Chapter 8 - Drekia

I open my eyes to find myself in a cell in what must be the pack dungeon... kidding, pack cells. Uh, I really shouldn't be making jokes like that when I'm stuck in here. I move my body only to see the same chain that is locked around my neck is welded into the wall. I growl slightly. He's chained me up like a mutt. My own mate chained me up like a mutt. I feel my heartbreaking but I push it down allowing my mind to be at the front and center. Well, at least I didn't shift back when I was knocked out. Pfft, knocked out. I should change that to injected with mistletoe and passed out. I groan as I try to stand onto my four pitch-black paws but the mistletoe must still be running its course through my veins, as I still feel weak. Not as weak as before I passed out but still weak enough not to be able to take my full weight. I bring my back paw up and cut my side knowing that I have to get the poison out of my system as soon as possible. I whine as I cut deeper the pain affecting me more since the mistletoe is in my system.

"Diana is that you?" I hear Niyah's voice from the cell next to mine after I whine once again from the pain. She must have just woken up with the rest since I hear them shuffling about now. I then hear bones cracking and Niyah groaning telling me she is shifting back to her wolf so she can keep warm since these cells are freezing. It's me Niyah. Are the others okay? I ask not being able to hide away how worried I am feeling through our bond. A few seconds later I get her reply. Why she doesn't answer me straight away unsettles me but I ignore it.

'Everyone is okay. Everyone but you and Nathaniel is with me in this cell. Why they put us together but you two separated from us and each other is unknown to me. Eros says they took Nathaniel a while back but it's been silent' Niyah replies through our link just in case someone who shouldn't be is listening to us.

'But why take him and not me? Is Mia okay?' I ask through the link. 'We don't know but we haven't heard him scream yet and she's fine, so stop worrying about us. Diana...How did they know you were a Lycon?' Niyah asks. I shrug but then realise she can't see me, making me roll my eyes at myself.

'I don't know. But he knew. He injected me with mistletoe' I answer her wincing at the pain in my side as I move. I hear the pack growl. They are obviously listening on our link. I roll my eyes. They really shouldn't be listening to other people's conversations.

'Shit are you okay?' She asks. Before I can give her an answer a heart-wrenching scream echoes around the room. But what makes the scream even more heart-wrenching is the fact the scream is coming from someone I know all too well. Nathaniel. He's being tortured. I growl slightly wanting to go get him away from it but know I can't when the mistletoe is still in my system.

"NATHANIEL!" I hear Mia's heartbroken scream directly after and I wince. I pull at the chain around my neck but it's no use since I'm still too weak. I hate mistletoe. I try to reach out for Gia, my wolf, but something is blocking our connection to each other.

'Niyah can you contact your wolf at all?' I ask her through our link. 'No', she replies shortly and I can sense her nerves and a little tint of sadness from not being able to contact her wolf.

'Shit! Neither can I. I can't even turn back. The mistletoe and whatever else they injected into my system is stopping me from shifting back to human' I explain to her as I try to push at the block keeping me from talking to my wolf. I can feel it weakening bit by bit but it's still too strong to break down fully.

'Diana...' I hear Mia in the link and she sounds so heartbroken.

'Mia, are you okay? Nathaniel will be okay. I will get us out of this, I promise you' I tell her.

'I'm doing.... okay, I guess. What's going to happen to us? Why bring us here?' she asks me and I sigh knowing I don't have an answer to why Jaxon brought us here. I wince slightly knowing I have to tell her the truth.

'I honestly don't know Mia. I wish I knew the answers but I don't. I can sense how scared you are Mia but it will be okay. I won't allow any harm to come to you, your mate, or anyone here' I link her before then adding on, 'I don't know why but I have this feeling like I've been here before. but something tells me if I have I'm not going to like it' I tell her honestly. I hear her whimper making me wince hating that I've been the one who caused it.

