When Lana woke up, she found herself on her bed, alone. She didn't get up and closed her eyes back up, wishing that she could remember what truly had happened that day. It didn't matter how hard she tried, she didn't remember anything different than Lucas losing his temper and taking her by force. Her head began to throb so she pressed a hand over her temple as she fought to not break down.
"You're awake."
She sat up to be engulfed in a hug by Brent. "I'm okay."
"You're not. And that's okay." He pulled back and their gazes met. "They're in the living room. Do you want me to tell then to leave?"
"No..." She paused, taking a deep breath to calm her rapid heartbeat. "I need to figure out who planted these memories in my head--there is no other explanation."
"Who the hell would do such horrendous thing?" he asked, clearly befuddled by the idea that someone could be so cruel, but Lana knew that people could be capable of that and far worse. There were truly sick bastards out there that thrived from causing pain.
"I don't know, but I won't stop until I figure it out."
She heaved herself out of bed and exited her bedroom, Brent a couple of steps behind. In the living room, she found Lucas and Vance conversing. They fell silent when they sensed her. Vance rushed to her side so that he could give her a hug.
"You should have gone home. The pack needs you."
"I already told him, but he refuses to listen."
"Maybe because he doesn't trust you here," Brent said, a stern look in his face. "May I remind you of how you forced your way into the apartment--"
Lucas glared at Brent. "I wasn't thinking--All I wanted was to talk."
Brent actually got on Lucas' face, not appearing afraid at all. "Don't think that because those imagines in her head aren't true that you're going to be trusted blindly."
Vance ignored them both and began to lead Lana out of the apartment until she forced him to stop. "Where are you taking me?"
"To the pack doctor so he can make sure you're okay. You fainted--"
"That's normal in my condition." He seemed perplexed, but then he leaned closer to her, taking in her fragrance. She smiled as she pushed him away, playfully. "I thought you wolves would smell it."
"This city has way too many scent---" When realization hit him, she laughed. His smile was blinding. Then, he hugged her before cupping her face and kissing her sweetly. Her cheeks flamed as he pulled away, their gazes meeting.
At a sound like thunder, she pulled away, realizing that Lucas had stormed out of the apartment, slamming the door shut. Brent seemed worried but said nothing as he headed into the kitchen presumably to get something to eat.
"Get your things."
"Vance--"
"Lana, I was sent here to keep an eye on you, but whilst you slept, the orders changed. You're no longer permitted to live in this human city. The alphas demand you return home at once."
Her eyes widened, knowing well that this meant that she had no choice in the matter.
"For the safety of our child, I think you should listen to the alphas."
"Okay." She didn't even bother to argue. Even though she was going to miss Brent, her child would be safer raised amongst the pack. Without another word, she headed to her bedroom to start packing her stuff. Vance followed her and helped her. After she zipped the luggage, he stood behind her, placing his hands on her hips.
"Where do you plan to live once there?"
She laughed and turned her head to meet his loving gaze. "Why don't you simply ask?"
His smile flaunted his perfect teeth. "Okay, then. Move in with me."
"I don't know. I'll have to think about it." When he laughed, she couldn't help join him.
At a ruckus coming from the living room, Lana rushed out of the room. The door had been knocked out of it's hinges and Brent lay on the ground, something wrapped around him like rope that glowed sapphire.
A woman wearing a golden mask appeared, aimed a weapon and shot. Vance pulled Lana out of the way and the bullet struck the wall behind them, engulfing it in sapphire electricity. Within seconds, Vance shifted into his large burgundy wolf and launched himself at the woman, who managed to avoid him effortlessly.
Lana stayed frozen, not knowing what to do. When she lurched to her feet, someone appeared beside her, wrapped his hands around her neck before slamming her hard against the wall. Lana grunted as pain shot through her body.
Vance became distracted and when he turned to help her, the woman shot him. The bullet struck him, his wolf letting out a howl as it was engulfed in electricity. A screamed escaped her lips, one that turned into a snarl. She could feel the wolf within rising and within seconds, she had grabbed the male and slammed his head hard against the wall over and over until he collapsed to the ground, unmoving.
