“Have at her,” Marita said softly. “Make it slow.”

Fire erupted along her arms and legs, the flames licking her skin, the agonizing pain of her crackling flesh like nothing she had ever experienced before. Caia screamed in release, tears streaking her face, the vomit-inducing smell clogging her nostrils. And then the water began to fill her lungs and she couldn’t breathe, couldn’t scream from either pain but only writhe in unimaginable torture. Oh goddess, she couldn’t think. She needed to think!

“CAIA!” she heard Jaeden distantly and her heart almost stopped. No! She wouldn’t be stupid enough to come down here! She twisted in effort to catch sight of her friend and then watched her in utter amazement. Jaeden stood like an amazon, rage mottling her pretty features. Before Marita and the magiks even had time to blink they were thrown back by Jaeden’s telekinesis. And she threw them good! Their magik ceased to attack Caia as they themselves collided with hurricane force against the containment center entry doors, buckling the metal. And before they could even get to their feet, five lykans shot out of the elevator, their muzzles pulled back, some covered with blood and gore.

They looked ferocious and feral… and ready to rip Marita apart. With a howl from the leader, who Caia joyously recognized as Phoebe, they tore after the magiks. Marita’s eyes widened in shock as Phoebe headed directly for her. But the lykan never even got within an inch of her when, with one last look of determined retribution, Marita disappeared before their eyes. Three of the other magiks followed her, but two of the females weren’t quick enough and the lykans converged on them as a pack.

“Caia!” Jaeden ran to her as she tried to get up. Jae grabbed her arm and the pain set off another stream of screams and curses.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry… oh gods look what they’ve done. Oh, Cy…” her eyes swept over her helplessly.

Jeez, she must look a mess, she thought wearily.

“It’s OK,” Caia croaked, her throat rough from its recent asphyxiation. “Just give me a minute.” One of the lykans parted from the pack, her fur a beautiful raven black. She was a smaller version of Lucien in wolf form except for the streak of silver that ran from between her eyes to the tip of her black shiny nose. She whined as she approached Caia and stopped to nuzzle her face before licking her cheek.

“I’m OK.” Caia stroked the lykan’s head. “I’m OK, Irini. Really. Thanks for the help.”

The bing of the elevator doors startled them all and they spun around to face the next enemy, Jaeden’s hand braced in front of her, ready to utilize her telekinesis once more. A surge of pride ran through Caia. Jae was really getting good at controlling her powers. Her pulse slowed when Reuben stepped out, followed by Vanne and a couple of the Council members families. Reuben’s eyes narrowed as he took in the scene and then darkened on Caia’s near prone form with a menacing disquiet. He strode towards her, brushing past Jaeden rudely. “What happened?” he asked softly as he dropped onto his haunches beside her, his eyes taking in all her injuries.

“I’m fine.” She shook him off, unnerved by his concern. “I just need a minute.”

He nodded tautly and stood up to face Jaeden. Caia couldn’t see his expression, but Jaeden tensed so it couldn’t be good.

“Where were you?” he almost whispered his voice was so low with anger.

Jae’s jaw dropped. “Where was I-”

“Hey!” Caia yelled weakly at him. “It’s not her fault. I shoved her back in the elevator and stupidly took on Marita and the others by myself.”

The vampyre rolled his eyes at her. “You know acting the hero is going to get you killed.”

Annoyed at his proprietary tone Caia drew up all her energy and stretched onto all fours. She curled her lip up at him. “Don’t worry, vampyre, I’m not going to get myself killed and ruin all your plans.”

“Caia-”

But she wasn’t listening to him anymore. She pushed the change and a flow of beautiful warm energy rushed through her body, soothing all her aches and pains. She gave a bark of jagged pain as she felt a rib seal back into place: woof, she hadn’t even known one had cracked. As her muzzle grew out from her nose and her head morphed into wolf, her ears kicking back with the shock of how fast it was, Caia felt a new tooth grow in where the other had come out. Her wolf eyes watered a little but she was reassured by the fact that she wouldn’t have to glamour a new tooth and that her burns and blisters would be healed enough to merely leave her with red marks. Her skin would be a little sensitive but at least it wouldn’t be in agony. When she was sure her wolf had healed her as much as it could, Caia changed back, magikally clothing herself in well-worn jeans and a black t-shirt. Jaeden was by her side in an instant helping her to her feet.

“You OK?” she asked anxiously.

Caia could curse Reuben for making the girl feel bad. “I’m good, thanks.” She turned to her waiting comrades and then glanced at the containment center door. Lucien was right on the other side. Her heart flipped at the thought of seeing him. Goddess, it had felt like forever. “Let’s just get everyone out.”

