A/N: Not Edited.

Chapter 48 - Chelsea POV

Bad things always seem to happen in clusters, its as though each one triggers the next, just as we put something together, like fixing a fallen structure, another area falls to pieces.



I had told Grant that this was by no means a vacation; we weren't here to lounge around all the time, or enjoy one another's company. It wasn't that I expected everyone to be training, searching and learning at all times of the day, that wouldn't be realistic, we'd all be burnt out by the time it came to return home.



All I wanted was progress... to look from when we arrived to each day and see a bit of growth, in whatever form it was made. That was going to happen, but first I had to deal with what was occuring now, taking this small setback, and turning into a learning opportunity.



Marx's intense gaze flickered back and forth from the ground to mine, each time looking away since he was the less dominant wolf between the two of us.



What do you want to do Chelsea? Gabriel asked. Something isn't right; I agree with you on that front, I just can't put my finger on it. I don't believe that the plan was what happened nor do we know who was involved but still, whatever Marx thinks he did, I'm sure the Elders were probably a step a head of them, Gabriel added and I truly agreed with him.



There were many sides to evaluate right now, but I felt like I should go with my gut, standing I walked over to Marx and Cami, take them with you the minute I remove my hands from them, get them changed and into new clothes, and burn these because they'll have mine and Gabriel's scent on them, I told Logan.



Keep them with my pack?



I rested against Gabriel's desk not sure, Logan had been doing so much for us, if the Elders before didn't target his pack, they would now that he was harboring something we knew they wanted. That gleam in their eyes when they saw Camilla walk out of the room, however short was brighter than the brightest Christmas tree.



Chelsea... you are keeping Rainy safe, you allowed her to come here with you and I'm grateful, I don't want to lead trouble here any more than you do, my pack will keep Marx and Camilla safe, Logan added when I took a minute to answer his question, sensing my hesitation instantly. Giving Logan and the others my back, avoiding their stares I weighed everything out, I had too.



On the one side, I had Logan bring them here because I trusted Marx and Camilla, ever since we visited and knowing that they stuck with Gabriel when I was missing? That made all the difference in how I felt overall.



I didn't want to ask since I knew the answer but maybe I had been wrong, can I read their minds at all times? Is there anyway that they could get around sharing with me what they wanted to have kept private? I waited for my third wolf's reply.



There is no way to hide their thoughts from you child, she replied and my shoulders relaxed, some of the tension left my body. When I turned around, I wasn't sure what my face resembled or gave away but Nona kissed MoonStars head, and handed her over to Cami.



It's okay, I will see them again, Nona thought, and though I didn't need the reassurance, I felt lighter knowing she saw what was going to happen, and she was also making it easier on me. Marx, Camilla, be still and remain where you are, I gave them a direct command, then Going to them, I placed a hand on the left and right sides of their heads.



Logan came to stand in front of them; Nona, Nonno, Greta and Zeke each stood leaving their line of sight.



Entering their memories, I go straight to the moment when they finished their convergence speech, when we were outside the door and the instant I removed my hands, their memories of us were gone as were Logan, Marx, Camilla and their daughter.



Before anyone in the room could speak, I went to the Hereafter. This time - for the first time - Jason wasn't with Mother.



"Back so soon?"



"My blood... can it bring people back?"



"Yes... Luna, however they cannot be in pieces," she said with a knowing gleam, Nonno's sister... someone knew this before... that's why - I shook my head, I would think about this later.



"So Casey, Camilla, Ethan, Andrew, Cody, Kieran and - and Grant? My eyes wide when I utter the last name, "What does this mean for Grant?" frustrated can't begin to even cover my feelings. "Why - why didn't you all tell me this would happen?"



"We needed to see your choices... there are many gifts that were pulled from the Elders before we lost track of them, we cannot give them to you blindly," I took a calming breath, unsure but still understanding.



"What does this mean for Grant?" I repeat once more, "I mean - what - okay so I give my blood to someone and it changes them this way?" Mother nods.



"To break or change the effect of my blood, they have to be dismembered?" Was this another test? I rolled my eyes at myself, of course, this was. When was something not a test?



