Chapter 7: Scream

Alexandra watched her unconscious daughter closely. Her eyes scanned over the girl's serene face, checking for any sign of life; a twitch of the eye, the difference in breath, the return of color to her cheeks. But just like the past two days, Adeline remained emotionless, unresponsive... lifeless.

"Why isn't she waking up?" Alexandra asked, frustration was evident in the way her voice rose an octave, and the way her eyes glowed.

The Luna knelt down, ignoring the growls of the wolves around her, and tucked her finger under her daughter's chin, lifting her face. Adeline's skin was clammy and ghostly pale to the touch; it were as if she had sliced open Adeline's wrist and let her bleed out. Adeline's flesh was the color of a dead corpse's, and just as cold. It was as if Adeline were dying.

"How much Wolfsbane did you inject her with?" Dillon asked as he to, knelt down by his daughter. Pressing two fingers to her throat, right on her pulse, Dillon closed his eyes. The room dropped into silence as the Alpha pair observed their daughter.

Pulling his fingers away from Adeline's neck, Dillon let out a low growl. "She has a weak pulse. Unchain her, and move her to the infirmary."

"How much was in that vial?!" Alexandra howled. Spinning around, the Luna speared Clint with her sharp gaze. The Delta appeared just as emotionless as usual, but his amber eyes began to lighten into pools of gold as Alexandra stalked forward.

"Answer me!" She demanded.

"It was a one ounce vial, Luna Manson." Clint dead-panned. Alexandra stopped right in front of the imposing wolf with her head held high and her eyes glowing. The Luna looked into the Gamma's eyes and forced her natural dominance out and onto the male. No one could refuse to submit, she wouldn't allow them, especially not when her daughter was in such a state.

Clint didn't even hesitate; he immediately dropped his gaze and bared his neck. It was a good thing that he had submitted. If he hadn't, she would've forcefully put him in his place; but to do that, she would've had to force his shift, then shift herself. It would've been a mess for Clint, because Dillon, no doubt, would aid his mate.

"Get out of my sight," Alexandra snarled. Clint nodded briefly before moving past her, but before he slipped out of the door, she stopped him. "And Clint, stay in your suite. Remember.... you are not permitted to see her." Clint bowed his head in acknowledgement, turned, then disappeared down the hall.

Turning her attention back to her daughter, Alexandra watched the shackles around Adeline's wrists release their holds. The girl immediately slumped forward, but Alexandra and Dillon were there in an instant, gathering her in their arms.

"Oh, Addy," Dillon murmured as her sweaty skin made contact with the flesh of his arms. "I am so sorry."

She knew that Dillon blamed himself for Adeline's problems, but how could she console him, when she felt the same way? As a parent, it was only natural that you blamed yourself partially for your child's issues, but most parents could help their pup in some way; Alexandra was at a loss when it came to helping her daughter. She could inject Adeline with wolfsbane and silver all she wanted, and it would control her wolf for a while, but it was never permanent. Adeline's wolf always come back with even more fury than previously; frankly, it was pissing her off.

"I got her, Alexandra." Dillon said, gently pulling Adeline's body out of her grasp. The Luna's wolf rose as her mothering instincts kicked in.

'He's our mate, and Adeline's father.' Adeline reminded her wolf. The beast was silent for a moment, but then released a growl. 'Daughter is injured. We are mother, we care for her.'

She wasn't surprised by her wolf's animalistic thinking. Alexandra, like all of the others of her kind, was part human but also wolf. Since part of her was wolf, it was normal for her to act in ways that full humans would deem strange, or even crazy. So her wolf's response wasn't surprising at all.

Alexandra's no doubt glowing eyes settled on her mates'. She was sure that Dillon could see her wolf's uneasiness because his eyes began to melt into an eery blue.

"We are helping, mate." Dillon's wolf rumbled out loud, before switching to their mate bond. 'We are helping our pup. We are not taking her from you.'

Alexandra felt her wolf pull away and retreat into the back of her mind with satisfaction. It wouldn't occur to her until much later that her wolf wasn't concerned about their mate being with Adeline, but that her wolf needed reassurance. Her wolf needed to feel in control of something.

????

Alexandra pulled a little tighter on the straps that secured Adeline's arms. The sound of leather stretching and Adeline's heartbeat were the only things she heard. It seemed as if the rest of the world had stopped as everyone held their breath. It was now or never; they were doing what they should've done from the start.

"Oracle," Everyone in the room said, their voices respectful and breathy. They were in awe.

Bowing slightly, Alexandra stepped to the side, letting the Oracle see her daughter.

"Hello, Alpha Manson," Sasha said cooly, "Luna Manson."

Alexandra nodded once as everyone parted, letting the Oracle walk up to the bed. The Luna almost smiled as a male of her pack, reached out his hand to greet the girl, but Desmond, Sasha's mate, slapped away the hand with a loud growl; it was a warning to all males. No one was to touch Sasha. No. One.

"Oh, get over yourself." She heard Sasha mutter under her breath. "He just wanted to shake hands; Geez."

Alexandra, just like everyone else in the room, held her breath as the Oracle stopped besides her daughter.

Flattening her hands, Sasha placed them in the air about three inches above Adeline's head.

"Tighten her restraints." A voice that was much too deep to be Sasha's ordered. The Oracle's hands were steady and unmoving, it were as if they were glued to that very spot of air. Alexandra's eyebrows drew together in confusion. Tighten Adeline's restraints? Weren't her restraints tight enough? Any tighter could suffocate her.

"When I enter her mind, it will hurt her, and even in her state of unconsciousness, she'll move." Sasha answered the confusion floating in the atmosphere. A low, unidentified growl seemed to shake everyone out of their bewilderment as Sasha waited.

'Stay calm, stay calm.' Alexandra repeated in her mind as the sound of cracking leather met her ears. The Luna's wolf arose immediately, with renewed energy. Squeezing her eyes shut, she pushed back her wolf, but the animal wasn't having it. 'Kill. Slaughter. Protect our pup.'

'No.' Alexandra shook her head. 'I want to kill too, but not those who are trying to help our pup.' She desperately wanted to reason with her beast, she wanted the wolf to understand that not everyone was trying to harm their pup.

"Thank you." She heard Sasha say just as the sounds stopped. Opening her eyes, Alexandra was about to make her way over to her daughter when a strong hand slipped into hers.

"It's okay." Dillon whispered in her ear. Alexandra squeezed his strong hand as he gently led her over to the Oracle and their daughter. Adeline looked so small....so dead in that hospital bed. It was a hard thing for Alexandra to wrap her head around, this very girl she was looking down on, had an uncontrollable beast and had attacked her own pack mates.

How could this be the same girl? Alexandra had wondered that countless times. How could the bubbly, smart, kind girl she had known, attack those under her?

"Are you sure?" Sasha's voice drew her from her thoughts. The Oracle was asking for Alexandra's and Dillon's permission one last time, knowing that once she would start searching their daughter's soul and mind, they would probably change their minds.

Alexandra's consent was followed by Dillons'.

Sasha nodded once before spreading her steady fingers above Adeline's head. Alexandra watched with half fascination, half horror, as the tips of the Oracle's fingers began to produce a soft, white glow.

Alexandra leaned against her mate's body for support as Sasha's fingers descended to Adeline's forehead.

The silent room was thrust into a hurricane of screams.