I don't have a clue how long it's been since I've woken up since the darkness never gets any lighter or darker down here, so I can't tell the time but all I know is that it's been a long time. And I mean a long time. I'm bored to the point I have the urge to chew on the chain to see if that breaks it even though I know it won't. I lay on the cold concrete floor bored out of my mind. I miss Gia. My ears perk up when I hear a door unlocking and three sets of footsteps. Along with something or someone getting dragged. My hunch is someone. I feel the barrier getting thin enough to let me use my Lycon side slightly so I use my Lycon eyes. I feel my eyes turn red as the room instantly becomes lighter. My mate stands directly in front of the cell across from me and opens the door. I watch silently as two guards drag a guy in. And by the clothes, he is wearing I instantly recognise him. It's Nathaniel. I watch as the cell door is locked after the guards leave. Jaxon turns to face me and I instantly change my eyes back and lay my head back on the floor. I hear the lock on my cell door click and then it opening before I hear his voice.

"Turn on the light to the cells. I want her to see me". I roll my eyes at this. I wince and quickly blink my eyes as the lights turn on and blind me. Finally when I can see again I glare directly at who is supposed to be my mate. A growl slips past my lips as Jaxon walks forward. I stand as he takes a step closer and, unable to go against my instinct, I bare my teeth.

"Unbelievable, even with the mistletoe and silver in her system she still somehow manages to stand" a guy standing watching me from outside the cell says. I instantly recognise him as the man who injected me in the club. Must be one of his pack doctors. I smirk slightly when I feel the barrier break altogether and Gia returns to me.

'Welcome back Gia' I link with her. Goddess, I missed her.

'Good to be back Di. Good job on getting the poisons out of your body. Goddess, I missed you so much' my wolf answer as I smile sending her a missed you two quickly before shifting into my human form and taking the now loose chain off of my neck.

"How? You have silver and mistletoe in your system. You shouldn't be able to shift" the doctor says still standing outside the cell which makes me think he is scared of me. The smirk returns to my face as I tilt my head.

"If you had listened beforehand you would already have figured out that I know what it's like to be caged up meaning I have had mistletoe and silver in my system before. And because of which I have learned a few tricks to get the poison out of my body" I reply. I then look directly over at who is supposed to be my mate.

"Now, what the hell do you want?" I ask him.

"My mate" He simply answers making me scrunch my nose in disgust as I hear my few pack members, who are here, scoff at his words.

"You want me? So just because you want me you kidnap my pack" Jaxon goes to interrupt me but I hold up my hand.

"Hold on I am not finished so don't you dare interrupt me..." I then say before carrying on.

"You kidnap me and my pack. Torture my friend who is also my destined sister's mate. Which also makes him my brother. Lock me and my pack up in cells with chains. Poison all of us with silver plus mistletoe for me. All 'cause you want me since I'm your mate. Yet when we were in the clearing you never once showed any interest in me. Not buying it. I have a feeling there is more you don't want to tell me... And why does this place feel so familiar to me?" I ask the last part more to myself than anyone else.

"It should be familiar. This is where you escaped from the last time" Nathaniel groans out as he climbs onto his feet. I gasp in fright backing away.bi shake my head not wanting to accept that this is the pack that killed my parents. That my mate is alpha to this pack. That I'm in the pack that I swore to never return to under any circumstances.

"No. No. No. No. No" I say over and over again slightly panicked.

"Diana" I hear Kylian's voice piercing through the panic but it's not enough to bring me out of it.

"It can't be. My mate can't be the alpha to this pack. The pack that destroyed everything. The pack who took everyone I loved away from me" I said panicking.

"What are you talking about?" I suddenly hear Jaxon and it seems to snap something in me. Before I have time to process what I am doing I have him pinned to the wall by his neck. The look he has in his eyes seems more shocked than angry at the fact I have him pinned him to the wall. Does he still not realise that I'm stronger than him.

"You captured and tortured me and my parents for eight whole months before my parents were killed in front of my very eyes. I alone escaped thanks to Nathaniel. If it wasn't for him I would probably be dead by now. I was nine back then" I say to him surprisingly calm. I pull away from him taking a few steps back.

"That is how you knew I was a female lycon. 'Cause, you've already seen me before. Tell me what I am saying is wrong. Please" I almost beg him.

"I don't have a clue what you are on about. The first time I saw you was when you climbed down from the tree that you had been hiding in all night. Plus I realised you were a lycon when you attacked the Crystal Pack. I had never seen a wolf with markings like yours or your red eyes, so I started to research. My pack would never torture a kid so young or wolves that don't deserve it" Jaxon says as he rubs his neck. I wince. I must have squeezed his neck too hard.

