Zira watched the shocked expression on Lana’s face as Lily pointed a finger at her. Was she telling the truth, Zira wondered. Was this Lana’s plan all along? Dammit! I wish I could speak to Isaiah. Zira looked around and noticed the other pack members sharing the same confused and scared expression.
“Lana, what is she talking about,” Zira asked.
Lana ignored the question. She was still in disbelief that Lily was standing in front of her. Ever since that day over six months ago, Lily was catatonia like the others. “Lily,” Lana said softly. “Please, let me take you back to the medical bay. They can help you there.”
“No,” Lily yelled. “All you…cause is pain. Just…just give it back!”
Lily screamed and ran towards Lana. Lana raised her hand and froze Lily in place. Most of the pack members ran out of the gym while Zira watched horrified. She didn’t know what to do but she knew whatever Lana was doing was hurting Lily.
“Lana, let her go,” Zira warned, and Lana stared at her with her shimmering eyes.
“Stay back, Zira. This is not your problem. This is my pack and I will handle this as I see fit.” Zira could barely hear her over the screams from Lily, and she just wanted them to stop.
“You’re hurting her,” Zira yelled back, but Lana blatantly ignored her. Lily’s screams only seemed to get louder by the minute and Zira couldn’t take it anymore. “I said stop.”
Zira charged up to Lana, who brought up her second hand to stop Zira. It didn’t seem to faze Zira as she walked through and pushed Lana’s hand out of the way. Like it was a natural movement, Zira placed her hand over Lana’s face, and everything stopped for a split second. Zira felt a weird sensation move through her body all the way to her fingertips. At the same time, she could feel her body being drained of energy.
She let go of Lana, who fell to the floor along with Lily. She looked down and noticed the crystal around her neck was glowing. What the hell, she thought. She wasn’t sure what she had just done, but by the looks on the remaining pack members’ faces, it wasn’t good. Zira fell to her knees, feeling a momentary weakness, before joining Lana on the floor in darkness.
*****
Zira woke up in a panic with Isaiah by her side.
“Hey, hey. You’re OK, you’re OK.”
Zira noticed she was back in their room. She didn’t remember how she got there but remembered everything before. Lana stole another white wolf’s power and then she touched her. Something happened. Zira didn’t know what it was, but she knew she had done something to Lana.
“Have I been down long,” she asked.
“No, just a little over an hour,” Isaiah, leaning back in his chair. She noticed him watching her and started to fidget. “Zira,” he said with his serious voice, “I want you to tell me everything that happened, even last night.”
Zira looked at him confused and was about to speak when Isaiah held up his hand. “You left the bed to go to the bathroom. That’s what you said. Almost an hour later, you climbed back into bed. So, stop leaving me out of things, especially if it concerns Arias. Ok?” Zira nodded. “Now, tell me everything.”
Zira told him everything she remembered from last night. The secret tunnel, Percy, the werewolves strapped on beds, and the book. She talked about the conversation with Lana and what Lily said about Lana taking her powers. Isaiah paced back and forth as he listened to her. She waited patiently for him when she finished talking. His face was unreadable, and it was not like she could feel anything from him. Goddess, I need to change that, Zira thought.
For now, she waited. Isaiah stopped pacing and walked right into the closet. He pulled out all their things and started to pack. Zira just watched him for a few minutes before saying anything.
“So…we’re leaving,” Zira asked.
“Seriously,” Isaiah asked, stopping only for a minute to look at her. “You just told me that Lana stole a white wolf’s power. Our son is a white wolf. Why would I stay here after hearing that, Zi? Come on. I think I’ve learned to read the crazy signs a bit early now.”
Zira couldn’t help but smile as her heart swelled. She thought she was going to have to work harder to convince him, or he was going to ask for proof. She got up and pulled him into a kiss. Isaiah wrapped his arms around her waist to pull her in close. They broke apart moments later. Isaiah tilted his head to rest against hers.
“Not that you need a reason to kiss me,” Isaiah said, “but what was that for?”
Zira laughed a little. “Just for…trusting me.”
“Well, the one time I didn’t, I almost lost the two most important people in my life,” Isaiah said, trailing a finger down the side of her face before pulling her into another kiss. “Not going to let that happen again. So, let’s hurry before anything else happens.”
Isaiah informed the rest of the crew while they finished packing. They all met in the hall near the front door and saw Councilman Faulkner having a conversation with one of the pack members. Councilman Faulkner turned to greet them.
