They had been sitting in the car for about thirty minutes and in that time, Leanna could feel the wolfsbane moving through her system, leaving burning trails in her veins. Her muscles ached and felt weak, her body hot with a fever, and she was sure she was experiencing hallucinations.
Jagger had an increasingly worried look permanently etched on his face but she was far too distracted by the bird perched on his shoulder to pay too much attention. The feathers were a wild shade of violet, fire red, blazing orange, its eyes small and golden.
"Pretty.."
"Hey, Rowena, can you see me?" Jagger's voice sounded very distant and when she looked at him his eyes were like swirls.
Can you see me?" She repeated, a bit concerned he couldn't with his eyes.
"Uh, yes, I can. But you're pupils are very dilated. How do you feel?" his question distracted her from the bird and when she looked at him, she saw Rick.
"Where's Jagger?" She whispered, his dark eyes striking fear in her core.
"Jagger's gone, sweetheart," his voice was crackly and rough and he licked his lips, a sadistic look in his eyes.
"What did you do with Jagger?!" She screamed, pressing herself against the door and attempting to open it.
She heard yelling coming from everywhere around me but all I could see was Rick. It felt as if it was just us two in the car and my chest felt tight.
"Jagger!" She could feel the sob rising in he chest and it was far too much.
"He's gone, and you're next. You didn't really think you could get away, did it? Tsk tsk tsk, poor little Luna. Far too weak. I will always find you."
She felt his hands on her throat and his eyes were filled with malice, a gruesome smile on his lips as he squeezed until she couldn't breathe. Small wheezes left her as her vision began to blur. Rick's face began to shift and then she saw Vincent.
Jagger was completely helpless as he watched Leanna panic and cry, her eyes holding such terror it looked as if someone was attempting to murder her.
"Jagger!" When she called out his name she sounded close to tears and she was pressed against the door, pulling on the handle in a futile attempt to get out.
She looked out of breath and her hands were scratching at her throat so violently they left behind trails of blood.
"What the hell is happening?!" The driver yelled back, his eyes glancing over at the panicking girl in the car.
"She's got wolfsbane in her system! Now step on the gas!" Jagger snarled and the two wolves up front responded with a growl of their own.
"Can we please just focus on the girl who is clearly not okay in the head?!" the girl in far back seat hollered over them, momentarily cutting through the hostility.
"It's not that she's messed up in the head, it's that she's been dosed with wolfsbane. A lot of it. I managed to slow the effects but they are clearing coming back now. She will die if we don't get there as soon as possible," Jagger explained, agitated.
"Why didn't you just say so?" the girl snapped.
"I did!"
The girl slid over the seat and settled herself between Leanna and Jagger. Leanna was still pressed against the door but she'd stopped crying.
"Does she at least have a name?" she asked.
"Rowena Winter."
The girl nodded and turned toward her and cleared her throat before speaking.
"Hello, Rowena. My name is Sara," she kept her tone light. "Can you hear me? Can you tell me how you're feeling?"
Leanna stopped her whispering but didn't say anything else. She was staring at Sara but looking right through her at the same time. "Rowena?" Sara inched a bit closer.
She let out a scream, her head snapping back against the glass, "No, no, no, no. He's back, he's coming for me. He's killed Jagger and he's coming!"
She dissolved into tears, her small form shaking from the force of her sobs. Jagger's eyes were wide as he watched her cry and Sara looked as shocked as she did worried.
"Wolfsbane doesn't do this," she looked at Jagger. "What else did they give her?"
"A concoction of wolfsbane and silver," Jagger nodded as he remembered.
"WHAT?! Are you an idiot? It's in her bloodstream! Do you know what that can do to a wolf? It's a miracle she isn't dead!" Sara was beyond livid.
"Well not a miracle. I gave her my blood."
All three wolves in the car froze and the look they gave him could've killed a human. They may not have known Rowena and they could sense she was rogue but if they're Alpha was allowing her entrance then she was one of them.
"You gave her your blood?" The driver asked slowly, his eyes a mixed color of orange and green.
"On whose authority?" Sara growled, her wolf fangs exposed.