"If you were nine I would have been... 13 at the time. Give or take a few months. My dad would have been running the pack at the time" Jaxon explains further. I sigh but then wince and drop to the floor as I feel my lycon pushing forward. I cry out at the pain as I try to push it back.

"Diana! Kylian what is happening?" I hear Mia ask. Oh right, the past full moons we've had, I've made sure Mia was kept out of it since I didn't want to overwhelm her.

"Oh Bullocks" I hear Eros says.

"Shit, is it a full moon tonight?" I hear Kylian ask Jaxon.

"Yeah, why?" Jaxon replies as I feel my lycon teeth break through my gums before retreating again as I push my lycon back. I hear Eros growl slightly as Kylian sighs in annoyance.

"You don't know much about Lycons do you? You need to let us out and soak chains in mistletoe and be quick about it" Eros growls out as I dig my fingers into the concrete.

"Hurry up!... I can't hold it back much longer" I call out as Eros and Kylian are let out the cell they are in and ring over to mine.

"Little Lycon, yes you can. You are stronger than you realise. Hold it back. Control it" I hear Nathaniel's soothing voice from the doorway he is leaning on. When did he get out of his cell?

"I can't... I never learned how to control my lycon. I never had anyone to show me how to do it" I reply to him as I chew on my gums. I hear quick footsteps coming directly into my cell however before I can give them my wrists, the lycon inside of me breaks free and I'm pushed to the back of my mind. I feel myself being pinned to the wall and feel my lycon trying to snap and my packmates who are pinning me to the wall. Even when I know they are doing this for my own good my lycon feels different. Faintly I hear Niyah's voice.

"Fight it Diana. Come on. Just a little longer". Feeling my Lycon retreating slightly when Niyah talks I quickly grasp for control and push my lycon back. I look up to see Jaxon and Eros carrying in chains that reek of mistletoe. I watch silently as they are chained to the wall but then I scream as they are chained around different parts of my body.

"That's it, Diana. Keep fighting it" I hear Mia as I hang loosely in the chains panting.

"It's all locked into place," Eros says as they all leave the cell.

"But as an extra protection," Kylian says as he takes the keys off of a shocked-looking guard and locking the cell door.

It's silent for a while before Jaxon breaks the silence.

"Is someone going to explain what the hell is going in with her?". I can hear the slight anger and desperation in his voice.

"Look, when you turn ten you grow into your full-grown wolf. Right?" Kylian asks Jaxon.

"Yeah. That's right but what has this got to do with Diana?" Jaxon asks making me roll my eyes. So impatient. I sigh when I feel my lycon retreating. Finally some peace.

"It has everything to do with her. On her tenth birthday, not only did her wolf grow to full strength... so did her lycon. That's when parents start teaching them how not only to control their wolf but their lycon side as well. Because of someone from this pack killing her parent, she never learned how to control them. Me and Niyah helped teach her how to control her wolf. Well me mostly since I had already gained my full growth. Niyah still had a while to go before she became fully grown. Anyways... We couldn't teach her how to control her lycon since we don't know the secret to control them. Only another lycon can teach her how" James explains to Jaxon as I watch silently. I wince as I move making the chains hit a new patch of skin.

"So why hasn't she just went and found another lycon to teach her how to control the lycon part of her?" Jaxon asks them causing me to roll my eyes.

"Because Male lycons are very territorial. They don't like other lycon's wandering into their territory. The only family will teach the younger generation. But I lost all my family that day. So now every full moon I have them chain me up with chains soaked in mistletoe so my lycon doesn't take control and go on a rampage" I then explain while hanging in the chains.

"So you are telling me that someone kidnapped you and your parents. Tortured you for eight months. And if that wasn't bad enough, killed your parents and you escaped. But you never learned what other lycons would learn" Jaxon sums it up. I'm about to answer him when the door to the outside world opens sending in a nice breeze. However, a familiar scent travels with it and I tense. It can't be. A voice I never thought I would ever have to hear again calls out.

