Chapter 23

As a flurry of animal sounds echoed outside, Donna dashed to the window. Her mouth dropped open as she noticed a swarm of different shifters making their way deep into the forest. She hadn't seen anything like it in centuries. Various shifter packs gathered together.
Hurriedly she threw on some clothes. There would only be one reason that the shifters were going in that direction. It would soon be time. Trial or no trial she wasn’t about to stick around when her mother rose.

Jumping in her car and starting the engine her wheels skidded in the mud before she bounced down the uneven nature trail and onto the main road.
Skidding to a stop she cursed under her breath as three Sherman’s blocked her path. I should have just run them over her mind mocked.

“Cassidy De’Mar you do not have permission to leave town. Please make your way home and await your trail,” slamming her hands on the steering wheel she did a U-turn in the road and headed back into town.

***
Pains insulted Jenna’s head they were small and manageable at first then became stronger. Like her brain was being electrocuted time and time again. She let out a feral scream and pulled at her hair. Her foot slid off the step causing her to tumble and roll down the remaining staircase.
The pains suddenly stopped, and she found herself staring into the eyes of strangers. As she slowly lifted her head Josh and Paige took up her vision.
“Jenna? Are you okay?” Josh asked offering her his hand.
“Just fine,” she snapped and pushed his hand away, getting herself up without his aid.
“What is going on?” she demanded looking each one of them in the eyes.
“Jenna, come sit down. It is a long story,” a woman in her early thirties opened a door to her right and Jenna followed.
“Please take a seat,” the woman indicated to a white couch.
Jenna sat down and placed her hands in her lap. She fidgeted with her fingers while the rest of the people stood waiting for the woman to begin.
“Jenna, do you know who you are?” the woman asked, and Jenna scoffed. Of course, she knew who she was.
“I am Edina Fairhaven….” Jenna stood up at her words. Images flooded her mind.
“I am the protector of the queen,” she whispered sitting back down. It was like she was sharing her body with another. One who held all the answers.
“Dear you look confused,”
Jenna gave her a scornful look. She was more than confused and ran her hand through her hair.
“Jenna and the queen are the least of our problems,” they all turned to the sound of the voice.
“Jax?” Jax Josh’s double walked further into the room. He licked his lips.
“G.G.M were creating an army. When Josh busted us out, he also released that army,”
“We can handle a bunch of humans and guns,” Sam grunted.
“No Grandpa, we can’t. G.G.M infused them with our blood. The blood of a shifter and now they are out in the world,” gasps filled the room while Jenna stared on blankly. She was more and more confused by the second.
“Once the change is triggered without the proper training the animal within then will take over,” Kobe said.
“Then we must find them before it is too late,” Paige stepped out of the doorway.
“And how do you suppose we do that? It is not like we have a shifter detector,” Jax snapped.
“Then what do we do? Just sit around and wait for them to attack the town?” Paige shot back.
Jenna felt her body tingle and her pulse quicken. An electric shock ran through her veins and ended at her hand. When she looked down a fire ball sat in the palm of her hand.
In sheer panic she tossed the red ball. It hit the flowered curtains that looked like a gardener and spewed on them, and they burst into flames.
She watched them in their crazy fiery dance as the flame twirled and licked at the fabric spreading to the nearby furnishings.
The room filled up with smoke fast.
“Edina get down!” a woman shouted and when Jenna looked in the direction of the voice a woman with the same shade hair as her was engulfed in flames.
Deep hacking coughs raked Jenna’s body and she closed her eyes as her lungs erupted in pain. When she opened them, she was stood outside the burning building with no idea how she had got there.
Sirens pierced the air around them.
“We have to go,” Jax yelled. As she heard their retreating feet Jenna stayed rooted to the ground watching the flames eat away at the structure.