One Chance for Redemption

She raised her head to look at the tiny window that let in only a sliver of moonlight. The pale, luminescent glow reflected in her eyes. The force of will that had been keeping her from insanity's reach was fading slowly as the days crawled by with the speed of a snail.

Her mind was turning circles over what her brother had told her of their father. He knew their dirty, well-kept little secret now, and he accepted that his children were far more different than any other Shield children. How long, now that he knew, would it take him to get to her? How much more help did her twin have now that the entire Shield and St. Shield family were looking for their lost child?

She didn't know.

"Please, Silver," she whispered to the darkness of the ten by ten cement room, her voice echoing off its bare walls. "Please hurry. I don't know how much longer I can hold onto who I am."

Her midnight blue eyes slid closed as the shine of tears glimmered in the shaft of the moons light. Her shoulders sagged slightly as the salty liquid fell over her pale cheeks. Unhindered, the tears fell like crystal drops down her face leaving tiny red paths where they stained her features in their wake.

Moments passed in the silent darkness as she cried.

Suddenly, her head jerked up and she grimaced at the way her life was right then. Her anger bubbled close to the surface of her emotional mind. No, she was not giving up. She, Quartz Diamond Shield, would fight until the bitter end; an end that would be either her death or that of her captor's. Preferably that of her captors, as that would mean her victory over them.

"I can't let this get to me." Her voice quivered slightly with the underlying edge of rage that currently pulsed through her every thought. "I won't be the one that falls. I refuse to die doing nothing!"

Sterling glared as his four nephews gave little coughs to cover up their laughs.

Blitz, after dealing with a factory problem for his father, Malachite, offered his services in aide to save his beloved cousin. Now, he was with the others as his youngest uncle tried in vain to avoid another binding spell.

Savannah smiled as she captured him once again. Sterling squirmed in the grip of the spell before summoning up enough energy to break it on her just as she shot another lightening bolt his way.

Jeremy watched Silver watching the fight with mock energy and enthusiasm. He walked over to the teen, getting no more than ten feet before Silver's nostrils flared and he turned to greet the older werewolf.

"Hey," the teen said softly. He knew that Jeremy could hear him even over the raucous laughter around them.

"Is everything alright?" Jeremy asked. He'd been trying to keep his tone low and even so that the young sorcerer slash werewolf wouldn't get upset. "I noticed you were looking a little lost."

"Yeah, but I'll be okay. Thanks for everything, though, I really appreciate it." Dark eyes followed the battle in the field easily. Silver sighed. "Jeremy, is it okay that my sister and I want to join the Pack? I mean, it's kind of sudden for everyone and I don't want to be a bother-"

"Now," Silver jumped. He'd been so intent on getting his acceptance guaranteed that he'd let his guard down enough to the point that Nick snuck up on him, "don't make me haul your ass back to Clay and get him to kick it for you. We already decided that you and Quartz are Pack. Deal with it."

"Jeeze, I swear Nick, you had better learn to sleep with one eye open at night or else you'll lose something of value." Silver retorted sarcastically. "And what do you mean 'drag my ass back to Clay'? You can't fight against a kid half your age or what?"

"You can try, kid, you won't get far." Nick fell silent for a minute as he mulled over what the teenager had said. "Hey! I can fight without Clayton backing me up, you know. He's just better at it than I am."

"Really? Okay then, I'll try my hardest; bring it on, Nicky-boy." Silver taunted playfully as the older man took a mock swing at him. "C'mon, Nick, you hit like a girl!"

"What?"

"You heard me."

"That's it; let's go!" Nick hauled off his shirt as he stalked in the direction of the forest. Smirking after his son, and one of the most recently added Pack members, Antonio nudged Jeremy lightly.

"I think Silver found a way to one-up Nicky on this one."

"I know," Jeremy replied. "Just look at how fast he can switch forms. All things considered, I never thought I'd have an equal in that department until I met him."

Antonio smirked. "Elena said that she's sending more information over with Reese as Clay's replacement 'cause she's having a bit of trouble with Kate."

"Anything to make the guy feel more useful, I guess." Jeremy sighed. Suddenly, nearly as fast as the fight between Savannah and Sterling started, it was over.

The witch was hovering over a breathless sorcerer as he dropped to one knee, right hand fisted over his heart in a salute known to his kin as one of defeat and surrender. Jet, Malachite, and Jasper clapped simultaneously as one of their undefeated accepted his ruin at the hands of a woman.

Jeremy turned his attention to the fight for just one second, watching as the man on the field submitted, left hand holding out a hidden, jewel-hilted dagger in offering of good will. "What a tactic; he could have used that at any time against her, yet he didn't."

"In a power-only fight we are taught from birth to hand over our most precious weapon to the winner. It's a sign that the other has been deemed better than their opponent." Jet said softly. "For Sterling to have handed that dagger over it means that he will submit to whatever she wills him to do as is the terms of their initial verbal contract. He's now her slave until she dismisses him from her side."

"I never thought I'd see the day that he'd intentionally lose a battle of wills and power to a female." Malachite said softly. "Then again, perhaps she is not that weak in the ways of her own inner powers. After all, she is a hybrid, is she not?"

