Kyle POV

Sharp pain in my chest intensifies; Skyler shouldn't have problems with managing the bullet if it weren't made with silver. 

I can't move, I want to with all my heart, but my body has shut down...

I can't lift even one finger...

I managed to shift, which helped; I'm losing less blood...

I hear a ringing sound in my head as I try so hard not to lose consciousness. I remember Celia screaming, but not only her. I think I also heard Hannah very close to me, but I'm not sure.

Right after I'd heard an explosion and it all started, I gave Carson to Danny and asked him to hide. I hope he has listened to me. I hope my son is safe. I hope that Rob is safe, Hannah is safe, and the rest of my family is safe; nothing else matters... 

I once felt like dying, but this is different. This time I feel no pain, just coldness, numbness, and hopelessness because I know I should move, and I can't do it...

Suddenly I feel somebody lifting me, and although it's difficult to stay conscious, I know it's David Nightingale. He takes me somewhere and puts me on; I think, a table?

"Danny, run around the house and open the windows in every room they threw the gas, make sure that no one is choking with their vomit," he says sharply.

Then he gently touches my chest, and I shout in pain.

"Kyle, I will be back in a moment, I promise," he says as I start panicking, I don't want to be left alone. But I have no strength to do anything.

I don't know how long he is gone, but it feels like an eternity for me, yet he comes back. He gently touches my face.

"Kyle, I have to dig the bullet out, I'm not a doctor, but I have some knowledge, and it will hurt. You must do everything not to move. You will die if I don't take it out."

He puts the belt in my mouth so I can bite at something and then lifts his knife toward my chest. And that's when my body has the strength to move again, yet I try so hard to make it impossible. I bite into the belt, trying to convince myself that this pain is not real, that I can withhold it no matter as he cuts with his knife deep into my chest.

"Stay with me, son, please stay with me," I hear him saying before the darkness consumes me.

I still feel pain when I open my eyes, trying to focus enough to understand where I am. Bed, white room, terrible pain in my chest, Rob sitting next to my bed, keeping my hand in his.

"Rob?" I ask weakly.

He jerks and looks at me; I see tears in his eyes as he kisses my hair and forehead.

"Oh Goddess, you are alright, oh Goddess," he keeps whispering.

"What happened?" I ask again.

"You were shot with a silver bullet, David Nightingale saved you by digging the bullet out, but you've lost lots of blood, and it took Skyler some time to cure you. So you were out for many hours."

"Carson and... the baby?" I feel tears in my eyes as I put my hand on my stomach.

"Carson is safe and sound; the baby is also safe. You are so strong, Kyle. You are okay."

"What happened? It was Blythe's men, but why?"

Rob takes a deep breath and doesn't stop squeezing my hand as he answers:

"Blythe was in it from the beginning, his men started the fire in the warriors' quarters, and when almost everybody went there, they attacked the packhouse releasing the poisoned gas. They shot you and Gideon, but both of you are alright. Gideon was shot in the leg, so it wasn't fatal, but he couldn't move. Danny let David Nightingale out of his room, and they managed to save everybody from poison; they recognized it because it was the hunters' poison. No one was killed, but..."

"But what?" I ask, feeling panic starting in my chest.

"They took Luna and Celia. Alpha and I were too far from being mindlinked. I managed to feel your shot, so that's why we came back to the packhouse. Gabriel threatened Hank and forced him to come with him, too, Marc and Hayden were left injured in the forest, but they are alright. It was Terry Nightingale's plan to use Gabriel to get Luna, Celia, and Hank. Kathy told us that they were also looking for her, but Luna managed to hide both her and Rosie, and they didn't have enough time to find her. My mother lied to lure Alpha out of the pack, to give them time to proceed with this plan."

I see something dark on his face as he tells me something more has happened.

"Do you know why Gabriel helped Nightingale?"

"Apparently, he had something to blackmail him, my mother didn't know what, but she.. she figured out that Luna's child is immune to silver because there was no miscarriage after she staged the poisoning of the stew. So she told that to Terry Nightingale, and that's why they took Hannah too."

"They will want to sell her baby," I say in a dead tone; I can easily imagine hundreds of werewolves wanting to get their hands on a baby immune to silver. But, for our kind, it's something almost priceless.

"She said that that's how she would have her revenge because, from the beginning, she wanted to hurt Mikkeli. She also said that they would sell Hannah too because many would want to try to breed her, so maybe they would have children immune to the silver of their own. That was when... Alpha ripped her throat out."

I close my eyes; I don't even try to imagine that I know the pain he has gotten through. I feel his sorrow through our bond, but I'm not sad that she is dead. That's not what matters right now.

Right now, hunters have Hannah, Hank, and Celia, and we have no clue where they can be. 

Hank POV

Both my arms, tied behind my back, ache. 

I have some difficulty breathing since the silver collar on my neck is wrapped really tight, burning my skin and causing pain, and the thick bag they put on my head doesn't help either. But I know I'm in the car, and we are going somewhere, somewhere really far away, since we have been riding for quite a while.

Fuck, I should have known that Blythe's open hostility isn't personal but had a deeper meaning, and yet not ever I would think that a member of Council can have anything to do with hunters, and he would be bold enough to do something like that. I wonder why. Blythe must know that he has just burned all the bridges behind him and wouldn't have done it if he hadn't been sure he could gain something from it.

Greyson is in pain because of the silver we were injected with, and even though I try not to be scared, I am. Some of Blythe's bodyguards were in the packhouse, and since Terry wanted Celia... 

I hope she is okay, but I know that's not true. The collar and silver block the communication and my ability to shift, but Celia is my marked mate, even though faintly I feel her fear through our bond, and I pray, and I pray to the Goddess to not let me lose her again.

