Chapter 5 Ch.5

Alex

Where the hell is my sister, I thought to myself.

I had been searching since we had left the office from picking up her new schedule. The one she had gotten during the summer had been wrong, so when we called the school, they said they'd have it ready today.

I can't find her scent through all the Pine-Sol, my wolf said. I agreed with him by grunting.

She was here one minute and then gone the next. She had been acting strangely ever since we had gotten out of the car. I thought that Maxon had done something to her, I was going to kill him, but she assured me that he was the perfect gentleman. I had apologized to her about Natalie's behavior, but she had told me to forget it.

That was Nova for you. She was always completely forgiving, even when the person or people didn't deserve it. Like Maxon, I had wanted to have a talk with him for years about teasing my little sister and starting the fat rumor, but she begged me not to. She said she didn't want to cause any more trouble for us. We were already the pack outcasts, what with our parents being dead and us not wanting to live in the packhouse. We were looked at differently.

I was looked at differently because I was only 15 when my father died. Nova was only 13 going on 14 and I had begged the council to let me be her guardian. I had already lost both of myparents; I wasn't able to lose my sister too. When Father told me who Mother really was and what Nova was to become, he made me promise that I'd always take care of her.

Back then I thought it was a stupid promise because she's my sister why wouldn't I protect her, but now being this age, it all made sense. Nova needed protection not only from other people but herself too. She could be her own worst enemy. If people started finding out that she was a rare type of Urathi, other packs, rogues, and Hunters alike would be after her. We just needed to make it through tonight, and we'd be safe.

"Alex! Over here," Natalie called. I sighed; I didn't have or want the patience to deal with her anymore. She was disrespectful and fake. I don't know what I saw in her in the first place.

I stifled an internal groan as I walked closer. I could smell her cheap perfume from a mile away. Ugh.

"Hey Nat, what's up," I asked, wanting this over with. I still hadn't found Nova, and I was beginning to get worried. She had never gone missing this long without linking me.

"What's the rush, Hun? We have first-class free, so I was thinking we could go for a run in the woods behind the school," she suggested. As she tossed me a wink, I remembered what I saw in her.

She was easy.

I'll be happy when we finally find our mate and we can be rid of this girl, my wolf commented. I nodded inwardly at him and smiled, which Natalie took as a yes because she began pulling me towards the back doors.

I snatched my arm away from her causing her to turn around shocked. "I'm actually looking for Nova. Have you seen her?"

She smacked her teeth and rolled her eyes. She took a long and exaggerated sigh before she answered me. "No, I haven't seen her." I never understood what Natalie's problem with my sister was. Nova made sure Natalie got her way often, but she still wasn't happy with that.

"What is your problem with my sister," I asked her, irritated. This had really gotten ridiculous.

Before she could answer Juan came running down the hall shirtless and screaming my name. Everyone, including his mate Vanessa, was staring at him like he had gone crazy. As he made his way to me, Vanessa made her way over to protectively cover to Juan's naked torso.

Juan was out of breath and his tan skin was flushed and red. Vanessa looked worried. It was obvious that he had shifted but what we didn't know was why, and we couldn't ask him before he cau

ght his breath.

"Nova," he rasped out. My wolf and I quickly gave him our full and undivided attention.

"What's was wrong with my sister? What happened to her? Is she hurt? Is she OK," I shouted. I was spitting out a ton of different questions waiting for one to be answered.

"Give him a minute, Alex. Can't you see he's out of breath," Vanessa asked in her thick Latin accent. I looked at her and she immediately backed down. If he didn't want me to ask him these questions, he should have caught his breath first and then started with Nova.

"Her and Maxon. Fighting. They're mates," he spoke, pausing briefly while he caught his breath. "I think she is shifting."

As soon as I heard that it felt like my world was falling around me. I was supposed to protect her and be with her while she shifted, I was supposed to help her with everything she wouldn't have understood. Now she's out there with that idiot, with no protection, and he's her mate! This couldn't get any worse...

Why would the Fates give my little sister that idiot for a mate, the guy who had been tormenting her for the last three years?

