HUNTED

Aila leaned forwards and read the top of the book upside down; it read: 

Bound By Blood.

"Bound by BLOOD!? Nah ahhhhh," Ajax stood up and immediately went towards the chained door but stopped when it shimmered and turned into a metal one, shutting before he could leave.

"Sit," Mandy clicked her fingers and pointed back at the couch, "This will not take long at all.."

"Ajax," Aila stood up after the shapeshifter did not move from his spot, "you want to mind-link with us, right?" His gaze drifted from what Mandy was doing, and he looked at Aila, "This is the only way.."

Ajax nodded his head, and Aila placed her hand in between his quite muscular shoulders, assisting him to the couch. She removed her hand quickly and watched in fascination at what her mum was doing. Now, on the coffee table, was a small cauldron-

Malia barked out a laugh, "A cauldron! Next, we will see green skin and a wart on her nose!"

Aila held back a chuckle and couldn't help but check her mum's complexion. 

"I heard that," Mandy replied, making Aila and Malia still. The guys looked around, trying to see if there was a ghost or someone her mum was talking to.

"Did she mean me?" Malia asked.

"Yes, I did mean you. And no, I do not have warts nor green skin," Mandy chuckled.

Aila's eyes widened, "You can hear our wolves!?" 

Ajax and Finn tensed upon hearing this.

"Sometimes, if I focus enough. Although, your wolf seems incredibly loud. It didn't take a lot of effort on my end to try and listen." She replied.

So fricken bizarre. 

Malia stayed quiet, afraid now at opening her big mouth. She could no longer insult people with a witch in the room!

Aila continued to watch as her mum threw different liquids together in the cauldron, along with some already cut up herbs and the occasional flower petal. Somehow, the liquid was bubbling in the pot, and Aila could see her mum chanting something incoherent under her breath. Was it Latin? She couldn't tell.

"Okay, each of you, bring your index finger out, please," Mandy instructed.

They raised their fingers, and one by one, their fingers were sliced quite deeply. Aila flinched at the pain; it felt like a paper cut.

"Now squeeze as much blood as you can into the cauldron until your skin re-heals itself," Her mum commanded. Grimacing, they each squeezed on their fingers, pointing downwards into the bubbling liquid. Mandy continued with her chanting, and Aila watched as the liquid formed into a glowing pink formula. After two minutes, their minor wounds healed, and Mandy finished her chanting. 

They pulled back their hands while Mandy poured the formula equally into three glasses. 

"This will bind you three together. There is nothing more to it. I removed parts of the spell that would bind you fully together. Meaning, if one of you got hurt, then the other would feel it. If one of you died.. then so would the other."

At the mention of this, Ajax leaned away; his normally slit cat eyes were now dilated. Aila rubbed his back gently, and a small purr began to erupt from his chest; she watched as his eyes went back to normal.

"All you need to do is drink.. drink all of it.. And that's it.. you can mind-link one another," Mandy concluded. 

Aila grabbed one of the glasses, and the other two followed suit, "Bottoms up!" 

Ajax, Aila and Finn each downed the glowing liquid, grimacing as they did so. It tasted sweet, then acidic and back to sweet again; they could not tell if it tasted great or not. The potion didn't give enough time to tell in between each taste. Once they drank it all, they looked at each other, not feeling any different. 

Aila looked back at her mum, lost on what to do.

"Well, try and mind-link him!" She laughed.

Aila turned to Ajax and tried to reach out with her mind. She tried to feel that tether that keeps a mind-link together. Ever so slowly, Aila could feel the faint line forming, and like invisible fingers, she gripped onto the line, "Ajax, can you hear me?"

Ajax gasped and clapped his hand, "Aila!? So this is what it is like to mind-link. You guys, this is awesome. Wait, is Finn here? Finn? Hello?" 

Aila rolled her eyes, "Ajax, hold on. We need to reach out for him to get into the link." 

After a bit of fiddling between the tethers, Aila could almost feel the knot tying together, forming the three-way mind-link.

"Finn? Can you hear me?" Ajax mind-linked.

"Well, shit. Now I have to put up with you in my head as well.." Finn replied.

"Guys.. It looks like the 'Prisoner's Club' has gone to a whole new level! Mind-linking!!" Ajax almost screeched in their minds, causing Aila and Finn to flinch.

"What have I done?" 

Aila and Finn stared at each other before bursting into laughter.

"Hey! None of that!" Ajax jumped up and looked at them sternly, speaking aloud, "We just drank that awful potion so we can mind-link! Don't go having your own private conversations now. Otherwise, I will do the same.. But with Aila.." He winked at her.

And as though on cue, Mandy stood up and transformed the door back into the chains before packing everything up. Aila glanced at her and frowned. She seemed paler than earlier and had a slight sheen of moisture on her forehead.

"Are you okay, mum?" Aila asked and came forwards, placing a hand on her arm.

"Yes, yes.. don't worry about me," She waved her off. 

But Aila was still concerned, "Was there a lot of magic used? Or did you put too much strain on yourself?" 

Mandy chuckled and placed the grimoire in its spot on the bookshelf. Turning around, she sighed and placed her hands on her hips, "It was a hard spell. It wasn't something simple you asked for. But with some chocolate and a good night's sleep.. I will be as good as new. It's like working out. I am only fatigued."

Aila's brows rose at her mum's explanation; she hugged her, "Thank you. I didn't realise."

"It's okay," Her mum placed a strand of Aila's hair behind her ear, "I know you need all the help you can get today. I am happy to have helped."

Aila's eyes widened, "You can see the future?"

Mandy laughed, "No. But I know you are about to do something reckless.. call it a mother's instinct. But I also know you won't back down now. Even your mate couldn't change your mind."

Another thing Aila never told her about. Damon was her mate.

"How did you.. are these some witchy senses?!" Aila blurted out.

Her mum laughed heartily, and to the point, her eyes teared up, "Oh, Aila.. not everything is supernatural, you know.. John phoned your dad, and he told us. But we really shouldn't have had to hear it from John! You should call more often!" 

Aila smiled sheepishly. "I know, I'm sorry, it's just been a little messy right now. I promise to call more, okay?" She apologised before pulling her mum into a hug.

For the remaining part of the morning, Aila spent time with her parents and, with Finn's help, taught Ajax how to mind-link. There wasn't much to it, but Ajax, of course, made it seem harder than what it was. She was thankful that he was only linked to her and Finn. Otherwise, she could only imagine the amount of mischief he would get into.