Chapter 20

**Jinx Willow's P.O.V.**

Everyone stares at me after I explain what I just found.

"So," Pierce says "You're telling me that my warrior was turned into a bloodhound by a hellhound who injected him?"

"No," I say "That's not even remotely possible. By the time that Hunter was caught by your warriors, he had already shifted. He wouldn't have had time to inject your warriors with whatever is used to create these bloodhounds."

"Yeah," Pierce says "Which is what, Jinx?"

"I don't know," I say "Don't you think if I knew the answer, I'd say something, Pierce?"

"No," Pierce says "Considering you didn't tell me you were the oh so great Gaia and I'm your mate."

"Was," I say, baring my extended canines "Get it straight. And I didn't tell you I was the Gaia because my wolf said you couldn't be trusted."

"I would've protected you," Pierce says, growling lowly "You're mine."

"Oh baby," I say, laughing "You couldn't have protected me if you tried. You're what I needed protection from. Now back up."

"No," Pierce says, reaching for my waist "You're my mate, Jinx, whether you like it or not."

I growl, grabbing his arm and flipping him over Derric's desk, my hand going to his throat as I extend my canines, my eyes more than likely glowing gold. His eyes widen in absolute terror as everyone else in the room gasps.

"Do not put your hands on me without permission," I say, growling in his face "Or I'll have your head for dinner."

Pierce stares up at me, looking terrified.

"Jinx," Derric says "Calm down. Let him go."

I slowly release him and Derric's arm winds around my waist, pulling me away from Pierce and into his chest, putting distance between us.

"Relax," Derric murmurs "Stay with me."

I nod, my body stiff with anger.

"Alright," Elder Martin says "Now that that's solved, my Gaia, come here."

I pull away from Derric, heading to Elder Martin who wraps me in his arms, his wolf calming mine.

"Alright," Derric says, grabbing the papers and pinning them up "So, this is what we know."

We all stare at the giant bulletin board.

"Wow," The witch who keeps claiming Derric says "You're so smart, babe. I have such a smart mate."

She puts her hand on his arm and my wolf gets mad but Derric growls at her.

"Madelyn," Derric says "Stop disrespecting me, my mate, our Moon Goddess, our bond, and our territory. I have told you I am not your mate."

"Derric," The other witch says "May I speak with you and Jinx...privately?"

Derric looks at me and I nod, following the two from his office into a room across the hall.

"This room is soundproof," Derric says "Nobody can hear a word we say."

"Madelyn," She says "She's not been herself lately."

"How so," Derric says, crossing his arms "She seems like her to me."

"Derric," She says "Her magic is different...it's...darker. Lately, she's been getting nose bleeds or bloody tears whenever she casts a small spell when that only happens when we cast too many large spells in a twenty four hour time frame. Derric, I caught her drinking blood from a challace."

"Okay," Derric says, uncrossing his arms "She's not transitioning, is she?"

"No," She says, shaking her head "Oh, Jinx, I'm sorry, I'm completely disregarding you. My name is Jillian, I'm the High Priestess for the Black Coven. Madelyn is my sister and on her behalf, I'd like to apologize for her. Normally, she's not so..."

"Disrespectful," I say softly "Antagonizing?"

"Yes," Jillian says "She does have feelings for Derric but she has been trying to move on from them because she knows she has an other half somewhere out there in the world."

"So," I say "When did these changes start?"

"I started seeing them a week ago," Jillian says "But coven members have been coming to me about weird things that Madelyn has said or done for quite a few months, maybe since after Easter."

"So," I say "Roughly about the same time I became Gaia in April."

"Yes," Jillian says "Sometime in April."

"Derric," I say "Has her scent changed?"

"If it has," Derric says "I wasn't paying enough attention to it to notice. My attention has been on you and keeping you calm."

"You need to go and find out," I say "If her scent has changed, something is going on here in all of our world's...not just for werewolves."

Derric nods, going across the hall.

"Jinx," Jillian says "There's something I didn't say while Derric was in the room and I didn't say it because I've told him about how it normally turns out...but the signs Madelyn's displaying...they're signs of a witch using black magic. And if Madelyn is using black magic...she could flip from good to bad and wipe out every coven, clan and pack within two thousand miles in every direction."

I stare at Jillian.

"So," I say "There's nothing else it could be?"

"No," Jillian says "Not that I'm aware of. I've never seen anything like this, only similar things in witches who practiced black magic."

"Okay," I say "If we can render her unconscious, would you give us permission to do some tests on her blood?"

"Yes," Jillian says "Just...make sure my sister doesn't die. She's all I've got left."

I nod. Derric comes in.

"Her scent has changed," Derric says "So it couldn't possibly be black magic. If she were using black magic, her scent would smell almost dead like, not sweet dead like a vampire but dead like a dead body. Her scent smells like a witch but it's twisted with...I don't know."

"We need to run tests," I say "And I've already gotten Jillian's permission to do so."

"My pack doesn't have any doctors who specialize in witch DNA," Derric says "Does the Council?"

"Yeah," I say "One of my guards."

"Your guards," Jillian says "Right, you're the Gaia, the most important figure for werewolves besides the Council, of course you have guards."

"It's okay," I say "I've gotten so used to them that I've forgotten I had them, too."

Jillian smiles. We head back into the office. While Derric distracts Madelyn, I grab a hard book and swing, successfully knocking her unconscious.

"Trevor," I say "I need you to take a sample of her blood and analyze it for anything and everything. Do not tell anyone aside from me and those I permit you to tell what you find, understood?"

Trevor nods, picking up Madelyn's limp body and exiting the room.

"Wait," Maya says "How do you know he won't tell anyone?"

"He's taken a blood oath," Elder Henry says "He physically can't disobey Jinx or he will die."

Everyone stares at me in shock.