The car finally stops, and I'm dragged out of it. Someone kicks me hard in the stomach, yet I don't try to put any resistance. I know that, at least for now, it's futile.

"I've kept my end of the bargain," I hear Gabriel saying,  and someone answers to take me inside.

They drag me inside, somewhere cold; I can smell a faint scent of rusted metal as I'm forced to the floor; they start kicking and punching me. I hear their chortle as I try to minimize the damage and cringe. There is a dull pain in my whole body as they finally stop, and I'm yanked to my feet, and my arms get tied to the chain hanging probably from the ceiling. The bag is still on my face as they leave me alone.

I fight to stay focused; they got through a lot of trouble to bring me here, so I don't doubt that someone will return soon. I try to reach Celia, but somehow, I know she must be close, yet that's all I can get. But I know she is okay because if she was in pain or life threatened situation, I would feel it.

The door creaks slightly, and someone enters; I hear firm steps on the floor as the bag is finally taken off my head, and I stay face-to-face with Terry Nightingale. His dark eyes bore holes in my face, his face is indifferent as always, but the hate I sense from him is unmistakable.

"I warned you I always get what I want," he says slowly.

"Where is Celia?"

He smirks mockingly hearing my question:

"That shouldn't bother you any longer," he says, raising his big hunting knife and coming closer.

I gulp and try to take control of my racing heart; I hope I can survive this; I must survive this. I don't hope that I won't scream. I know I was right when he sinks his blade into my stomach for the third time.

Celia POV

I puke hard and feel my stomach twisting, the pain almost unbearable. Hannah holds me tight as I try to catch my breath. I want to cry so loud, and yet it seems I can't; at least thanks to her, they didn't get my daughter.

I'm so frightened I can't stop shaking.

I only saw Kyle's wolf falling on the ground when I was dragged to the van in front of the packhouse. My captor made sure I didn't scream. I smelt the burned wood and understood that everybody was now probably focused on fire, not the packhouse.

Soon after they pushed me into the car, they also pushed Hannah, and we drove away as fast as possible. Then, they did something with her mark, put something on it which made her scream, and then put the silver collar on her.

Now we are locked in somewhere that looks like a cell but with bars made of silver, three beds, if I can call it that way, and dirty grey walls, but at least there is the bathroom.

"I don't know what's happening; my stomach hurts so much," I whisper.

She doesn't say anything, but she helps me to lie on the bed, and that's when I hear steps in a corridor, and someone gets closer to our cell. I gulp, trying hard not to panic as I see my uncle Jordan with five more men.

"So the werewolf's whores are finally where they should be," he says, entering our cell.

Hannah backs a little but doesn't stop watching him closely, my shaking only worsens, and he smirks. I remember this smile; every time he came back deranged in blood, he always had it on his face.

He reaches to grab Hannah, but she dodges and manages to hit him in the face. For sure, he hasn't seen it coming. I see fury on his face when he raises his fist and, this time, shoves her to the wall and grabs her neck.

"I hate bitches like you," he hisses. "Traitors of your own kind! Give me a firelight; we will gladly burn this mark away!"

Hannah trashes in his grip, and I see fear in her eyes as one of the men gives Jordan what he's asked for. He brings it closer to her neck, I want to do something, but one of them holds me down against the mattress.

"Have you lost your mind!" I hear a scream, and Gabriel Blythe enters the cell. "If you burn her mark away, you can kill her baby, you fucking idiot!"

Jordan snorts and lets Hannah go; she falls on the floor, panting hard and pressing her hand to her big belly.

"She's a Blackwood's bitch; both have to pay!"

"We need this baby alive, and we need her alive; I want this fucking money, and I will get that!" Gabriel snarls. He and Jordan glare at each other.

"I think you all should go" I hear a firm voice and see a man; if I remember correctly, his name is Eric." Terry made it clear that he doesn't want anyone around them. Have problems with that, talk to him. I know, wolf, what we promised to you, and you will get it, and now all of you get out."

"Don't tell me what to do!" Jordan shouts but goes quiet as I see Terry standing at the door. I haven't seen him in years; he's changed.

The guy, who was holding me, steps away from me instantly.

Terry is bigger, sadder, and more brutal. I try not to and still cringe as he steps in our direction. Jordan nods to him and leaves, taking his people along with him. Gabriel says:

"He could harm that fucking baby," he growls" We must make sure that there will be no problems. I put everything on this; both you and I have to..."

"I understand. Don't worry, you will get what was promised," Terry interrupts him in a cold voice and comes closer to me. I press myself more into the wall, my lips wobble, and the shaking of my body will probably never go away.

Gabriel leaves; Terry takes a big breath and looks at Eric.

"Bring Luna something to eat. Do you need anything else, any medication you have to take?" he looks at Hannah, who doesn't move. She is scared but better at controlling it than me.

"No, right now, I don't need anything," she says slowly, and he nods.

"There is no way you can escape from here; the collar and the wolfsbane we put on your mark were necessary to interrupt the connection with your mate. We must repeat this action every three hours; I apologize for the pain. "

They put wolfsbane on Hannah's mark to make it impossible for Mikkeli to find her. But they didn't put anything on me as if they didn't worry that Hank could locate me, which means... Oh, God, please, no...

"Where is Hank? What have you done with him?" I ask, standing. Somehow, I don't know where I suddenly got the courage. First, Terry looks at me, a little surprised, and next angry, but he composes himself:

"Luna, Eric will bring you your food. He will be checking on you every hour. Please restrain from doing anything stupid. Celia, come with me; I promise not to hurt you."