"Your Alpha. It slowed the progression long enough to keep her stable and sound so I'd put those teeth away before you see a pair of real fangs," Jagger snapped icily, his eyes shifting into a crimson red.
"Ash, just drive," Sara demanded through gritted teeth. She turned her attention back to Rowena whose head was bleeding from knocking against the window. She could see the crack in the glass and shook her head.
"Caleb, I'm gonna need your help," Sara warned him.
He nodded and then she reached out, wrapping her arms around Rowena. She let out a bloodcurdling scream as Sara jerked her forward, her feet kicking the door. Caleb had his seatbelt off and when she was close, wrapped his arm around her neck, slowly applying pressure.
Her screams began to die down, her eyes fluttering every so often, foam bubbling up around her lips as she began to lose consciousness. Right before she did, Ash slammed on the breaks. Caleb slammed into the window and Sara pulled Rowena back to keep her from flying. Leanna thrashed in her arms, ripping herself free with such a force that she hit the door again.
The door was thrown open shortly after and before she could hit the ground someone caught her.
Leanna looked up, Vincent's face reemerging and disappearing, replaced by golden eyes, a strong face, a sharp jawline. The face was rigid in the most beautiful ways and when Vincent's appeared, his features were just a bit softer.
"She's fading," a voice echoed.
.
.
All she felt was pain throughout her body, her muscles aching and her joints on fire. Her vision had gone dark but she occasionally got flashes of life. A woman wearing a mask with an assortment of herbs in her hands. A healer. A young man racing behind her, carrying instruments and gauze, most likely her apprentice.
She kept seeing a strange face among them but didn't know who he was; golden eyes, a sharp jawline, a grimace on his face. In his face she occasionally saw Vincent and all she could hear were the last words he said to her.
She panicked every time she saw the man and everyone around her was freaking out. She was aware of the screams and cries but no matter how much she tried she couldn't stop.
"Turn her over."
Reality came rushing back and she could feel hands on her sides, turning her on my front. She groaned but otherwise was too weak to do anything. Cold hands gripped her shirt, pulling it up and bunching it around her shoulders.
She heard a sharp intake of air and a few growls.
"They haven't properly healed and I imagine she have an infection," a calm voice explained, the cool hands touching the marks Rick's lashes had left on her back.
She winced at the touch.
"Well, I can either drain the silver and wolfsbane by bleeding her or give her some herbs and see how she progresses," the voice spoke.
"Let's try the herbs. Draining is far too dangerous and a barbaric technique," a deep voice countered.
"Of course, Alpha. For now I will have to clean the wounds as much as I can but I can't imagine she'll like it. I'll need someone to hold her down."
"I'll do that."
Warm hands grabbed Leanna's wrists a few moments later and she felt the Alpha's cool breath against her forehead. She was bit confused by what was happening and didn't like that he was holding her down.
She wanted to move but no matter how much she tried all she got was a twitch of her fingers.
Cool liquid was poured across her back and it took her a second to register the pain. A scream ripped itself from her throat as she felt the liquid sizzle against her skin and on the cuts on her back.
"Pl-please stop," she begged them, finding the strength to tug on the hands holding her down.
"Sorry dear but it's a necessary evil," as she spoke Leanna felt another round of liquid against her skin.
The harder she screamed and fought the tighter the grip got on her wrists and eventually someone grabbed hold of her ankles.
"I know it hurts, but if you don't take this, then the next step will be to bleed the poison from your system," the Alpha's voice was low and calm as he spoke in her ear.
Leanna's response was a scream.
Sh didn't know how long she laid there, held down as the healer poured the liquid on her over and over to clear the infection. As much as she begged for it, she never lost consciousness. She remained alert and felt every inch of pain that it caused.
Her hair clung to her skin from sweat and her breathing was rough. The Alpha's grip had lessened around her wrists and though he was silent his presence was calming.
She felt too hot and her head pounded with a headache. She could feel liquid begin to drip from her nose but couldn't speak to tell them. Her throat swelled and burned.
The darkness swirled around her head and she felt distant from her body.
"She's choking on blood!"
They were harrowing words and it was the last thing Leanna heard before her mind went blank.