A New Beginning Ch. 11

I apologize for the delay in the update, things have been absolutely CRAZY around here lately. Thanks for your patience, and I hope that you guys enjoy the update. I welcome feedback!

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Rogue, Mage and Beth looked at each other, wearing identical looks of shock on their faces. "I can't believe that Marcus is behind the deaths of our parents and grandparents," Mage whispered.

"Who is he?" Xavier asked.

"He was Grandpa Baylor's best friend from college. If anything happened to both our parents and grandparents before we were eighteen, he would have gained custody of us," Raven answered.

"I remember he made a big stink about Raven not moving in with him after grandpa and grandma Baylor died," Mage mused.

"He must have wanted to gain our powers," Beth murmured.

"Is that possible?" Cole asked.

"Yes. If he could completely gain the girls trust, then there are ways of getting their power gradually, without them even knowing about it," Logan answered for them.

"How could he gain their powers?" Xavier wanted to know.

"He could use a potion," Logan said.

"That foul tasting tea he always made when we'd go over!" Beth exclaimed, snapping her fingers.

"We were always weaker after we'd come home," Mage agreed.

"Grandma stopped trusting him after that," Raven murmured. Beth nodded and studied Raven carefully.

"You okay Rave?" Beth asked. Raven shook her head and jumped a little when Xavier walked up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"I could really use a stiff drink," Raven commented. Beth laughed and gave her cousin a hug.

"You should go home and rest. Mage and I will become research girls," Beth suggested.

"Good idea," Xavier agreed, gently escorting Raven out of the restaurant.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

- 2 weeks later -

"What do we do?" Raven asked, taking the mug of cocoa that Beth offered her. She caught the look on Xavier's face and gave him a small smile. Cole and Logan in chairs while the girls sat on the couch.

"I don't know. This is a little out of the norm," Beth murmured. Parker walked into the house and set two large bags on the coffee table.

"Dinner guys. All of your favorites," he told them. "And I found this in my mom's attic," Parker added. Beth took the book and fumbled through it.

"His might be helpful," Beth mused. She handed the book to Mage who showed Raven the pages.

"It could work," Raven mused, but Mage didn't look convinced.

"I don't think we should try," Mage said, biting her lip thoughtfully.

"And why not?" Beth and Raven asked together.

"We're talking about Marcus here! We've known him since we weren't even old enough to walk!" Mage reminded her cousins.

"Yeah, but he admitted to trying to kill us!" Raven exclaimed.

"Maybe he's under a spell like Griffin was," Mage suggested. Xavier growled loudly at the mention of the man who'd raped his mate, and, he believed, tricked his younger sister.

"He wasn't under a spell Mage. We cast a spell to reveal the truth," Parker reminded his friend gently. He knew this was hard on Mage, on all of them and he also knew that the girls needed to get over it and do what they swore to do, and to accomplish what they swore to do, they needed to be alive.

"Maybe he was able to get around it," Mage protested.

"Mage, he wasn't under a spell and there is no way to get around that spell is if they were able to kill one of us and end the link," Beth said firmly. Mage sighed but nodded.

"I know," she admitted finally.

"So we need to come up with a plan," Raven looked at her cousins, then at Parker and finally let her gaze rest on Xavier who stared back at her with a look that was a mix between concern and anger that an old family friend was putting Raven and the girls through the pain.

"Rave?" Xavier said quietly, walking into the bedroom later that night. He smiled when he saw her asleep on the bed, her hands resting on her expanding abdomen and he hoped that the stress of discovering an old family friend was trying to kill her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Raven?" Beth called, walking into her cousin's house. Beth found Raven sitting on the floor with Jenny working on putting the shapes back into the shape-o-toy that Marie had given her when Raven and Xavier had mated.

"Hi Beth," Raven greeted.

"Jimmy and Mage are working on finding a spell to figure out exactly what Marcus is up to and how to stop him," Beth told Raven as she sat down next to her.

"I can't believe the bastard is trying to kill us!" Raven snarled angrily.

"Keep calm Rave, you'll upset Jenny and you'll upset the baby," Beth carefully touched her cousin's belly.

"It's hard to stay calm. He wants us dead," Raven grumbled.

"I know," Beth sympathized. "But Jimmy and Mage are good at the book stuff, they'll figure out how to stop him," she added. Raven nodded.

"I need to get out for awhile, I've been cooped up all day. Xavier won't let me outside without someone here. Would you go for a walk with me and Jenny?" Raven to know.

"Sure!" Beth exclaimed. She stood up and helped Raven stand before lifting a toddling Jenny into her arms. After Beth changed Jenny's diaper while Raven packed up the diaper bag and wrote a note for Xavier, the two cousins left the house and took off down the lane.

"Flowers!" Jenny babbled, pointing to a patch of yellow, pink and red tulips.

"Very good Jenny," Raven said with a smile.

-Meanwhile-

"Rogue, we're at the hotel," Griffin said softly, shaking Rogue awake. She sat and stretched before turning to look to see where they were.

"I keep thinking I should call my parents to let them know I'm safe," Rogue whispered.

"I'm sorry Rogue. It isn't too late to back out of this," Griffin told her.

"Yes it is. I'm in love with you Grif. My heart isn't a toy," Rogue retorted angrily.

"I know babe," Griffin soothed, tucking a strand of hair back behind Rogue's ear. "Let's go get some rest, things will look clearer in the morning," he added.

"Yeah, maybe," Rogue sighed, getting out of the car. She waited for Griffin while he grabbed the luggage before they walked into the lobby to reserve a room.

"This is a nice room," Rogue observed as Griffin carried the bags inside.

