Chapter 2 CAPTURED

They had done something to her car while she slept. How had they found her so quickly?

The Shapechangers had to have been waiting for her. Somehow they'd picked up her trail and followed her after she'd crossed onto the reservation. They'd lured her back to the Arizona and right into their trap.

Through her terror , it dawned on Eliza that there were several sets of eyes staring at her from the darkness. These were not the eyes of Shapechangers , but the eyes of wolves - the Sinapu.

They were no more than inky silhouettes against the full moon , and although the Sinapu were in human form , a surreal light radiated from their eyes. The car doors were already locked , though she knew locked doors wouldn't stop them.

The thought had just formed when the passenger side door was ripped from its hinges. There was no time to react. She felt hands on her arms , yanking her from the car.

Screaming , Eliza struggled to free herself , but nothing she did made a difference. Their snarling rage continued. There was a sudden moment of clarity when she realized that these Sinapu were fighting the change. If they lost their human form , would they also lose any sense of humanity?

"Let me go!" she screeched , kicking wildly at her assailants. Ignoring her struggles , they pulled her across the tiny parking lot and into the desert.

Eliza stopped fighting. She had to stay calm. They hadn't torn her to shreds yet , so maybe they weren't going to kill her. The moon provided enough light that she could see the three men had no clothes.

They weren't even wearing shoes to protect their feet , but this didn't seem to faze them. These men were at home in the desert , as wild as any creatures that roamed the night. Eliza wasn't as lucky as her captors.

After walking for less than an hour , her feet were already killing her. The Sinapu continued to lead her into the wilderness. Slowly the sagebrush gave way to pines and juniper. They were heading into the mountains.

No one would find her in such a remote region. Her car would be discovered , and the Tribal Police would probably come to the conclusion that she'd been abducted , but they wouldn't have any idea where to look for her.

Even Uncle Jimmy would get it wrong.Though he was one of the best detectives on the force, he would assume she'd fallen victim to the Shapechangers. He'd never suspect the Sinapu.

The pack didn't want their alpha having any contact with Eliza. They feared she would be the downfall of the Sinapu and the Navajo people. The Sinapu had made no secret of the fact they would kill her to prevent this.

Noah couldn't know what was happening. He'd never permit it. Are you sure? Whispered the small voice in her head.

No matter what was in her heart , she had to remember he was their leader. It was his job to guard the Heart of the People. What if he saw her as a threat to that? How far would he go to fulfill his duty to the people?

Finally they stopped walking. The men were speaking amongst themselves in a language she couldn't understand. Although Eliza didn't know much of the Navajo language , she knew enough to realize the men were not speaking the language of the Diné.

Through the trees , Eliza could make out what appeared to be a small log cabin. Before she had time to wonder why they'd brought her to a cabin , they started walking again. Even viewing the cabin through the darkness , it was evident by the gray - weathered logs that the building was old.

Once inside , Eliza found it was too dark to see , but the Sinapu weren't about to go through the trouble of providing light. They didn't need it. Wolves could see just fine in the dark. Once her eyes adjusted to the dark , she could see that there was a bed in the far corner of the room. One of the men nudged her toward the bed.

"Hey! I want to talk to Noah!" Eliza yelled at their backs as they were leaving.

They didn't so much as glance over their shoulders in response. To scream would have been futile and a waste of energy. Her Sinapu captors would ignore her , and she was too isolated to be heard by anyone else.

Her current situation reminded her of Lilian , her biological mother. The Shapechangers had held her prisoner in a shack very similar to the one she was in now. She'd been forced to conceive a child, and then died giving birth.

Though indirectly , Eliza had been responsible for the death of her biological mother. Maybe there really was something evil about her. It sure seemed that the people around her met tragic endings.

First her real mother died bringing Eliza into the world , and then she'd lost her adoptive parents and best friend. Eliza had been robbed of the chance of ever knowing the woman that gave birth to her.

No one knew for sure if Lilian died from giving birth , or if the Shapechangers killed her , but Eliza vowed that someday she would find out. From before the time she was conceived , the Shapechangers had intended for Eliza to be the downfall of the alpha , which in turn would bring down the Sinapu.

If they succeeded, the Shapechangers would gain control of the Heart, and if that happened , they would become virtually unstoppable. Eliza didn't blame the Sinapu for their dislike of her. After all , she had been born for the purpose of witching the alpha , but not all had gone as planned.

The Shapechangers hadn't anticipated the emotional bond between Eliza and the Sinapu alpha. Eliza had fallen in love with Noah , regardless of the fact that their chances for a happy ever after were slim to non-existent.

Pushing thoughts of him from her mind , Eliza concentrated on finding a means of escape. She could see shadows moving outside the window. They were still out there - still guarding the only exit.

There was the option of simply opening the door and making a run for it , but she was smart enough to realize it would be wasted effort. They would run her down before she got five feet.

Exhausted , Eliza collapsed into the lumpy mattress. Though she tried to stay awake - tried to come up with some kind of escape plan , lack of sleep finally caught up with her and she drifted into a fitful slumber.