Chapter 61: Sixty-one.

Colt was outside when Zachary caught up with her, she was back on the driveway, about to get into her car, and he knew, he couldn't let her leave. Not like this.

"Luna, wait." He called. "Please."

Colt turned to Zachary so fast, her neck looked like it had snapped, her eyes were a mixture of hurt and rage. "Don't. Do not call me that. It evidently means nothing to anyone but you. So just stop."

"Please, Colt." Zachary persisted, reaching out to her, to put his hand on her shoulder. "He didn't mean it. He's drunk and he thinks he has lost you too. He is completely broken."

Colt almost hissed at him, before pulling away, "You mean as well as, losing his daughter? Which for the record, I wouldn't have minded, except for the lies he fed me about, you know, needing only me. Spending the past ten years looking for me. Except I guess his math is a bit off, don't you think?" Colt spat, her anger at her mate spilling out on Zachary. "I mean was anything he said to me true? I'm such an idiot." Colt said in disbelief, before screaming at top of her lungs in rage.

"Colt, I'm sorry. He is just.." Zachary began, desperate to fix things.

"Don't you dare defend him." Colt snapped, tired of hearing excuses by, or for Elijah Lupus. "His behaviour isn't your fault, or your responsibility. But if you try and justify his behaviour to me one more time, so help me, I will drop kick your ass into that bedroom to turn the party into a threesome."

Before, Zachary could respond, Colt was clutching her chest. "Ahh, what the..." was all she could say before her body started sweating profusely, and her chest constricted to the point she couldn't breathe. That's when she felt her head start to throb, and she looked straight at a worried Zachary, knowing exactly what was going on. "M.. m..my cell, o...on t..the dash." She panted out. "C..c..call M..m...Maeve, NOW!" She screamed.

Zachary grabbed the cell, and instantly turned to Colt, The code? what's the code?" he asked frantically.

Colt screamed, as she hit the floor, her legs giving way, leaving her writhing on the gravel in agony.

"Five." She breathed out. "Nine, One." She screamed again, "Zero."

Zachary, punched in the code with his shaking hands, and dialled the number listed in the contacts for Maeve, as quickly as he could. All while dropping to his knees, to try and steady the pained woman on the ground.

"Colt!" came the panicked Irish accent. "Girl, what's goin on?"

"No, this is Zachary, she said to call you. I don't understand. She's in agony. What do I do?" Zachary all but cried out.

"Fuck!" Maeve cried. "Where is her mate? What did he do? Tell me now." Maeve demanded.

"He's.. He's, well he's not available." Zachary stalled, unable to say where exactly her mate was.

"Don't fecking lie to me boy, her life is at stake! Where is Elijah?" Maeve screamed down the phone, her voice rippling with authority.

Zachary was so ashamed of his friend he struggled to find the words, but one look at Colt, had him spilling enough to let Maeve know exactly what was going on. "He is with, another. "

"Damn him. That dirty fecking, Bastard!" Maeve cursed. "Right, listen to me. He has corrupted their bond. It's messy, and dirty. Its forcing her first shift. I knew I shouldn't have let her go."

Maeve was interrupted by another ear piercing scream coming from Colt, as her body convulsed uncontrollably.

Zachary, winced before replying to Maeve, "What? But she was supposed to come back being able to shift, wasn't that why she left?"

"Aye, but the lass is soft on her mate. She spent months strengthening herself to survive a dual shift, but to trigger it she had to sacrifice her mate bond. Colt refused. She gave it up, for that disgrace of a man, who is likely going to kill her now." Maeve angrily filled Zachary in, "Because this, this isn't an unbinding ritual, that's a clean cut. This is worse, it is brutal, and jagged, he has mutilated the bond between them. I hope you have dialled nine-one-one, Beta, because this may well end her life, and she will need all the help she can get."

"Fuck!" Zachary cursed, looking down at his Luna.

"Colt told me Elijah lived near a beach, can you get a bit of her clothing to the water? I will be a couple of hours, but I am on my way." Maeve ordered.

"I can't leave her." Zachary objected.

"You must. Beta, you aren't going to save her by watching her, and call that ambulance!" Maeve instructed, hanging up the call.

"Shit!" Zachary screamed before grabbing a torn piece of Colt's shirt, and running off around the house.

-----

Two hours had passed and Colt was still in agony. Every time one bone snapped, it then settled reshaping to that of the wolf, or the wild cat, before the process would instantly begin again, only to settle into the opposing animal. Both forms vying for control, so that none of her body was able to shift into one animal at once. Her spinal column had shrunk and extended with a tail, so many times she thought it must be ready to snap permanently. While her nerves burned through her body, creating new routes just to abandon them and begin all over again.

What made it worse was knowing that Elijah was close, he could hear her torment of that there was no doubt, and all she could feel from him was the pain of their withering bond, as he ignored her, and continued to fuck that other woman.

Her skin was now bleeding profusely, as she lay writhing in the grass. She was sure she had been on the drive way. But the pain of each animal's fur pushing through her skin all at once, then retracting and swapping had left her skin in tatters and now she just didn't care. Over and over again it went on, and she endured, praying her heart would be strong enough to carry her through.