The woman aimed, but Lana moved fast, dodged the bullet and yanked the weapon from the woman's grasp. When she slammed the handgun against the woman's head, she stumbled back. Vance locked his canine teeth around the woman's arm and brought her to the floor before tearing her apart.
Lana turned to aid Brent, but before she touched what held him captive, Vance stopped her. He had shifted to human form and was covered in scarlet. "Let me do it." He grabbed hold of the rope and smoke rose to the air. Lana was about to tell him to stop, when finally, it snapped and shattered like glass. Bewildered, Lana stared at Vance, then at his hands, seeing the ice vanish into his skin.
Brent woke with a gasp and sat up. "Fuck." He glanced around. "What the hell happened?"
"Two--" Lana stopped speaking when she realized any trace of the slayers had completely vanished. Vance stood, looking just as surprised as she was. This was impossible. Now, she understood why no one could ever find any trace of the attackers. But how were they capable of such thing?
Minutes later, she was saying goodbye to Brent. "Maybe we should wait until your father arrives."
Brent smiled. "He's going to be here soon. Don't worry about me--Those bastards were clearly after both of you."
Lana hugged him. "Hope you come visit me."
"Am I allowed?"
Lana glanced at Vance. "There is no problem with that, right?"
"Of course not."
"I'll text you the address later."
"Okay." Another hug. "Call me when you get there."
She nodded before following Vance down the hall to the elevators, luggage in hand. Vance took it from her once they walked into the elevators. As the door slid closed, the concern for Brent's safety grew.
"You shouldn't worry about him. The slayers are not killing humans."
"They dislike anyone who sees us as allies and not the enemy." She took a deep breath. "Vance, I would like to see the files where the alphas keep all the information of everyone's gifts."
"Lana, that's confidential."
"I know...but I have to find out who planted these memories in my head. It had to be someone with the gift of telekinesis."
"What exactly are you looking for? Such abilities can be different. Someone can be able to read minds, another could move objects, the other could alter reality..." He thought for a moment. "Aaron is able to search anyone's mind and move objects...Annabel can create illusions."
"Someone capable of imprinting memories."
The elevator came to a halt and he motioned for her to go first. As they headed to the parking lot, he kept a close distance, his eyes clearly scanning their surroundings. "'I've never heard of anyone capable of doing that, Lana."
They stopped at the car and the trunk opened. He put the luggage there and closed it before glancing at her. "Whoever you are looking for...I doubt they have revealed their ability to anyone. If you think about it, who would trust someone capable of such thing? It would make you question everything you remember about them."
"So, I will never know who did this to me."
He thought for a moment. "Lana, it's not that difficult to figure out who did this to you. Think about it. This person had to be near you in order to do this. It's someone you know--Someone you saw that day."
She shook her head. "No one knew where I was heading..."
"Are you certain? No one saw you at all?"
Lana tried to remember to no success. "Maybe Aaron can search my memories."
"Come on. We can continue this discussion at home."
After they got in the car, the ride back to the pack territory began. As the minutes ticked by, she drummed her fingers on her thighs, trying to think of something else other than Brent. When Vance's cellphone rung, he didn't answer, obviously because he was driving. Lana reached out to pick up, but stopped when she noticed his eyes narrowing as they glowed a soft white indicating someone was connecting to him.
Lana
It was Kendra.
Hey, you don't have to worry anymore. I'm heading--
Don't let Vance return to the pack.
Why?
Kendra fell silent for a moment. Please--
The connection broke abruptly, making Lana cry out, feeling like someone had smashed her head in with a hammer. The car swerved and she braced herself, heart about to burst. Vance managed to regain control and slammed the breaks. He pressed a hand against his temple, a low growl rumbling in his chest. "Fuck, that hurt."
"Who connected with you?" she asked, rubbing her temples.
"Aaron."
"What did he tell you?" she asked, her eyes narrowing as her gaze fell on four men standing at the middle of the road. Vance cellphone began to ring again and Lana answered. Lucas began to speak too fast. Vance got out and stood in front of the car before she could stop him. "Lucas, slow down..." Her eyes grew wide when one of the males moved to attack. Vance dodged him, causing the male to hit the hood of the car instead, which dented on impact.