Ignoring my thoughts she answers, "To stop the cycle of reincarnation, the heart needs to be separated from the head," I nod taking that in.



"Is this like bringing people back from the Hereafter?" With Camilla coming back did that mean that I had released unknowingly a Soulless?



"No child, those given your blood they never come here. Their body will shut down, and like yours, will come back..." Well at least that was reassuring.



"As for Grant, it is too soon to say what will happen," she said cryptically. What could there be to change or be too soon to see what was happening now that I gave him my blood? I could only see this going one way... he would never remain dead permanently unless I dismembered his body when his time came.



As we stood looking at each other her face puckered and her brows scrunched together.



Was she worried that the Elders had figured out that Marx was taken to me? That Gabriel and I were alive? There were too many possibilities as to why she was frowning.



"What?" I finally just asked point blank.



She sighed, her frown deepening, "two things, the first is your worry about Marx and Camilla. You healed her vision using your blood and while the Elders were aware of such thing occurring, I'm sure they are besides themselves wondering why they couldn't read Marx and her thoughts..." I'm sure I made some choking sound in shock, "Have you forgotten that you created an alliance with Marx? When you did this, his thoughts were protected." My eyes widened and there was a blanket of relief that I felt in hearing that.



It made more sense to me now because I was wondering how he thought for a moment that he was about to pull out a phone, send a text and wait for Logan to respond without once alerting the Elders?



Our alliance protected his thoughts. In the middle of my mini celebration - of utter relief - I remembered Mother said that there were two things and she had only mentioned one.



"What's the second thing?" her grim smile morphs into an obvious frown, "When you left the Hotel you left behind your blood." I nodded. We hadn't taken much with us, not wanting to make it appear that we had no plans to return.



"I believe there is a boy here that you need to speak with," her tone was soft, her eyes pained, unable to read her thoughts my own gut turned uncomfortably, my legs shake and feel weak.



"Follow me," she whispered and we begin walking, the white surrounding us never changes and though we move, I find it hard to find a way to measure the distance. There's no way to mark how far we go, but eventually in the distance a shape forms and the boy from the video Gabriel showed me his features are on that boy.



The closer we get, the more my dread grows. It is that boy. I see the fear as we approach, "I - I - I'm not going home?" his lip wobbles, "Am I?" in a voice so small. Mother shakes her head, his face is torn, literally battered, and his clothes are saturated, red. His clothes ragged.



A cold sweat takes over my whole body, as I try to factor down how he ended up in this state, but shying away from such horrid thoughts all at once. I had an idea how he got this way, I had seen the video, but as I looked at him, I knew that my upset stomach wasn't the main focus, how I felt was not the reason Mother brought me to this boy.



Bracing myself I entered his mind, and I was surprised to note that he doesn't seem to see the same white walls that I see, in fact there are no walls.



There's a bright blue, red and green iron colored playground, swings, and wooden picnic table near by has food laid out, his Hereafter was truly calming to him.



"You were with a man Matthew?" I used the name I knew Remy had found when we went searching for him. I waited for him to think of what happened, using his thoughts to gather images.



"My family they let him take me, we - we went to a hotel, the man he said to call him Miguel, but when we were leaving the car before we entered he said to call him dad. He said that - that if I didn't go along or tell anyone that he took me, that people back home would hurt my family. The man - he said that I just had to pretend. When we went to the room he gave me a drink, it was sugary."



Matthew rubbed his head smearing more blood along the side of his face, but again to him, that wasn't the case. He looked down, and instead of the muddy, bottoms, he saw clean blue jeans. I blinked repeated trying to prevent the tears from gathering, knowing that this wasn't about me.



"After I drank it I felt sick and we went to another room, a doctor saw me and gave me something. When the doctor left the man, Miguel he put red bags in his suit, stuffed them inside his jacket," he patted his own chest.



I gasped, my eyes widened when his words along with proof from the images in his mind, this man - Miguel Randall that was once Breton Rylarde - he had my blood, which meant the Elders had my blood.



They had my blood.



"Are you okay?" the boy asks me, his face filled with concern over my reaction. I nod at him, but that's a life. I'm just taken aback... his response to my own shocks me. I'm moved and both uneasy, but the latter feeling in my belly fades.