I looked at Juan. He was the only person besides myself to know about my sister. He had caught me one day practicing with my gifts. We had become fast friends when I had found out that Nova and I weren't the only Urathi in the pack. He had also kept his gifts a secret from Alpha Ellis, afraid of being used only as a weapon. He told me that his parents were part of a rebellion within the pack. There were a lot of Urathi who weren't pack Warriors. His family were the one who helped me learn to control my gifts and to helped me shield Novas'.

Did they manifest yet, I asked through a link.

I have no clue. She was going through the change when I left, but the wind was doing some creepy stuff. I rushed here thinking we would have time to get there before she changed completely.

He gave me a look that didn't give me much hope. We'd have to hope and pray that no one is around to notice.

Let's go, I told him.

He nodded and turned to Vanessa telling her to follow us and stay close just in case Vampires, rogues, Hunters, and other packs were around. She complained about not understanding but promised to do as he said. He nodded at me and we took off running with him leading the way.

Help me keep her safe Alex, he sent me.

I nodded my head, and although he couldn't see it, he knew what I had done. A part of me was happy that I haven't found my mate yet because it would be hard to focus on them and still worry about Nova. I wasn't ready to think about anyone else except for Nova. Well Maxon too, I'm going to kill him if he hurts her.

Maxon

One minute we were talking and screaming at each other than the next thing I know Nova let out this gut-wrenching yell and fell to the ground. I rushed over to help her, cradling her head in my lap. I was yelling for her to tell me what hurts but I don't think she could hear me because she just kept screaming with her hands covering her ears. I could hear the bones cracking and reshaping in her body.

She is shifting, I told myself. Was she that angry with me?

Picking her up, I started running towards the packhouse, but a pain shot up my spine causing Nova and me both to crumble to the ground in pain. This pain was red hot and I even though I tried holding in my screams, I wanted nothing more than to yell out. I couldn't so I was stuck with my painful grimace.

What's going on, I asked my wolf. He seemed to be in as much pain as I was. This wasn't a natural shift pain. This was excruciating.

She's a Urathi. Her powers are breaking through during her change. That and the fact that she and her wolf are extremely upset has something to do with it, he replied smartly.

Whatever.

I had never felt pain like this before. I knew I was feeling Novas' pain, and I felt bad that there was nothing I could do. It was never this painful when I first shifted, and I was an Alpha. The pain became more excruciating as it ran up to my neck and through my arms into my fingers, and then down into my toes. The cracking of bones didn't help lessen the pain either. The only thing that made it somewhat bearable was the fact that Nova was screaming my name, calling out for me to help her, but that was also hurting both my wolf and me because we couldn't help her.

It was always said that mates could help ease the pain during the first shift. Mates could always take some of the pain away and soothe the other so that the transitioning wouldn't be as painful, but for Nova and me it didn't seem the case. Yes, I could feel her pain but that's all I could do. I couldn't move nor could I get my wolf to allow our bodies to take any more of her pain than we already had.

I felt another crack of my bones breaking and shifting, physically. Why was I shifting? What's going on, I asked my wolf. Even in my mind my breaths were labored and struggled.

Our mate is different. Whatever she has, she is sharing so we become a better Alpha. We'll become stronger, he explained.

He was in pain too. I could see him writhing on the cage floor of my mind. I felt bad. I didn't know what to do to help my mate or my wolf. I was useless.

Why all this pain?

Bones are re-shifting to make us bigger, this time he whimpered. It was the sound a dog would make if you hit them too hard, and it was breaking my heart. Something needed to be done.

There's nothing we can do but ride it out, he said. He paused for a moment to catch his breath and then continued. It's almost done. She'll be a larger wolf too.

Just as he spoke those words, Alex, Juan, and Vanessa came running into the woods. I could see them, but they had yet to find us, even with all the yelling Nova and I were doing. Alex was calling her name in a panicked tone.

"Over here," I struggled out. It was supposed to be a yell, and it turned into a whisper.

When they found us Juan and Alex both let out a sigh of relief. Alex catered to Nova and Juan and Vanessa kneeled next to me to help me through it. I could feel my black fur sprouting from my body, as the pain of everything slowly went away and turned into an annoying buzz. I could hear everyone gasping as they looked back and forth between Nova and me. I wanted to see, but I was too afraid to look at the mate I wanted to keep a secret.