Lana rushed out of the car to help him, accidently dropping the cellphone. Within seconds, the other males held her captive as a woman appeared out of thin air, handgun grasped in her pale hand. The muzzle lit up as she pulled the trigger. Lana let out a high pitch scream that sent air blowing in every which way before flames conjured up as an act of magic.
All this time, she had tried her best to hide her gifts.
Yet, her own species had pushed her too far by threatening the life of the man she loved. All around them, the trees were consumed by unforgiving flames before frost struck her, sending her back. Those who had dared harmed her now made distance, horrified as their wounds healed.
"Impossible," Vance said, holding a hand in front of himself, which was covered in frost. "You posses more than one gift."
"How can you protect him!" The woman shouted. "He assaulted multiple women--"
"W--What?" Vance seemed astonished that someone would dare accuse him of such horrendous act. "You've all grown mad!"
"Vance, don't deny it!" The woman broke distance and shoved him back. "My sister told the council what you did to her! You don't deserve to breathe another second!" She aimed the weapon at his head, but before she could pull the trigger and end his existence, Lana rushed to her side and grasped her wrist, using her gift to calm her heart, the agony within.
"Please, calm down...I know the pain you must feel--"
The woman galred at Lana. "You have no idea how I feel."
Lana hesitated. "For years, I was haunted by the memory of my assault...to only find out hours ago that it was all an imprinted illusion in my brain...Please...Let's talk."
"You can make him confess." The woman was at the verge of tears. "Read his heart."
Lana glanced at Vance and without hesitation, he offered her his hand. "Are you guilty of the crime your accused off, Vance?"
"No."
Lana met the woman's gaze. "He's telling the truth."
The woman jerked away, a growl escaping her lips. "You're lying to protect him, aren't you?"
"Of course not...Why on earth would I do that?"
The woman ordered the other men to hold Lana back. Vance growled but before he could shift, the woman shot him. Lightning struck him, evoking an agonizing cry from his lips. Lana's eyes grew wide as his body fought to heal faster so that he wouldn't bleed to death.
Tears streamed down her cheeks and those holding her captive released her, presumably their hands burning at the heat emanating from her skin. At that moment, she let the wolf take over. She had been a damn fool for believing that she could ever live a mundane life. A snarl escaped her lips before her body moved on her own, the wolf spirit in full control.
In the blink of an eye, she had shoved her claws into the chests of the men who had the audacity to hold her against her will. The woman aimed the weapon at her and pulled the trigger, but before it struck Lana, the air around her flickered.
Kendra jumped through the portal and took the hit head on. Lana froze as her sister struggled to stand, the burns from the lightening healing slower than they should have. Now, the woman appeared terrified and dropped the handgun to the ground.
From the portal, followed Aaron and Jackson, who paused for a moment, obviously horrified by the image of their mate barely capable of standing. Jackson snapped. He attacked the woman, even when she begged for mercy and dropped to her knees. Aaron aided Kendra to her feet as Lana checked on Vance, who laid against the car, struggling to stay awake.
"I'm sorry--"
Lana shook her head, hearing Aaron demand Jack stopped his brutal assault, but those blackened eyes meant this was the wolf punishing the she-wolf for daring hurt his mate. It was astounding that Aaron didn't lose it as well. Jackson finally stopped, letting out a frightening snarl before aiding Aaron with Kendra.
"Don't talk---" She wept now. "You need to reserve your energy."
He took hold of her hand and their gazes met. "She told me she would turn...that she would turn everyone against me...if I didn't stay away from you...I know who did this to you...I know now." When his eyes fluttered closed, her heart shattered into a million pieces. She cried out as tears flooded down her warm cheeks.
Not wasting time, they walked into a portal that lead into the pack house. Within seconds, Kendra and Vance had been taken down to the infirmary. They waited for the doctor to tell them anything, but it was taking too long. Lana sat on the furthest chair, staring into the distance. When Ann walked into the waiting area she hugged Jack, then Aaron, telling them that everything would be okay. Kendra and Vance were fighters and would get through this, but Lana had doubts. She had never seen both of them struggle to heal.
