Shadow of the Eclipse

Chapter 6

Van's body went rigid as Garth stormed towards her.

"You!" He bellowed, his eyes glowed, letting her know his wolf was trying to gain control. "What did you do to my son? I should have known you were responsible! You disgusting ingrate! I'll have you- " He was cut short as several nurses and doctors stepped in his path, blocking him from reaching her.

"Sir. Please. Follow me. Your son is just this way." one nurse spoke up, a small tremble to her voice.

Garth, who towered over all of them, gave Van one last death glare before allowing himself to be lead away.

Van released a breath she didn't realize she she had been holding in. She cringed as she heard Garth let out a loud sorrowful sound.

She may have hated him to the core, but in that moment, she took pity on him. Jax was all he had. Van didn't know the details of Jax's mother's death, but she knew Garth had raised him alone since he was very young. She knew what it was like to lose everything and did not wish that on even her worst enemy. Not even Garth.

Suddenly, a sharp pain ripped through her. She doubled over, sweat forming beads on her forehead. She a pained cry escaped her lips and slammed her hand on the call button for the nurse.

The blonde from before poked her head in the doorway, and her eyes widened. She hurried away.

Van fell back on the table, clutching her abdomen and writhing in agony. What was happening? Soon, the room was filled with doctors and nurses.

"Van? Are you still with me?" she heard the blonde nurse ask, but she couldn't respond. She felt herself fading. "If you can hear me, sweetie, I'm going to place an IV." Van felt the tourniquet squeeze her arm and the sharp sting as the needle pierced her skin. She heard several doctors murmuring and strained to hear what they were saying as someone began cleaning her wound. Pain was searing through her entire body. It felt as though fire was running through her veins, burning her from the inside.

The beeping machines and panicked voices faded away as Van slipped into the darkness.

*********

"Are you sure?" Tobias looked at his Beta intently.

"Yes." Silas said firmly. "I've doubled the patrols around the entire perimeter. We have one prisoner awaiting questioning."

Tobias rubbed his forehead. He knew other packs had been experiencing a rise in rogue attacks, but none of them had described anything like this.

"And what of Jax? Will the boy live?" he turned to look out the large window, with heavy crimson curtains draped on each side, that overlooked the gardens. Tobias had his office moved here when he assumed the role of Alpha. The gardens were his mate's favorite place, and he enjoyed catching glimpses of her over the years playing with their son while he was stuck tending to pack matters.

"We are still awaiting a report from the infirmary. " Silas replied. He wondered why he had not yet heard from Van. He knew she would be eager to tell him he had overreacted and reiterate her point about him coddling her.

Suddenly, a loud knock sounded at the door.

"Come in!" Tobias called. The heavy oak structure quickly opened, and River stepped in.

"Father." He nodded at Tobias. "Beta Silas." He nodded again respectfully. "You both need to come with me." River insisted, motioning for them to follow. Silas and Tobias exchanged concerned looks before walking out behind him.

******

"She's escaped! After her!" The angry shouts pierced the stillness of the night. Van didn't look back. She ran as fast as her feet could carry her. Her body screamed in pain with each step. This evening's beating had left her badly injured. But she couldn't stop. Her heart pounded in her ears, and her lungs felt like the might explode.

This was her only chance at freedom. Freedom or certain death.

'I must break you down to nothing, my pet.' The words played in her mind. 'Then I can remake you into the perfect weapon.' That sinister smile haunted her.

She didn't know how long she had been running, but she was sure it wouldn't be long before they caught up to her. She was only a child and could not shift.

Her bare foot collided with a large stone, and she yelped as she crashed to the ground. Footsteps thundered towards. She scrambled to her feet just as a large hand gripped her wrist.

"Thought you could get away, huh? How pathetic." the man chuckled. She recognized him as one of the guards. He tugged her behind him back in the direction of the hell house, as she had mentally dubbed it. She struggled against him, but his grip only tightened. In a last-ditch attempt to free herself, she bit down as hard as she could on his hand. Warm blood trickled into her mouth.

"s**t!" He yelled as he released his hold on her. She darted away from him, ignoring the pain in her foot. Suddenly, she heard the sound of rushing water. She pushed through the bushes in front of her to see a river blocking her path.

Tears filled her eyes. Hope began to fade. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a fallen tree. It stretched across the river and reached the other bank. She raced towards it and climbed atop. The water crashed into it, making the tree rock. Her footing was unsteady. She held her arms out to help her balance as she carefully maneuvered across. She was just about midway when the tree lurched, causing her to slip. She fell onto the trunk and her head connected painfully with the bark. She frantically grasped the tree and held on with all of her might. At the edge of the water, she saw the man with the bloodied hand. He was violently kicking the base of the giant tree that rested on the shore. With one final blow, it came free, his eyes locked with hers and his lips curled. As the log was swept away in the current, she lost her grip and was pulled under the water. She couldn't swim, though she still struggled to try and reach the surface. Her body begged for oxygen that she could not give it. Just then, her head crashed against a boulder, and everything went dark.

******

Van gasped for air and tried to sit up quickly, but the pain in her abdomen caused her to fall back.

"Hey. Van. It's OK. It's OK. " She heard River's soothing voice, and she slowly opened her eyes, blinking against the harsh hospital lights. She looked around. River stood on her right side. He placed his hand on her shoulder. Rei sat on her left, gripping the bed rail. She grabbed Van's hand and squeezed it.

"What happened?" She looked up at River. He sighed and gestured to her stomach.

"You were poisoned. Somehow, during the fight, it was introduced through your wound." His blue eyes were soft as they searched hers for a reaction. A knock sounded at the door, and a doctor stepped in. He wore a typical white coat. His eyes were heavy with dark bags underneath, and he had stubble sprouting from his face, suggesting he had not been home in some time.

"Hello miss, I am Doctor Roberts." He looked around the room at River and Rei. "If I may ask for your guests to step out so we can speak..."

"No." Van cut him off. "I want them to stay." She said firmly. Dr. Roberts nodded.

"My dear, you have been unconscious for 24 hours. We determined that you were poisoned. It was likely introduced through your abdomen." He paused for any questions. When there none he continued. "Unfortunately, it was not a poison we were familiar with. We sent samples of your blood to a lab for testing. They uncovered that this particular compound is a potent mixture of Aconite and Mandragora. While we are familiar with Aconite and its ability to weaken any shifter and slow healing on its own, this particular blend is..." He trailed off. His voice was mixed with fear and a hint of awe. "We don't know the full scope of its capabilities yet. However, thankfully, you only received a small amount, any more, and it would have been lethal. Had it been introduced directly into your bloodstream and not just through your skin -" He gave her a small apologetic smile. " You are responding well to treatment, and your wound has begun its regeneration. However, you may need some extra downtime to allow it to fully heal. " he turned to leave. "Let me know if there is anything you need. I will have the nurse come by shortly to check your vitals, and then we can discuss discharge."

"Thank you." Van said as he left. She was still trying to process all of the information she had just received. Rei leaped up and wrapped her arms around Van's neck.

"I'm so glad you're ok." her voice was full of relief. She pulled away, and Van saw tears glistening in her friend’s eyes.

"You can't get rid of me that easy." Van smirked. She looked at River. "So how pissed is Silas?" She asked as she tenderly sat up. Silas was not going to let her live this down.

River chuckled. "Let's just say that prisoner is not having a good time."