"Jaxon, are you in here?". I gasp and struggle against the chains as I hear footsteps heading directly towards us. A man walks into view. I stiffen glaring at him trying to hide the growing fear bubbling up in my stomach. His eyes land on me and his once emotionless face turns into a smirk.

"What is this? You caught the last female lycon. Good job son" the man says and I almost choke on my own breath. Wait they are related.

"He's your father?" I ask with a whimper. Before Jaxon can answer the man speaks.

"It's nice to see you again Diana," he says and it sends a shiver down my spine. He grabs the keys out of Jaxon's hand and unlocks my cell door before walking in. He walks right over to me. I see the smirk turn into a grin as he glides his index finger on his left hand over my cheek.

"Get your hands off of her" I hear Mia and Niyah demand together making me smirk slightly. I think they can sense that I don't want him anywhere near me. That or they have snuck into my mind.

"Oh, the weakling has found her destined sisters," the man says and I roll my eyes. I wince as I move slightly causing the chains to hit a new patch of skin.

"Hold up, dad. How do you know her?" Jaxon asks. Jaxon's dad goes to answer but I beat him to it.

"Because he's the one that raped and tortured my mother. And also tortured me and my father before killing them" I answer before closing my eyes as his clawed hand wraps around my throat.

"That is true. But you little missy escaped. Of course, I found out that traitor helped you so I had him punished severely" the man says as bite my lip and try to keep my breathing under control. My eyes widen and look directly over to Jaxon as he speaks.

"You mean to say you are the one who killed a little girl's parents before she could learn how to control her lycon side. So for the past 11 years, she's had to endure being chained up so she doesn't go on a rampage. All because of you. Why?" Jaxon says just before storming over and ripping his father's hand away from my neck. Jaxon then stands in front of me, protecting me from his father. I hear the growl building in his chest. Admitting to hurting someone's mate is like handing yourself the death sentence.

"Why? Because they had power. The power I needed. Her stupid mother wouldn't give me the bite and she wouldn't give me a female pup so I had to kill them. I thought I could bring their child up as my own and make her give me the bite but she escaped. Only for my son to catch her. How did you do that son? She's been in hiding for the past eleven years" the man says as my eyes turn red.

"The mistletoe...Eros, Kylian... the mistletoe is wearing off" I manage to get out trying to push the change away. When will this moon be over? I close my eyes tightly and try to hold back the scream as they pour more of the mistletoe on the chains. Thankfully mistletoe doesn't affect me on a full moon as much as it normally does. It still weakens my lycon but it doesn't injure me as much as it would when the full moon isn't present. However, the scream rips out of my mouth even when I try to stop it. I feel my eyes shift back to my green ones from my lycon red ones. I'm quick to open them when I hear Jaxon growl.

"Power. You did it all for power. Too bad your little plan failed. Too bad you couldn't get the power you never should have known about in the first place. You killed her parents, the only family she had left. How could you?" Jaxon growls out at his father.

"Son, what has gotten into you? You were never as weak as you're being right now" his father says making me growl out at him. Insulting someone's mate in front of the other is a bad thing to do especially when the mate of the one you are insulting is a lycon. With all the research Jaxon's father has done on my species he should know this.

"I'm not being weak. She's my mate. I will always protect her since she is my mate" Jaxon says and I don't know whether to smile or frown.

"An abomination like her mated to you. I won't allow it" his father says and it has me rolling my eyes. Since when have mates ever had to have permission to be together.

"You have no power over me father. I'm the alpha of the Dark Hallow pack, not you father. You retired remember. Leave Diana alone. I made this pack as strong as it is now. My mate, she isn't an abomination. She's a lycon and a powerful one at that. she took me down dad... with one move. It's clear who has the stronger pack here dad and it's not us. I don't know who you've become anymore but I don't want you anywhere near me, Diana, her pack, or my pack. I will repeat myself, you've retired. Go back home to mother. oh and tell her what you have done or I will" Jaxon says. Jaxon's father growls over to us before turning and storming out of the cells.

Jaxon turns towards me and goes to take the chains off making my eyes widen with fright. He can't take them off. If he does my lycon is going to take control and go on a rampage.

