Nicolette let out a growl as she tried to freeze the silver off of her hands and feet but nothing seemed to work. She looked down at the chains holding the silver restraints to the wall. Every time she used magic, the chains engravings showed and shined green. The chains were suppressing her magic.

"It's a wonder what my leader's power can do," Henry chuckled as he watched Nicolette test her magic on the chains. She strained against them and continued to pull on them.

The silver restraints seared Nicolette's skin and move made her arms and feet burn. "Who's your leader?"

"She'll join us soon enough," he grinned. He picked up a knife and tossed it at Nicolette's face using his werewolf strength. It clipped her check and wedged itself right next to her ear.

The burn of the silver cutting her skin made her wince. He let out a laugh as he grabbed another knife.

"You know, your parents were one of my favorite people to kill. They were so fun and feisty. Now I get to torture their all mighty and powerful daughter. This is the peak of my killing days," he laughs. Henry walked toward Nicolette. He span the knife around his finger until he caught it and held it up to Nicolette's neck.

She blacked out as she felt the knife press against her neck. She felt a tapping against the mental wall she put up between the mate bond. Nicolette tried to take it down but there was something preventing her from taking it down.

"Now, now Nicolette. If you could reach Malcom, then that would defeat the purpose of why we brought you here," an unknown voice says from the staircase behind Henry.

Henry stairs into my eyes and smirks, "she's here." Nicolette's eyes widen as she sees a familiar face walk down that stairs and turn around to face her.

"Hello darling," she smiled wickedly.

———

Royal guards and every trained wolf was sent to search every inch of Malcom's pack lands. Malcom didn't feel her presence leave the border so she still had to be on pack lands.

He slammed his hand on his deck as he tried to push against the wall between the mate bond. Malcom grabbed his coffee mug and threw it into the wall.

"So let me get this straight. When we were attacked buy the witches, Malcom was affected?" Seth asked Lucas. Lucas nodded and Seth ran his hand through his hair.

"And I remember nothing," Malcom growls. "All I know is that Nicolette got caught in the crossfire of the magic and was hurt. I would have done nothing to hurt her."

"You said you saw glimpses right?" Lucas asked him. Malcom nodded. It was like Malcom was shoved back into his own mind while the black magic took over his actions.

He managed to break out of the darkness a few times to see Nicolette. Every time, he was unaware of the damage that he'd done to her. All he knew was that they were mates and he wanted her desperately. There was never a chance to tell anyone about this black magic because Malcom couldn't even tell.

"How bad?" Malcom asked. He replayed all the short, happy moments they shared over and over. Malcom realized that there was a look of hurt every time she looked at him.

"What?" Lucas asked looking at him. Malcom sighed and turned around to look outside. The guards were scattered out throughout the woods. Nicolette's scent was always hidden so there's no way that they were going to instantly find her.

"How bad did I hurt her?" Malcom repeated without turning around. The room fell silent for a few seconds before someone finally said something.

Malcom braced himself for the answer. He knew it was bad but not to the extent that was told to him.

"You told her you didn't want her there first time the both of you met. You continued to see Morgan after you let her go. Nicolette showed back on pack lands with bruises on her. Malcom, you cheated on her on several occasions. It could have killed her if you continued," Lucas said the last part slightly above a whisper.

"M-Malcom."

Malcom's eyes widened as there was a connection between the mate bond. Nicolette sounded weak and tired.

"Nicolette, where are you," Malcom asked quickly. The link fell silent for a few seconds.

"Un-un-underground."

———

Malcom's mother.

She turned around and a wicked smile was plastered on her face. Nicolette stopped fighting the restraints and stared at her in disbelief. Her moth went dry looking at her pat Henry's back.

"Well done," she congratulated. Denali walked up to Nicolette and ran her hand down the chains. "These have held up well against your magic."

"Why?" Nicolette breathed. Denali let out a small chuckle and dismissed Henry. He nodded and smirked one last time at Nicolette before walking out of the basement.

Denali leaned against the table and crossed her arms. There's no way she could get out of this. She was Malcom's mother. Did she do this to Malcom?

"Well Nicolette, the answer is simple, you're not good enough for Malcom. You are a monster. You'd only harm the pack and not make it better. You ruined my whole plan actually. The black magic in Malcom's head wasn't supposed to leave. I could have controlled him until this pack was let to victory."

Nicolette's heart drop. Denali made her own son into her play puppet. She couldn't use magic though how did she do all of this.

"You're a bitch," Nicolette growled. Denali's face morphed into anger and she flung her hand at Nicolette.

Nicolette let out a gasp as it felt like a thousand knives were cutting into her skin. She let out a cry of pain as her throat closed off. Denali was holding her hand out and closing it into a fist blocking out all air in and out of Nicolette's lungs.

"I'm protecting my son," Denali fought back. Her eyes turned blue and Nicolette began to see stars. The loss of breath must have triggered something because she felt the wall between the bond break.

"M-Malcom."

Denali let go of her throat and a blue flame emitted from her body.

"You're going to die tonight," She laughed maniacally.

"Nicolette where are you?"

"Un-un-underground."

———

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