Lucas nodded in response to the other sorcerer. "She's a feisty one, our Savannah. A rambunctious one in her teens as well, so Paige, Adam- even the Pack know what she's like."

Malachite laughed softly. "My family owe you and your friends a huge boon, Cortez. We appreciate your aiding us in this matter. Only for Silver, we would not have asked assistance. This would have been something to do on our own, but he's an insistant one, our Silver."

Jeremy walked over to the sorcerers. "He's a quick study."

"Always was." Jet replied softly. "Between him and his sister, the family are set for leadership."

There was an edge to his voice as Mordechai, their brother-in-law, walked over from the Jeep. "Garnet just called."

"Any progress?"

Mordechai shook his head. "Sorry, Jet, not a word. They are still looking though."

Jet's head hung as he thought about his twin children and the king-sized questions that they laid at his feet. "Sometimes I have to stop and ask myself how they grew up so quickly and how I could have possibly missed everything they were trying to tell me."

"None of us knew, Brother. It's not only you that questions, we all ask ourselves the same things and come up with the same answers. When they're ready they ask for help; never before they need to." Malachite said gently as he handed his brother-in-law a bottle of water. "Between all of our kids it's kind of funny none of us have gone gray yet."

Jet gave a low laugh. "I hope with all my heart that my little girl is safe and sane. Wherever- and whatever she is I will never stop looking for my daughter."

Jeremy's heart beld for the sorcerer standing not half a dozen feet away. He wanted to tell the man that they would succeed, that everything would be alright, but he didn't want to raise the man's hopes too high. He thought about the outcome if their mission to save the young girl failed. Thought about how much pain that the entire Shield family would be in if she was lost to them. Jeremy already knew that there was an entire family waiting for her to be safely delivered back to her father's waiting arms.

They had already accepted the fact that the twins needed to spend some time with the Pack and it was decided- much to Clayton's liking- that they would have their family's lands as their very own territory to protect in the name of the Pack. The Alpha bowed his head as he thought of the one other person that would not be able to live without the beloved girl. Silver. Knowing how hard that the two had worked to keep each other's deepest secret and how much work they had put into taming their werewolf sides, Jeremy knew that it would break Silver's heart to lose his highly favored sibling.

He turned to face the woods as the smaller of the two wolves tore past him into the clearing followed by a limping Nick. "What happened?"

"Are you absolutely sure that he's never been trained by Clay before?"

"Certain in every way possible, Nick. Why do you ask?"

The younger Sorrentino glared daggers at the younger wolf that was hiding behind Antonio's legs. "You little sneak! You noticed my weakness, didn't you? Punky little sorcer-wolf brat!"

Jet turned to the furious Pack member. "What's going on? Why are you so angry at my son?"

"He bit me!"

A silence fell over the clearing as Nick spoke. No one from the Shield family moved as all eyes focused on the youngest wolf there.

Jeremy crouched down on the ground and put his hand out to the teen. "Come here, please."

Knowing that when Alpha spoke the Pack followed, Silver obeyed without hesitation. He dipped his head to the older man and whimpered slightly. I didn't mean it, Master Jeremy. I'm sorry, I swear it and it will never happen again. I'll understand if you want me to leave.'

"Incredible," Jeremy whispered as he scratched behind the teens ears. "Even in his wolf form he holds to his human mind and knows right from wrong. Nicky, he said it will not happen again and that it was an accident."

"Whatever."

Tonio frowned at his son. "The child apologized, Nick."

"Fine, I accept your apology, but you're still a brat." Nick folded his arms and leaned against the nearest post.

"He can send his thoughts to me for some reason."

Jet crept forward and knelt beside his son. "It's an easy answer, Jeremy. You see, he and his sister are also telepath. He can send his thoughts to anyone outside the family as long as he truely belives that they are his betters."

"So he honestly believes that Jeremy is his Alpha?" Sterling said softly. "This is so awesome, Sil. I've never been this close to a wolf before." He ran a hand through Silvers streaked fur.

Jeremy looked up at Jet. "What happens if the power of authority changes hands?"

"They will follow the ruling of the Pack now that they have been accepted by you and your amazing family. Should power change hands they will still respect their elders, but then they will listen primarily to the head Alpha."

Jeremy looked down at Silver and knew that he and the other's had found two of the most loyal wolves he'd chanced to meet since Clayton. "Welcome to the Pack, Silver and Quartz."

Quartz smiled in her sleep.

Though she looked to be having a peaceful rest, she was really linked with her brother's mind as she listened to the commotion surrounding his latest mistake. Their father accepted them as they were and couldn't wait to have her back. The Pack Alpha accepted them both into the fold even after Silver's screw-up with the man called Nick.

Linking to herself to Silver, Quartz clung to her sanity like a lifeline. It would only be a matter of time now before someone here in her prison where she was being kept slipped up enough to give the right information that she could pass on to her brother.

Here it is for all my oh-so patient readers. The next installment of the Shadow Moon. Enjoy and please don't forget to leave a comment.