"No don't" I whisper out weakly making him look up into my eyes before looking back at my friends who are looking over confused.

"Everone get out. Lock the door" Jaxon says as he turns around and follows them to the cell door. Thank god he isn't going to take me off the chains.

"What are you going to do?" Niyah asks as she exits the cell and turns to face me with everyone else.

"Help her control it" Jaxon replies as he locks the door behind them.

"Wait no! You can't, you will get hurt" Nathaniel says from where he is leaning against Eros who is holding him up as Nathaniel slowly heals from the beating he just received but because of the silver in his blood, his healing is much slower than it normally is.

"It's a risk I have to try," Jaxon says as he walks towards me with a determined look in his eyes.

"Jaxon, don't do this, please. I can't control it. Not even with Niyah or Mia and they are my destined sisters" I say trying to talk him out of this. However, he ignores me and pulls a chain away, and throws it across the room.

"Please, Jaxon. Don't do this" I whimper out almost begging him. But he ignores me and continues what he is doing. Soon enough the chains are all off of me. I drop to the floor before sliding into a corner and putting my head on my knees. I feel the lycon push forward and try to push it back. I don't want to lose control.

"You've always tried to fight it right?" Jaxon asks me. I nod, staying silent as I try to fight it back.

"Then don't. Maybe that's why you can't control it because you don't let it out" Jaxon says and I bite my lip as I feel my eyes continue to change between green and red.

"But if I do you could get hurt," I say looking at him as my eyes shift between red and green.

"That's my choice to make not yours... now don't fight it," he says. I sigh and bite my lip before giving in and letting my lycon forward

'Thank you, Diana. I'm sorry you have been in so much pain recently. Let me heal you' I hear in my head making me gasp. Who the hell is this. The voice is unfamiliar to me.

"What is it?" Jaxon asks edging towards me, cautiously. I shake my head confused.

"A voice. In my head. I don't know who it is. But I have a feeling it's my lycon" I answer as the mistletoe and Silver fully dissolve thanks to the voice healing me.

'That's right. i am your lycon. My name is Drekia (Dree-Kee-a). Now why were you not letting me take over?' the voice I now know is my lycon asks.

"What is she saying?" Jaxon asks and I notice the smile on his face that he can't seem to hide even though he is trying.

"Her name is Drekia and she is my lycon, she's asking why I wouldn't let her take over" I whisper out still in shock over what just happened before answering my lycon.

'I don't know. I've always thought that if we don't stop the lycon side from taking over, it will go on a rampage' I answer her chewing on my bottom lip.

'Not, neccessarily. That's only the rare cases. I'm sorry you didn't know. I'm also sorry about our parents. Anyways... Your lycon is another part of you just like your wolf. We have a shorter temper and we can be angered easily but know that i will always protect you. Always. No matter what' She says making me smile.

'Thanks, Drekia' i answer her before cutting the link between us to give her some time to rest. I feel my eyes go back to their normal green before I hear the door unlocking seconds before two bodies collide with me in a cuddle. Mia and Niyah

"Girls you're kind of squishing me," I say to them making them giggle as they pull away from me. I look up towards Jaxon who is watching us with a smile.

"Thank you, Jaxon. I never thought of just letting it happen" I say, smiling up at him.

"Lycon's are just special werewolves after all," He says making me chuckle as he shrugs his shoulders. I then see him scrunch up his eyebrows.

"You can go back to your pack if you want they are probably worried about you. And just so you know, I didn't authorise for Nathaniel to be tortured. We haven't used that in a long time. I'm going to get to the bottom of who authorised it. I have my theory but I want proof first before I do anything" Jaxon explains and I'm grateful to him. My pack will be worried about my whereabouts but they won't be showing it.

"Thank you, Jaxon. We should get back to my pack. They must be worried about us. But meet me at your border tomorrow at... noon" I say and he nods smiling. I smile back and climb onto my feet. I then walk with the rest of them out of the cells and outside, to see the sun setting. I smile and continue back in the direction of my pack. We get funny and looks of disgust from Jaxon's pack members but we ignore them. As if looks would be able to hurt anyone of us, especially me. Time to head back to my home and the one place I have always felt safe in.