She was vaguely aware of the voices around her, and flashing lights. But the pain was so intense, she could hardly focus on any of it. At one point a gentle hand had stroked her hair, but when she screamed in increased agitation at being touched, they didn't try again.

She needed a break, water maybe, just a rest for a second to catch her breath. But it never came, the pain never stopped, the shifting process seemed never ending. This was more than excruciating it was barbaric. Her screams were noise less now, her throat so raw. But still, Colt endured.

-----

Another hour had passed, Zachary was stood with Kalvin and Isla. He had moved Colt to the lawn before they arrived. He was relieved they had been at a local hotel, with Kalvin working on the security upgrades of local schools. But, to watch your child go through this, he wished he could have spared them.

The torment in their eyes as they stood with the first responders, just waiting. All of them completely in the dark. His anger at his Alpha had escalated, at Elijah's absence, as well. But no one felt they could act on it, because they couldn't leave Colt, and what they were seeing was horrific.

The first shift was known to be extremely painful, but it lasted minutes. Colt had been in torment for over three hours now, and how she hadn't passed out he would never know. He couldn't begin to imagine the trauma of what she was experiencing.

He felt Isla and Kalvin stiffen in one another's arms where they stood, now by their daughter. His eyes flicked in the direction of theirs to see a woman. She was soaked to the skin, her white hair clinging to her body, and she was carrying the torn piece of Colt's clothing.

"Well," she said cracking her neck. "I haven't swam that fast in centuries. Colt, better make this worth the effort."

"Excuse me?" Isla said, instantly riled up at Maeve's crass tone. "Who the hell are you?"

"And, Colt was convinced you'd like me." Maeve laughed. "I knew better. I am her friend, and a shaman." Maeve winked, liking Isla's defensiveness, it was good Colt had people in her corner, she would need them. "Beta, I presume?" she said turning to Zachary.

"Y..yes." He stuttered mildly confused at how, the woman had appeared.

"Find me a shirt please, Dear. I dont think I need to be in the complete buff to help here." Maeve requested making her way to Colt.

"You cant touch her!" Isla shouted, as Kalvin held her tighter, not wanting her to attack the woman, who claimed to be able to help.

"Shhhhh." Kalvin whispered, trying to calm Isla.

"Dont you bloody shush me!" Isla snapped at him. "It hurts Colt more when touched. She can't!" Isla shouted, as she began thrashing in her mate's arms.

Maeve smiled, "You are a fierce highlander indeed, Isla. But, I will not hurt Colt. The man snoring off his drunken state is responsible for this. No, I will do all I can to make sure she survives. Ah, thank you." She said as Zachary reappeared with a hoodie and sweatpants.

Putting on the hoodie, that came down to her knees, and ignoring the pants, Maeve sat on the floor at Colt's head and began to sing. It was a haunting melody, and though no one could understand the language, the air seemed to still and become electric all at once. Crackling between them all. But, more importantly when she lay her hand on Colt's head, her writhing stilled, and the process slowed.

-----

Colt had lost track, of everything but the searing pain that was ripping through her body. She felt like she was being burned alive, while simultaneously being turned inside out. At least she could breathe now. Maeve had told her a dual shift would be harder, but never had she expected this. This was like some messed up dimension of hell, she was unfortunate enough to have slipped into - with no reprieve or exit in sight. Stuck in a never ending shift, each bone re breaking before it had even had a chance to set.

Then, it happened. About four hours from when she first hit the ground. Her bones all at once snapped into place, jet black hairs pierced her skin all at once, leaving a wolf lying, where there was once a woman.

But before, anyone could breathe a sigh of relief, or even the bloodied hair of her coat could begin to matt, it happened again.

Colt let out a pained whimper as her coat slowly receded, while being replaced by another. Her bones all broke again at once, her howl of pain becoming distorted, as her vocal chords changed shape. Her strong lupine jaw was replaced with a smaller one, more elegant and filled with needle sharp teeth. While her tail now had the thick black bands at the end, the tell tale sign of a pure undiluted Scottish Wildcat. Her chestnut brown fur, was brindled with black.

But, before she could rise to her feet, she released a deafening yowl, her bones breaking again.

Moments, later she was lying naked on the ground, struggling to breath. Maeve was looking down on her, but her smile quicky turned to a frown. Something was wrong. Very very wrong.

The pain in her chest began to increase, burning the way only ice can. Ice that felt lodged inside her chest, where her bond to Elijah normally sat.

Colt and Maeve, simultaneously turned their heads to the window of Elijah's bedroom. He hadn't come out. But Colt knew without looking he wasn't asleep anymore, she could feel exactly what he was doing, and in her weakened state, it was killing her.

Maeve shook her head, pulling Colt's attention back onto the shaman as she again struggled to breathe.

"Colt, dont you dare give up! Not now! Do you hear me?" Maeve screamed.

But, the darkness was consuming her, and the last thing she heard before her heart stopped beating altogether was Maeve, as she screamed at her.

"You are the flame, Colt. You are the flame!"

Author's Note: So I split the last 2 chapters, to get them out quicker. I hope you have enjoyed them. Chapter 62, will start off about 3 months previous, time to see what Elijah has been up to...