When the Stars Align

Chapter 15

Grunting North said, "Fuck, what the fuck happened? Are you okay? We just got into the state of Kansas. We are on our way, Lucian. Now talk."

"They hurt Diana really bad, North," Luke whimpered through the link. "Real bad."

"What are you talking about? What did they do? And is she who we think she is?" North asked as anger and concern could be felt through the bond.

"She's our girl, North," Luke admitted. "She's been here the entire time. She is starting to dissociate to deal with the pain they put her through. She also takes the beatings for others. We have to help them all, North, they are her family now. She's," he sighed, "she's managed to form a link with all the shifters here."

There was a brief pause before North yelled, "How is that possible?!"

"Like I said, she's made them her family to deal with everything. That's the only thing that I can think of, but this last time something happened North," he paused as if he was trying to figure out if he should tell his younger brother or not.

"What?" North demanded. "What happened?"

"Just promise me that you will rescue everyone," Luke urged. "No matter what you rescue everyone here when you find us. For her."

"Of course we will," North growled, "we would anyway, you know that. Now what the hell is going on, Lucian?"

"The last time she came back she was the worst that the other shifters have ever seen her," Luke sighed mentally knowing it was better to just tell him. "She was bleeding and unresponsive. Like she was awake but there was no response. She dissociated to deal with whatever they did to her. North," Luke whimpered, "there's evidence that highly suggests...I can't even say it."

"Fucking hell!" North roared. "How is she?"

"They just tranquilized her and drug her out to clean her up to use her again," Luke admitted. "They drug her out of here not even caring that her head was banging against the cement stairs. North, they told her that her master wants her all nice and clean for him. It's been less than 12 hours since she came back from before where she dissociated. I'm scared, North."

"I know Luke," North growled, "I swear we are on our way. We're coming for you, for her, for everyone. We will find you, one way or another, I swear it."

"I know you are," Luke replied, "I am trying to gather as much information as I can but they keep us in our forms and put something in our food to weaken us. I'm eating as little as possible but still..." He sighed, "I'm going to try and volunteer next time to try and give her some sort of reprieve from what they are doing to her but I can't guarantee. This is bigger than we anticipated. Fuck, North, I just can't get over that she's been here the entire time. I don't know if she will recover from this."

"She will," North replied back quickly. "With our help and support she will. We will do whatever she needs of us but she will. We will show her how life is supposed to be. She will get the life she deserves with her father, her new family, and most importantly with us."

"We need to find her father," Luke said as he tried to remain positive but his mind kept spiraling to watching how they just casually tranquilized her then not caring one piece about her head hitting the stairs. "She's going to need him. She is really worried about him. She said she was all he had." Luke went on to tell North about everything she told him while they were playing their little game of 21 questions.

"See if she will tell you anything else about her dad and we will search for him," North promised. "How are you?"

"I'm sore but fine," Luke admitted. "Actually I want to try something. Since I have a link with her and I can link with you even though it wasn't supposed to happen I want to try and bring you in. Maybe if she can hear you too, that will help her keep being strong. She's starting to break, I'm doing what I can to give her hope but maybe with you being on the link too she will believe me more. She's scared to hope."

"Do it," North demanded. He felt something pulling in his brain, as if someone was tugging on a string or cord but when he tried to relax his brain even more that tugging was still there. He couldn't grab onto it no matter what he tried. Feeling the link to Luke he tried to push it open even more to see if that would help but it was like there was a block on it.

"Fuck, it's not working," Luke growled in North's mind. "I'm trying but it's just not attaching. I'm sorry North, I'm trying. Maybe she needs to try since it's her link."

"If she's willing to try I'll do it," North promised. "Just keep being strong. We are coming for you. We will find you, I swear it."

"I know," Luke sighed. "I'm just scared for her. She's really bad and from what I have seen, I haven't been able to find a way to escape yet."

"Luke," North said as an idea formed in his head. "Let's try something we haven't tried in a long time. Let me see through your eyes."