At the thought of losing them, she let out a low sob. Ann hugged her tight just as her mother walked in, looking broken. Lana fought back tears at the guilt in Jack's voice as he apologized over and over to her mother. "I shouldn't have let her go first."
Her mother placed a hand on his shoulder, clearly fighting back tears. "This isn't your fault...Kendra is a fighter...I know that she will recover from this." Her mother came to her as Ann pulled away and embraced her. "They both will."
Minutes turned into hours.
Lana, Aaron and Jackson did not move from the waiting area. Even when their families tried to convince them that they needed to rest and eat. Catherine came with Eliot and brought them food, but it seemed just like Lana, Aaron and Jack had no appetite.
When the doctor finally came to speak to them, Lana was too afraid to even move an inch.
"I have done all I can to help both of them heal...The fact that they are still alive is unremarkable." He paused. "I'm sorry, but I fear we must brace ourselves for the worse."
Lana sat back down, fighting back tears. Jack slammed his fist against the wall, creating a hole, whilst Aaron remained frozen, pain evident in his bright blue eyes.
"I'm going to kill them all." Jack's voice was filled with hatred.
"That would gain us nothing," Lana said, her voice trembling. "They attacked us because they claimed that Vance assaulted a woman, but I used my gift on him. He didn't...Still, they didn't believe me." She ran her quivering hands through her hair. "I thought I was assaulted long ago as well."
Both their gazes fell upon her now.
"That's why I didn't want to return...because I knew I would have to deal with seeing the face of my attacker every day---I'm so sorry. I should have said something, but...I felt ashamed. I always thought that it was my fault--but then, I found out it was a lie. A memory implanted in me by someone."
Aaron stepped closer and pulled her into a hug. She knew she was babbling because she was overwhelmed by everything. Even though she fought not to, she wept, letting all of the pain out.
Fearing the worse, the doctor actually gave them all permission to see Kendra and Vance. Lana's heart broke into a thousand pieces at the sight of her sister, looking more dead than alive.
Aaron stood frozen for a moment beside her whilst Jack stepped closer, taking her hand in his. At a immense power emanating from Aaron, Lana glanced at him to see his piercing blue eyes reveal a turmoil within that he obviously tried hard to hide.
At a gasp, Lana's eyes snapped toward Kendra, who now stared at the ceiling with wide eyes. She rushed to her sister's side and wrapped her arms around her, presumably pushing Jack aside. "I'm so sorry." She was weeping now. "This is all my fault."
Kendra pulled back and their gazes met. "Lana—"
Lana interjected. "Don't you dare say it wasn't—If I would have listen and returned home, this wouldn't have happened. I'm so sorry." She hugged her sister again, thanking the moon goddess for the miracle.
Wanting to give her sister privacy with her mates--And desperately wanting to see Vance--Lana left the room and headed down the hall, pausing when a nurse bumped into her, head low. Lana glanced over her shoulder at her, her chest tightening at the sense of something being amiss.
She gave a step to follow the nurse but someone grasped her wrist. Seconds later, she came face to face with Lucas who truly appeared concerned for Vance. "What are you doing here?"
After she glanced at his hand, hating the sparks, he reluctantly let it go. "Vance is my friend...Why would you--"
"I recall you wanting me to stay away from him---you threatened--"
"I'll admit that I was a jealous jerk---I still I am, but in the end, Vance and I have become close friends...I care about him."
"So you would step aside so that we can be together?" she asked. "No challenge?" Wolves would challenge each other for many ridiculous things, including the right to be with a she-wolf. The one who rose victorious would be seen as the rightful mate, having proven to be strong enough to protect the she-wolf.
"Times have changed, Lana."
She wrapped her arms around herself. "Have you spoken to the Doctor?"