Was she still mad at me?

I turned to look at her and gave a wolf-like gasp just like everyone else did. Nova was a beautiful white wolf with golden tipped ears and paws. She was so adorable as a wolf, but it was something about her build that was sexy and womanly that caused my wolf to howl out to her. He wanted her more now than ever, and so did I. Her wolf body looked strong fit and athletic so I was sure her human form would look the same.

Told you so, Juan called out to me

.

Shut up Juan, I commanded with my Alpha tone. So what? I made a huge mistake. Apologizing and graveling would make it better I was sure of that. She wouldn't be able to resist my puppy dog face.

Nova? I called out to her through the link we shared as mates. Looking into her mind I could see her realizing that she had shifted, and that she was still vividly upset with me.

She instantly growled.

She was still completely and totally mad at me, I thought to myself.

I'm in so much trouble. Do I fight her if she attacks me?

For at least the third time in my life I was completely terrified of what was to come next. I already learned that my Alpha tone didn't affect her the same way it did others, but it wouldn't help to try.

Nova calm down. You don't want to do anything drastic, I warned her.

Don't use your Alpha tone with me, Maxon, she growled at me, but in my opinion, it was like she roared like a lion at me. However, she did it I still flinched from the sound.

I wasn't trying to. I just wanted you to calm down. If I did, you would've calmed down already, I told her truthfully. I never wanted to use my Alpha tone on my mate like my Father always did with my Mother. I wanted her to do the things I said out of respect, not fear.

Not that it matters for her anyway, my wolf laughed.

Shut up, I shouted at him.

Whatever Maxon. We are finished. She started trotting away, but I sprinted and jumped in her path and growled at her.

We are not finished, Nova. Shift back, I told her. She snorted and tried to walk past me. I looked at Alex and Juan for support, but they were both too stunned staring that they were of no help.

What are they staring at, I wondered.

Move Maxon.

Shift back Nova, I commanded. This time I put move force into my words. I didn't want to end our conversation like this. I wanted her to hear me out on this.

MAXON MOVE, she commanded. My legs all but buckled at the command in her voice. I had never felt such force in my life, but I wouldn't let my own mate upstage me. She was going to shift back.

NOVA I SAID SHIFT BACK NOW, I commanded using all my Alpha tone and some of her powers.

Nova whimpered and immediately I felt bad. I didn't want to use it on her, but Fates she was stubborn. We both shifted back into our human forms and I felt like the dumbest person in the world. I should've listened to Juan, hell I should've listened to her.

As Nova stood naked before me, I knew two things. That one, I was an idiot and I should've listened and two, that she wouldn't take me back so easily. She was taller and her dirty blonde curls were now darker and longer than before. Her face was the same. The hazel eyes were littered with golden specks. Her small lips were a bit fuller but the same. Her chest was larger and most of all her stomach was completely flat. She was beautiful through and through but by the look in her eyes, I knew I was in trouble.

I walked towards her, but she put her hand out to stop me. Her eyes weren't hazel anymore but an angry blue color. Her wolf's eyes were blue! They were beautiful cobalt blue, so electric, so bright, and so beautiful. Did I happen to mention she was beautiful? I went to open my mouth, but she growled and that shut me right up. Alex, Vanessa, and Juan were turned away from our naked bodies but were still deep into our conversation.

I can hear you, you know, Nova spoke through the link. Our link, our mate link. It had begun forming as soon as we looked into each other's eyes in Alex's car.

I know and I'm sorry, I apologized.

Don't Maxon. She had moved closer to me. Her eyes were slowing fading back into the hazel color that I was growing to love even more. Don't apologize. Because I know if you do, I won't be able to do this, she spoke hesitantly.

Nova. Don't. Please. At this point, I was begging. I knew what was coming, but I prayed that it wasn't true.

I could hear and feel the decision being made within her. My heart was breaking at the thought of her leaving me.

Please don't, I thought to myself, well... to her. I knew she could hear me now. She was going to reject me and leave. I could see she wasn't even thinking of telling Alex she was leaving.

Nova, I'm sorry. Please don't do this, I begged.

I reject you, Maxon Timothy Ellis, I hereby take away my mate bond, my heart, and my soul. Will you accept?