The Scarlet Hunter II

Chapter 4-6

Her actual eyes opened to the hospital room. A gasping and deeply breathing red headed she wolf immediately under her also jolting out of the trance. Damon was up and next to Isla in a flash, his hand on her head soothing her as she took in huge gulps of air.

"Are you done? Can you release her?" Damon growled at the vampire.

"Wait. Just wait a minute please." Valyra was still putting together what she had just experienced. The reaction to inquiring about that box wasn't just her witch magic protecting her, it was more.

"Isla," she looked down at the mostly recovered patient beneath her, "What happened?"

"I don't know. I didn't feel like I was in control after you asked, about, something." Isla was struggling and Damon was pouring a glass of water for her.

"You don't remember what I asked about?" Valyra was struggling, trying to process. Her distraction led to her falling into her vampire nature. Her face was blank, her body still, and her chest not moving with the fake breathing that keeps those around her at ease.

Isla sipped on the water Damon had poured, taking inventory of her dry mouth and wet eyes. "How long were we out for?"

"A couple hours." The stress of observing the experience was evident in Damon's dark and tired eyes.

Jax walked up and placed a hand on Valyra. "What's going on?"

"There's something more." Valyra's monotone voice evident that she was working hard on something other than talking to Jax. "If it wasn't a memory, what was that?" If it's not a memory, it must be a plan. But why so manifested into her? Why can't she face this plan she has?

"Isla," Valyra's tone and facial expression showing an interest in her appearance to the wolves around her. "Your magic didn't attack me, you did. I was asking about a box I saw you holding. It had appeared a few times throughout our session, but you kept it from me."

Isla shook her head, "I don't remember a box."

Damon was holding her hand, rubbing his thumb along the back of it. She was calming under his touch. If it's a mate bond endeavor, which it could very well be given what she went through, she would need someone Isla trusts that wouldn't aggravate her mate bond.

"I'm concerned about what that was. I don't think it'll go away. Something about it, is," she stumbled, "off." She looked down again, "But you don't trust me yet Isla, and that's understandable. What do you think about Jax joining us?"

Isla's eyes darted to Jax, who kept his facial expression plain. "How does that happen?" Isla peered back to Valyra.

"I'll bring him with me. It's actually not as difficult as you might think," she said.

"Won't his wolf magic interfere?" Isla inquired.

"Jax's wolf magic won't fight me."

Isla nodded, looking up at Jax who nodded in response and grabbed the knife and another leather strap from Valyra's bag. Damon walked over from the far side of the bed to tie the vampire and his gamma's hands together with a knife between them.

"Please don't touch Isla during this session Damon," Valyra asked of the warrior. "There's something going on and I would like for her to be focused on it and not distracted out here."

Damon looked down at Isla who gave him her approval. In the short period of time that she was conscious, he had started to calm. Any other day, Valyra would have been interested in watching this transaction between two wolves but right now she was on cusp of finding out what was causing Isla this distress.