The Power Within

Chapter Fourteen

"No one moves." Mica's voice held no emotion. His eyes, however, were narrowed and filled with hate as he stared at us.

I raised my hands up with my palms out. "Mica, put the gun down. What do you mean the easy or the hard way?" I was so confused. Was this about the mate thing? I know he was lying, but why would he lie?

Mica pressed his lips into a thin line. "I will answer all of your questions after we get some place a little more private. Mom?" Mica called back into the house. Wait, what?! Why the hell does he need Gabby? Does she know about all of this?

"What the hell is going on? Gabby?!" I stared at her as she stepped out the front door with three pairs of handcuffs. She ignored me, and cuffed my hands behind my back. Next, she cuffed my parents' hands behind their backs as well. "I trusted you!" I yelled at her.

She took her place next to Mica. She spat on the floor next to my feet. "Do you have any idea the pain of losing a mate?! Do you?!" She screamed at me. Her green eyes were bright with unshed tears and fury. "He was murdered! Stupid, filthy humans took him from me! They killed him just because he was different. That's when I knew. I knew Malcom was right. Shifters need to be in control. If shifters had been in control, Leo would still be alive."

Mica put one arm around his mom's shoulders, and kissed her forehead. "My mom is right. Malcom's had the right plan the whole time. He just needs the most powerful shifter on the planet under his control." He waved the gun in my direction. 

My mind reeled. They told Malcom I was here! My eyes widen at the thought.

Mica smiled an evil grin. "You've figured it out, haven't you, mate?" He taunted me.

I met his gaze. "I won't let you get away with this. I will find a way to free myself, and when I do, I will come for you." I meant every word. 

He threw back his head and laughed. He pointed the gun at my chest, "oh, you stupid girl, I've already gotten away with it. Malcom is on his way here. He looks forward to seeing you. Let's get you some place safe, so you can wait for him." Mica took a needle out of his pocket. He handed it to Gabby. He kept the gun pointed at me while Gabby injected the needle into my upper arm.

"What the hell was that?"

"Just a little concoction cooked up by a witch I know. Just in case you decide to shift and try to save the day."

He gestured us to go back inside. He walked us down the hallway, and stopped at a door. Gabby opened it with a key she had in her pocket. Mica pointed the gun at my dad, "you first." He grabbed my dad's arm and pushed him down the steps. 

I heard his body hit the bottom. Mica walked over to me. He went to grab my arm. I jerked out of his reach. "I will not let you get away with this." I walked down the stairs before he could push me. I heard my mom's footsteps behind me. I reached the bottom of the steps as the door was slammed shut and locked from the outside.

I knelt beside my dad. "Dad, are you okay?"

He groaned. "Yeah, I'm alright." It took him a minute or two, but he was able to get his feet under him and stand up. He had a cut on his face that was bleeding. 

I looked around. We were some sort of cellar. The only light came from two tiny windows near the floor joists. I walked over to one of them. The window was maybe twelve inches in diameter. We wouldn't be getting out that way. I walked the entire perimeter of the cellar. No other way out. There were a few empty boxes, and some trash bags filled with clothes, nothing I could use as a weapon. 

I came over to stand next to my parents. I kept my voice low, "I'm going to try to shift. Mica could have been bluffing. I've never heard of a potion that can keep a shifter from shifting."

My parents nodded, and Dad turned around so that his back was facing me.

I closed my eyes.

Nothing. 

Nothing happened.

"Damn it." I muttered. "He wasn't bluffing." My dad gave me a small smile when he was facing me again.

"Now, what do we do?" My mom asked. 

"I'll think of something." I had to keep my parents safe. 

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I don't know how much time passed. I paced for a while, trying to come up with some plan to get us out of this disaster. I stopped, though, when I couldn't think of anything. Louisa and Mia might help, but I don't know. Maybe they were in on it too. No, Louisa is the one who gave me the book. And Mia hasn't been around. I sat on the cold concrete floor with my back against the wall. It was a little difficult to sit down with my hands behind my back. Mom followed my lead, and sat down next to me. 

More time passed. I heard the lock click and light came pouring in through the open door. 

I stood up and stepped in front of my parents as Mica came down the steps. He sneered at me, and kept the gun pointed at me the entire time. 

"See. I told you. Here she is. Safe and sound." His eyes never left mine, but I knew he wasn't talking to me.

"I'm glad you were able to keep your word." A deep voice rumbled from the top of the stairs.

I shivered, but I wasn't afraid of that voice. What the hell? Why am I reacting like this? And what is that smell? Is that divine smell coming from him?

A tall, muscular man came down the steps, slowly, as if he had all the time in the world. His dark eyes met mine, when he reached the bottom.

I gasped. Why in the hell is my enemy my mate?