Chapter 8 Dom's POV

"Go to hell! All of you!" Reign yelled through the cell bars.

I didn't understand it. Her behavior was unusual. It wasn't making any sense. I looked over to Benji. He was staring at her and scratching his head. His glasses hung low on his nose, and his eye brows were farrowing.

"What on earth is going on here?" I asked as I watched Reign snarled and paced around the cell.

She kept shifting in and out of her Lycan.

"Beats me, your majesty. She's been like this since we made it back to the border. It took three of us to restrain her long enough to lock her in here." Benji responded.

Well there goes any chance I had at figuring out what happened to our prisoner. She was the only lead we had and now she was acting just as deranged as the witch. Whoever she came into contact with had something to do with this.

"Cyrus, could you go and grab Anastasia for me? Maybe she might know what's going on with her." He made a sour face before he bowed and left the dungeon.

'Do you think we should be exposing her to this?' Amos asked with concern.

'Well... she's a witch. She might know what kind of spell she's under, and if she does, then maybe she knows how to reverse it.' I responded.

Amos nodded in agreement. This was the only thing I could come up with at this point. I had already sent others to ask around and so far, no one knew who this mysterious friend she was supposed to help is.

I continued to watch Reign. Her pacing was a consistent pattern. Like she was in a loop. Even her movements were looped. Each time she shifted in and out was consistent as well.

As I continued to examine the pattern she was pacing, the beautiful smell of amber and vanilla filled my lungs. Amos perked up in excitement. I turned to face Cyrus and Anastasia. She looked past me and straight to Reign.

She wore a look of pure horror. I could hear her heart rate pick up speed and within seconds, she pulled away from Cyrus and took off running. I immediately took off after her.

She was much faster than I expected her to be and Amos tail wagged like crazy at the chase. She ran straight for the trees, jumping over fall out.

"Wait!" I yelled but of course, she ignored me.

I picked up speed, catching up with her. I reached out my hand to grab hold of her but she quickly dropped to the ground, catching me completely off guard. It sent me fumbling forward. I barely caught myself.

By the time I caught my balance, she was already running in a different direction. Amos was yelling for me to let him take control but I didn't want to scare her even further. Realizing the direction she was going, I slowed down. Soon enough, she would be running up on a dead end.

"There's no where else to run, little witch." I announced as I approached her.

Her eyes darted around, looking for a way around me but I left no room for one. Amos was excited from the adrenaline and it was bleeding off onto me. I couldn't help it. My Lycan was also part of me. Once she realized there was nowhere else to run, she dropped to her knees and began to beg.

"Please! I won't run again! I'll behave!" Her beautiful green eyes shined as tears began to stream down her face.

My heart ached. What could she possibly think I would do that would have her reacting in this way? It was tearing me up inside to see her like this.

'This is why you should have let me! You scared the hell out of her!' Amos growled.

"It's okay, my love. I'm not gonna hurt you." I spoke softly as I approached her.

"Then what were you planning on doing to me in that dungeon." She looked up at me with fear in her eyes.

"Nothing," I crouched down in front of her and gently wiped away a few of her tears.

"I needed your help with something. That's all." She turned her face from me, avoiding my touch.

"I'm not gonna put you in any danger, I promise." I continued, moving my hand away.

She sat for a few minutes before she spoke again.

"What did you need me to do?" She asked cautiously.

"The girl in the cell, she's not herself. I thought, with you being a witch, you might know what's going on with her." She looked up at me puzzled.

"Why would I know what's wrong with her?"

"Well, I think a witch might have made her that way." We both gazed into each other's eyes.

After a few seconds, she nodded her head and I stood up. I extended a hand to her but she ignored it and stood up on her own. That brought a smile to my lips. We walked back to the dungeon silently. I could hear her heart pick up pace again as we approached the dungeons doors.

It was clear to anyone, she wasn't fond of the place and it only made me more determined to figure it exactly what happened to her.

"Ready?" I asked as I opened the door.

She took a deep breath and nodded her head. We both walked through the doors and walked down the cell hall. Our steps echoed as we moved forward. Reign's screams filled the air, along with the sound of bones breaking and flesh ripping.

I could hear Anastasia's breathing pick up speed. I extended my hand towards hers, having a terrible urge to give her comfort but retreated. I highly doubt she would take my touch as that.

Once we reached Reign's cell, Cyrus and Benji were engulfed in conversation about different theories of how she ended up this way. I turned to my mate and my heart turned in my chest. She looked traumatized.

'We shouldn't have involved her! This is too much for her!' Amos growled.

'Would you cut it out?' I snapped back.

'How can I? She's my mate, and she's in distress.' He growled.

'She's my mate too, and I know she is. But what other choice do we have?' Amos remained quiet.

I cleared my throat, drawing the attention of Anastasia and both Benji and Cyrus.

"My love, what do you think could have her reacting in this way?" She shifted her gaze back at the cell.

Taking a deep breath, she walked over to the cell, trying to get a closer look. I stood beside her. After a few minutes, she straightened up and turned towards me.

"She's in a loop?" I nodded in agreement.

"I noticed that as well. Everything she's doing is looping in a pattern." She looked back at Reign.

Taking a step closer to the cell. Her brows knitted together. After a few moments of her carefully studying her, she took in a sharp breath.

"She's writing something!" She nearly shouted.

"What do you mean?" Benji asked as both he and Cyrus joined us at the cell.

"Look!" She pointed at Reigns feet.

"The pattern she's looping. It's a sigil. An old one." She now had the attention of us all.

"I've read about it in study. It's used during war to keep one from talking. Only a high ranking witch can cast it."

"Is there anything you can do to reverse it?" I asked.

She looked at me with caution. I could tell she might know how to but wasn't trusting enough to do it.

"Anastasia, please." She pursed her lips.

"I want to go back to my coven." I frowned.

"Damn it, woman!" I could see the fear in her eyes but she pushed further.

"I'll help, only if you let me go back to my coven!" She stated.

Amos paced in my head, rumbling in protest to what I was about to do.

"Okay! Okay, as long as you help!" I growled.