Vanne strode by the lykans who were still standing around their kills. He threw the magiks a quick glance and seemed to shake his head in pity, muttering under his breath. Even from a distance Caia could make out the words with her lykan ears. She wouldn’t repeat them. They were kind of foul… something about Marita and Hades… with a lot of ‘bad’ words thrown in. He ripped the containment center door near off its hinges and Caia rushed to follow him in.

She was so distracted by the thought of finding Lucien she was barely aware of Vanne’s heartfelt curse before he ducked down in front of her. She soon realized why: he was avoiding the huge lykan that flew at him. Instead it landed square on Caia’s chest sending her crashing into Jaeden who had been right on her heels. Jaeden stumbled and fell to the floor taking Caia and the lykan with her. Caia ducked the lykan’s ferocious wide jaws as it lunged for her face and then screamed in agony as its teeth clamped around her shoulder and tore into her skin. She felt it tear through muscle and bone and the nausea sent her head lolling back, black spots floating in front of her eyes. Just as suddenly the wolf’s teeth were gone and its heavy weight collapsed fully on her. A warm, thick liquid soaked her stomach and ran down her hips and legs. She blinked, trying to clear her eyes.

“Cy? Cy, you OK?”

Was that Jaeden? She felt a tangle of limbs underneath her moving and her vision cleared. Jaeden’s blade was lodged deeply into the lykan’s belly as it lay across her. It wasn’t dead. It was whining and trying to move, snarling and snapping at Caia’s face. She thanked the gods it couldn’t reach. Before she could begin to panic at the thought of getting out from under it without being torn into again, its weight was lifted off of her.

Reuben. Her eyes widened in awe even as her shoulder flamed in agony. Reuben held the wolf with one hand clamped around its thick neck, his lips drawn back in a matching snarl, his fangs the only thing she could see. And then he squeezed, and the most horrific crunching, squishing sound could be heard as he crushed its neck in his bare hand. Its whole body went limp and Reuben promptly let the dead beast drop to the ground. Once the initial shock of seeing what she’d just witnessed wore off, Caia tried to move so Jae could get out from under her.

“ARRRGGGH!” she screamed and followed it by growls and whines. Her shoulder felt like it was about to detach from her body.

“Ssh, ssh, Cy,” Jae whispered in her ear. “Don’t move… oh Gaia… don’t move. Your shoulder, crap-”

“Jaeden, please refrain from making her panic,” Reuben snapped and moved around to the back of them. “I’m going to slide you gently out from under Caia. Before I do so, are you hurt?”

“Like you give a crap.”

“Jaeden!” he warned.

“No! I’m fine, alright, I’m fine. Just… help.”

Tears streamed down Caia’s cheeks as her shoulder throbbed with each movement underneath her but she was proud of herself for not screaming out loud again. That was until Jaeden’s feet slid out from under her and Caia hit the ground with a jolt. The blinding white agony induced an earth shattering scream.

“CAIA!” The roar of rage came from Lucien.

“Oh gods,” she whimpered. “Someone better go tell him I’m alright.”

Suddenly Jaeden’s face hovered over her. It was ashen as she glanced from her own face to her wound. “Vanne’s doing that. He fought the magik who runs the center. It wasn’t much of a fight. He’s got her unlocking the Council members and then they’ll get Lucien and Ryder out.”

The thought of Lucien finding her like this sent her heart thudding in panic. “No, no, no. Help me up.” She grabbed a hold of Jaeden’s collar, unthinkingly choking the girl down towards her. “He can’t see me like this. I have to change.”

Jae gently unpeeled her fingers and abruptly Caia’s panic took over at the pinched look on her face. “What?”

“Cy, you can’t change.” Jae shook her head. “There’s…” she gestured vaguely to her shoulder with a look of horror. “There’s too much damage – no don’t look!” She grabbed Caia’s chin and turned it away.

Too much damage. What the F! All of a sudden she was scared. As scared as she was the night the daemon had ripped her belly open. She felt her breathing pick up and she was sure she was about to start hyperventilating.

“Caia…” Now Jaeden looked panicked. She was immediately knocked out of the way by an irritated Reuben. He grasped Caia’s face in his cold fingers.

“Caia, look at me.” His black eyes took a hold of hers and she felt herself inextricably pulled into them. She actually felt her whole body diving languidly into those black pools and swimming right alongside him somewhere warm and sparkling. “Good, Caia. You’re going to be OK. We just need to get you bandaged up before you can change.”