humming music to my ears. I just stare at the unassuming wolfsbane and as I do I see the magic floating around it. The protections cast on it are purple like the flowers. But instead of a bubble like I saw on the packhouse it is like a mist or more like dust particles floating around. Little motes you can see when the sun hits them just right. Each lazy mote just sways with the flowers, not floating up or down, just hovering through the plants. I can feel my eyelids getting heavy again, but before I can fall asleep a sharp pain rips up my spine and I let out an involuntary scream.
“DON”T YOU MOVE!” Someone shouts behind me and all I can think is, ‘my f*cking feet are glued to the ground I couldn’t move if I wanted to.’
More chanting, this time it is less melodic and more sharp and spiky like the leaves of the plant I can’t seem to look away from. Now it looks like there is a gold translucent ribbon floating around the plants and the people surrounding the patch. Another pain rips through me this time it starts at the center of my ribs and flies down my arms and out my fingers. I can see more gold light flying around and weaving around my friends and family. My hands grab each of the twins’ arms. “OLIVER!” I need him too, but I don’t have another hand.
“You can touch her, but do not pull her from her spot.”
I am having trouble placing voices, but I feel a warmth melt up from where my hands connect with the twins and from Oliver’s hand on the small of my back and the warmth sweeps around my body, up my neck and over my head like a blanket. More chanting and another layer of magical ribbon. This time the ribbon is making shapes in the air above the wolfsbane plant. I should know these shapes, I do know these shapes, but I can’t think of their names, my brain feels like mush.
Another round of chanting and this time the ribbon of magic is red and angry looking. I can feel my emotions matching the color and I try to pull my hands away from Cam and Kota. I want to step away from Oliver. I don’t want to be touched at all. My skin itches and I am on fire, nothing feels right.
“HOLD HER STILL, DO NOT LET HER MOVE FROM THAT SPOT!”
What the f*ck!? No one is going to hold me here. I start to struggle and pull, but my wrists are being restrained. I pull harder and the grip tightens. What is happening? Then a flash of the cells I was held in is all I see. I am struggling against the chains that are holding me to the floor. I can’t pull my feet free even though I am so small. I struggle and pull with everything I have. My left arm moves and feels free for a moment, but in a flash the restraints are back. My right arm is being pulled down to the ground. I feel sick, I don’t want to be on the ground, that is where the worst of the punishments happen. I lifted up and threw myself backwards. I am flailing and thrashing. I hear screaming and yelling and that mind numbing hum will not stop. I can feel my body weakening, but I will fight until I die, there is no way I will go without a fight, so I keep fighting, thrashing, biting, kicking. I am in the dark and I can’t see or smell anything. I have no idea who has me this time. I don’t know what is going to happen to me now. More silver, more whips, maybe a metal pole this time instead of the wooden stick. My body has taken it all. I just want to die, I’m done, no more. Then blackness…it’s always blackness.
Beep…beep…beep.
“F*cking beeping, just kill me right already? Somebody sucks at their job.”
“Hey! She’s up and pissed.”
“F*ck off Dakota.”
Then I groan. Apparently the ability to talk is too much to ask for.
“Can you open your eyes? We have been waiting a while to see those beautiful gray eyes of yours.”
“Sucking up is not going to help anyone. What happened this time?”
“What do you remember, Bitty?”
“Is it just you three, or is the whole crew here?” I cough and then groan cause that made even my toenails hurt. “I really only want to answer questions once.”
“Just us, but we can pass it along.”
“Fine.”
I whine. “Add whining to the list of things that hurt.”
Someone laughs and then I hear an= smack and a grunt. “I remember the wolfsbane circle and chanting, then sh*t got really weird and I blacked out.”
“That’s a good summary now, tell us the truth.”
“Asshole. Why don’t you tell me your version, Oliver and I will fill in the gaps.”
“Elena and Gentry both started their chanting. I have no idea what they were saying, but it sounded a little like singing. There was a ton of wind, your ponytail actually wrapped around your neck for a little while I thought you were choking at one point. You kept trying to move, but Gentry told us to keep you in the circle but you fought like hell. Now I know why Elena and Gentry wanted all three of us near you.”
New Book: Returned To Make Them Pay
On her wedding anniversary, Alicia is drugged and stumbles into the wrong room—straight into the arms of the powerful Caden Ward, a man rumored never to touch women. Their night of passion shocks even him, especially when he discovers she’s still a virgin after two years of marriage to Joshua Yates.