"I love you," Griffin's voice was full of emotion as he dropped the bags just inside the door and pulled Rogue into his embrace.

"I love you too," Rogue whispered, turning in his arms to face him. She moaned as Griffin's hands slid up the inside of her shirt to cup her breasts as he kissed her deeply. She squirmed as he slid his hands around her and unhooked her bra before pulling it away from her slowly, then returned his hands to her breasts and pulled on her nipples gently. "Grif," she whispered as he pulled the shirt over her head.

"I'm here and I'm never leaving," Griffin promised before bending down to suck gently on a pointed nipple. Rogue whimpered and reached for Griffin's belt buckle, stopping only when her cell phone rang. "Ignore it," Griffin groaned as he felt Rogue pushing away.

"I can't, it's Beth," Rogue told him, looking at the display on her cell phone. "What's wrong?" Rogue wanted to know, flipping her phone open.

"Raven's missing. Xavier put up one hell of a fight, but the bastard knocked him out with one doozy of a spell. He's in a coma. We need your help Rogue, and Griffin's," Beth said in a rush.

"We'll be home first thing in the morning," Rogue promised.

"We can't go home, you've been banished and your father will try to kill me again," Griffin reminded her.

"Not during times of an emergency. Beth couldn't have called without permission, not after the trouble she was in just for helping to remove the spell from you," Rogue told him. Griffin sighed, not really wanting to go back to the town, to the pack that had caused so much pain, but he knew he couldn't deny her this; the desire to help family was too deeply ingrained in who she was. Griffin knew he'd sacrifice his happiness for her, even his life.

----------------------------

"Mom?" Rogue's voice was quiet and she was grateful for the gentle squeeze Griffin gave her. Marie turned around and gave her daughter a tight hug.

"I'm glad to see you Rogue," Marie murmured.

"Where's dad? How's Xavier? Is there any word on Raven?" Rogue's questions flowed out of her like water down Niagara Falls.

"I'm right here," Dominic said. Rogue turned and swallowed hard.

"How's Xavier?" Rogue wanted to know.

"Still in a coma." Dominic hesitated, knowing that what he was about to say would displease Marie greatly, but he knew it had to be done. Pack order could not be disrupted. "I'm glad you came back to help, but you need to know that this changes nothing," Dominic told her. Rogue sighed sadly.

"I figured as much," she murmured.

"There's nothing new about Raven's location," Beth said from behind Dominic, her hand tightly enclosed in Cole's. The rest of the Black clan was standing behind her, Sydney pushed past Cole and Charles and pulled Rogue into a tight hug.

"I need to talk with Beth, Rogue and Griffin alone, right now!" Sydney exclaimed. Dominic growled but allowed the named parties to walk into a conference room.

"What was so important?" Dominic demanded to know, hoping the gruffness of his voice hid the concern he felt at seeing Rogue's face as pale as it was.

"Griffin isn't really were," Sydney said, giving her sister a sympathetic look.

"What do you mean? I've seen him shift!" Dominic exclaimed.

"Like when Griffin was evil, his ability to shift and physical characteristics of being were are just a spell. One I can remove, but not without help from Mage and Jimmy." Beth hesitated. "I also need the permission of an Alpha to do the spell," she added. Dominic opened his mouth to say that he would not offer to help his unwanted son in law when Marie spoke from behind him.

"Does it have to be the Alpha or can it be the Alpha's mate?" Marie wanted to know.

"Either Mom, in this case, your permission would suffice," Cole answered for Beth.

"When can this be done?" Marie asked.

"The sooner the better. I can call Parker now and have him meet me at my house," Beth said.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Raven looked around the dark room she was being held in and tested the chain that shackled her to the bed she was laying on. The chain was strong and it would take most of her strength to break it, even if she did use a spell. The twins sapped so much of her energy that she wasn't sure if she would be able to muster the strength to free herself.

"Don't even try to break free my dear Raven. There is a powerful spell around the chain. It will kill you if you even attempt to escape, and with your death, comes the death of your unborn abominations," Marcus' voice rang out from the scaffolding at the top of the room.

"Let me go Marcus or my family will kill you!" Raven shouted.

"They have to find us first!" Marcus challenged. Raven turned to look as a door near her bed opened and a young man walked into the room, stopping just short of her bed. "You will obey me my dear, or your children will be cut from your womb and slaughtered like the animals they are. Then, when they are healed, you shall be taken as many times and in any way that Gore sees fit before you are disposed of. After, of course, I do a spell to transfer all of your power to me," Marcus told her, laughing dangerously. Raven swallowed and placed her free hand over her large belly as one of her children kicked hard.

"What happens to my babies if I go into labor before I am found?" Raven asked, praying silently that Xavier would find her.

"I'll mail them back to their father. I have a large cat carrier here just for such an occasion. If you're a good girl and do as you're told, I'll deliver them to your husband while they are still breathing," Marcus answered. He headed for the door in the corner of the scaffold. "Gore will unlock the chain when you need to use the toilet and for daily exercise, but I warn you, he'll kill you if you try to escape," Marcus added before leaving. As the door closed behind him, Gore gave Raven an evil smile, showing off just a hint of fangs.

"I will help you to the bathroom," Gore said, unlocking the chain and helping her up. Raven swallowed hard as she eyed his fangs warily before walking around the one corner to where the toilet was located. As she sat down on the rickety seat, Raven sent out a distress signal that could be picked up only by her cousins. "Please hurry," she whispered, standing up and returning to the main section of her cell.

*

This is the end of A New Beginning, but don't worry, I will be continuing the story in Rogue's as she will be playing a key factor in saving Raven. Thanks for reading!

Ashira