A nice boy like this is taken but monsters like the Elders are roaming freely?



Swallowing, I focus, "What happened next?" I bring attention back to where it is needed.



"We went up to the room and then he put the red bags in a suitcase, he said that we were going back home..." his lip wobbled and eyes were filled to the brim.



Kicking the grass, that only he saw, he looked away for a minute, "I don't remember anything after leaving... I woke up here..." he waved his arms around. There's so much helplessness in his facial expression and gestures and Mother reaches out to Matthew, holding him whispering soothing words to ease his pain and fears.



With his thoughts and images in my head, having what I needed and more, I returned to Gabriel's office. Jack, Greta, Zeke, Nonno and Nona are all still in the room waiting.



I instantly pushed all I learned to all six in the room, keeping the conversation about my blood silent however.



"They killed him?" Gabriel growled.



"His family gave him away?" Greta said her eyes wide, filled with pain, "that poor boy."



Gabriel comes pulling me to him, inhaling deeply when his nose is right at my neck. I turn my head to kiss him right over his collarbone. When I finally pull away the slight distance clears the fog his touch brings me and I go to what Philip told us.



The Elders had something on this boy's family, whatever it was they handed their child over to monsters.



"We're going to head off to bed," Greta announced when neither Gabriel nor I said anything for a while, Nonno and Nona following their lead.

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1. Your making it all very interesting. I feel theres going to be a lot going on. is it just me or are your chapter pieces getting chorter???... not complaining it's not so much that they are getting shorter. For me I try to make my chapters 3,000+ words before I post but sometimes I just don't have time in the day to type longer chapters and since I want to post every day or sometimes every other day this is the way to do it.



2. If the elders did something to track them I hope they fail and give away some precious knowledge to Chelsea. I don't want to believe Marx is not trustworthy, but I am sure the Elders planned not only the events but the possible outcomes trying to trick Logan, Chelsea and Gabriel. Using Cami was a sure fire way to get action from them. Yes, but we have to remember that Ethel is the one sending messages and she was the one there... it's was a setup... but for who?



3. Where is jamie? Havent heard of him much in this book..i mean he is chelsea's power so hw can he just disappear? Jamie hasn't disappeared... he was just there with Chelsea when she was healing Kieran.



4. My head is spinning... I re-read the first couple pf chapters thinking I read/understood it wrongly then though of reading ahead... and this happens. In all honesty I dont think Marx is bad but ehat the heck is going on? I'm getting dizzy... still a great chappie though thanks! :D Marx isn't bad, but Chelsea just has to have her guard up.



5. Can't say I blame her. I wouldn't trust anyone at this point. Goodness, my paranoia is getting ridiculous reading this story!! Great story!!!! Yeah she had to be careful, but she wasn't taking risks.



6. How long will Kieran be all 'he's bad and doesn't deserve Oakley?' it's getting repetitive. So, Kieran was kidnapped when he was about five/six years old... he's only been free for a total of like three years. He's currently fifteen years old. So for most of his life, he was tortured and berated for reasons that weren't really reasons. Besides the obvious reasons... I'm not sure why he would wake up after only two weeks and feel like everything he has been told, had beaten into him was false and that he was good. I mean there would be no point to even writing this book if I had him changing so quickly, I don't do that. I don't use plot devices without having some sort of true revelation. If that part of the story is annoying to you, just skip over it for a while. I mean really... as of now we have no idea what he did to get the higher rank? We also don't know if he was in a situation like that other boy? It's a slow burn but please give me some time to develop that part of his story.



7. How long will this story be? With what I have written and outlined it will be at least another 14 chapters. So 79 chapters and then one epilogue, so I guess that's 80 total.



8. You have so many open lines are you going to be closing them? Yes. Like one of them was closed just by something from book one when Nonno tells Gabriel what happened to his sister and how she died. After everything they ripped her to pieces... again I don't expect ppl to remember that small thing but It was important. Lol. Sorry?



9. What about Andrew since he had Chelsea's blood in his system? All that is coming up next chapter... I don't have much time this week to have longer chapters but I won't just half a$$ everything. Thank you for being patient.

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