“Ah, Alpha Isaiah, Zira.” She rolled her eyes at the way he said her name. Aside from Lana, he was the next person she would rather not see. “Attack anyone else tonight?”
“I never attacked anyone here,” Zira retorted. “I was trying to stop her from hurting her pack member.”
“That is not the story I’m hearing in the halls. I was told that Lana stopped a crazy she-wolf from attacking her and when you stepped in, Lana used her power on you. Yet, it seems you were able to knock her unconscious. They said her powers didn’t have any effect on you at all,” Councilman Faulkner said, looking over Zira with curiosity.
“Councilman Faulkner, as much as I enjoy your storytelling, we have someplace to be,” Isaiah said, stepping in front of Zira to block his view.
“Well, that might be impossible,” Councilman Faulkner said plainly.
“Why is that,” Isaiah asked. “I’m sure we can leave when we want. We’re not prisoners here, are we?”
Councilman Faulkner laughed, waving away Isaiah’s nonchalant attitude. “No, no, of course not. You can leave whenever you want.” Everyone started to move past him towards the door when he spoke again. “Just wondering how you’re going to get through that force field without Lana lowering it for you?”
Everyone stopped to look at Councilman Faulkner. They forgot about the force field they passed when they first came in, and since Lana was unconscious, they were trapped here.
“There has to be another way,” Isaiah said, and Councilman Faulkner shrugged his shoulders. “A leader will always have another plan, in case of…well, something like this.”
“Believe me, I want to leave this place as soon as possible. Been up and down these hallways asking pack members for other options,” Councilman Faulkner said. “After hearing about what happened at the training center, I think the Alpha King would be very interested in the details. Though it seems we are trapped until Lana gains consciousness.”
Everyone looked at Isaiah for what to do next. “Well, for right now, everyone should go back to their rooms. I will find Lana and see if I can help wake her up so we can get outta here.” He looked at Zed and Alistar. “Stay with them until I get back. Link me if anything happens, understand.” They both nodded. He walked over to his mother and placed a kiss on her head. “Everything is going to be fine, Mother,” Isaiah said to her.
She smiled weakly and gave a small nod before kissing him on the cheek. Zira walked up to Bella, handing a sleeping Arias over to her.
“I’m going with you,” Zira said.
“No, stay with everyone else.”
“Isaiah-”
“Zi, people already think that you attacked Lana. So, I don’t want you out in the open. I need you to be somewhere safe. I won’t be long. I promise.”
Isaiah placed a quick kiss on her lips before turning to walk down the hall. Five minutes later, Zira is video-calling him.
“Zi-”
“I just wanted to see that you were okay,” she said.
“Well, if I got into some trouble, it would be hard to do anything with this phone in my hand,” Isaiah said with a smile. “I’ll be fine.”
Zira rolled her eyes. “Just to be sure, text me every five minutes.”
“Ten,” Isaiah said and noticed how worried Zira looked. “I’ll be fine, Zi. I love you.”
“Ten minutes and I’m coming for you,” Zira said with a serious look before her face softened. “I love you too.”
He was about to end the call when Zira added, “I’m serious, Isaiah. Ten minutes or I’m going off.” He nodded and laughed at the thought of her trying to take on every member of this pack.
He hung up the phone and made his way to the medical bay. It took him a minute to remember how to get there. It was eerily quiet, but he figured it was because of the time of day. When he got closer, he noticed one of the pack members stumbling out of the door to the medical bay before falling to the floor.
“Hey.” Isaiah caught him and guided him safely to the floor.
“Don’t drink the…”
The man's eyes closed, and, for a moment, Isaiah thought he was dead, but he could hear the soft snores. He didn’t like this, and his first thought was of Arias and Zira. He had to get back to them. He got up and ran back the way he came. The moment he turned the corner he felt an electric shock run through his body and something hard hit him across the face. Isaiah hit the back wall and then fell to his knees. A large shadow loomed over him, and he looked up at the perpetrator's face. He felt a hand on his shoulder, and he quickly pushed it off while landing a solid hook into the person's face.
He could feel some adrenaline returning to him, but it was short-lived. Another electric shock rode his body until he could taste iron in his mouth. He fell to the floor, struggling to stay conscious.
“Put him to sleep already.” He heard a woman say before hearing her heels clacking on the floor. Lana, he thought, as the hand returned to his shoulder and someone said, “Sleep.”
Although he tried to fight it, his eyes felt heavy. He knew of only one person who could do this and he promised himself, when he woke up, he was going to kill Percy.