"Vance is still not waking up...He doesn't look good--"
"Kendra woke up--"
"Kendra is royalty--"
"And so is Vance." She held back a sob as she placed her hands over her stomach. "There has to be something we can do to help him heal..." When Lucas pulled her into a comforting hug, surprisingly, she didn't pull away. At the moment, she welcomed the mate bond. If not, she feared she would fall into an dark abyss and be consumed by madness.
"Lana." At Ann's voice, Lana pulled away, perplexed by the accusation in her friend's eyes. Even Zane, who stood by Ann's side, did not seem happy to find her simply hugging Lucas. Lana ignored all of them and headed toward Vance's room.
At the sight of him, her heart ached. After Zane and Ann entered the room, Lana avoided eye contact. She stepped closer to Vance, taking his cold hand in hers. Fighting back tears, she finally glanced at Ann and Zane, who had remained silent all this time.
"Why don't y'all just say what you want to say?"
Zane was the one to be honest, as usual. "What's up with Lucas and you? I noticed the way he looks at you since the pack house meeting--hell, I even fucking noticed how your heat affected the bastard."
Oh, so Zane and Lucas didn't get a long."
"There is nothing between us--"
"Not what his wife is saying," Ann stated.
"So, you're both going to believe her over me?"
Ann sighed. "Of course not."
Zane fell silent as he glanced at his comrade. "Vance trusts Lucas, but I don't." Now, he glanced at Lana. "I find it odd how he was able to gain his trust so easily...How close they've become. I'm starting to believe he used Vance to find you."
Ann narrowed her eyes. "Zane, that makes no sense at all."
"Did he visit you at the apartment?" Lana's eyes grew wide as their gazes met. "He did, didn't he?"
They all fell silent when Vance moved. Lana couldn't stop her smile when his eyes opened. He sat up, obviously bewildered by the fact he was in the infirmary.
"You gave us quite a scare, brother," Zane said with a bright smile.
Vance glanced at the hand Lana held, his eyes narrowing before he pulled away. "How the hell did I get here?" He pressed a hand against his temple.
"It's my fault your here--"
"Ann, what the hell are you talking about?" Ann interjected. "This isn't your damn fault."
"It was...I was stubborn and didn't think of the pack, of how it would affect everyone if I remained in the city. Because of me, those idiots attacked us...." Her voice broke as she fought to not cry. "Because of me, they almost died."
Vance stood up, but Zane stopped him from leaving the room. "Where the hell are you going? You need to get back into that bed."
"Zane, they're accusing me of assaulting women. I have to clear my name--" He jerked away when Lana tried to grab his hand to calm him down, astonishing not only her, but also everyone else. "Why are you acting this way?"
"What are you talking about?"
"As if you cared about me."
His tone tore her heart apart. "Vance--"
"You made it pretty clear you wanted nothing with me years ago...What's with the sudden change?" Her eyes widened when he broke the distance, his eyes revealing a hatred she had never seen before. "You broke my heart, Lana."
"I did no such thing."
"Oh really?" He stepped back when Zane grabbed his forearm, telling him to calm down. "I confessed my love to you...And what did you do? You laughed and told me I was a fool to ever believe that I had a chance." Now, his hatred turned into pain as he stared at her stomach. "Get out."
When she tried to grab his hand to use her gift, he actually shoved her back with a growl. Lucas stormed into the room, holding her back. Vance grabbed him by the neck and slammed him against the wall, setting off an alarm that cast a red light down at them all.
"I thought you were my friend!"
"I am!" Lucas let out a snarl, his eyes turning amber. "What the fuck is wrong with you!"
"You're my friend?" Vance let out a humorless laugh. When Zane and Lana attempted to pull him away from Lucas, a look was all it took and unlike anything Lana had witnessed, the power of the alpha wolf actually forced them all to their knees, exposing their necks in submission. He focused his attention back at Lucas. "A friend would never do what you did."
"Lucas, they've messed with your head--"
"Messed with my head?" He laughed again. "She is pregnant with your child." Vance let him go as Lucas stared at him in utter disbelief. Ann and Zane seemed just as stunned. Lana stared into the distance, fighting back tears, recalling the nurse that had left the room. It had been an impostor...One that had messed with Vance memories and had turned him against Lucas and her.