chapter 3

Evony

After being found by the moonstone pack my alpha Nathaniel...or better yet my real father explained to their alpha why we were out in the woods of their territory, luckily he had influence within the supernatural world and convinced them to give us a ride back to the winter moon pack territory.

My body still ached from my shift and I wondered why I couldn't remember anything from that night.

An eerie dread continued to linger, in the back of my mind telling me something was wrong...but what?

I watched the trees and surrounding forest fly past us, through the car window. A faint memory of running through the forest at night appeared in my head, I tried to focus on it but instead of regaining more of that memory, an agonizing pain ripped through my chest leaving me breathless.

I cried out in pain and lurched forward as it only continued to grow. Looking down I clawed at my chest around the area the pain was coming from, but there was nothing, no injury or marks beside the ones my claws we're making on my skin. What's happening to me?!

I could hear Nathaniel speaking to me but I couldn't focus on what he was saying it hurt so much...

The pain seemed to increase even more and it felt like liquid fire was spreading throughout my insides. The memory of Axton and Ethan arguing popped up into my head.

~~~

"You need to back off your drunk and dont know what you're talking about."

"Bullshit, drunk or not I know what's right or wrong, and you are very much in the wrong!! How long do you plan to keep this up?!"

"I said that's enough! We can talk about this when you're sober!"

"No! You dont get it!! Kade probably already knows what she is! This entire plan of yours failed! It's pointless to keep this a secret from evony any longer!"

Dread started to run through my body as I listened in more to their argument.

".... I planned to-"

"Planned to what?! You are just being a coward! Unless you want to lose her and end up like alpha Nathaniel you need to tell her! She deserves to know you're her mate!!!"

My heart stopped as my racing thoughts halted. what...

"That's enough!" Axton snarled at I stumbled back, out of my hiding spot looking at both of them.

I couldn't form words much less thoughts. I was in complete shock and could feel a tight pain in my chest. How was this possible?

Ethan noticed me first and his drunken anger turned to horror as he stared at me. Axton noticed his gaze and followed it until his eyes landed on me. He paled and didnt say a word as he looked at me.

My heart started to race as everything started to make sense now. Reality came crashing down on me as their stares felt like they were burning holes into my very soul. Shaking my head I turned away and ran.

~~~

Mate...Axton is my mate?! I didnt get the chance to completely register what that meant, because the next moment the pain became worse and I cried out curling up into the back seat.

"Evony?! What's going on!?" Nathaniel's voice sounded distorted and I swear I could hear others speaking to me, they were faint but I swear I could hear an old man talking and what sounded like...Ethan?

I could feel hands on me and voices talking but none of them really made any sense. I couldn't understand anything anyone was saying and looking around me the only other people in the car were the driver me and my father. Why am I hearing voices of people who aren't even here?!

Glancing up I noticed my reflection in the rearview mirror, my eyes were glowing...

A heavy pressure seemed to push down on my chest exactly at the source of the pain and I nearly screamed. The last thing I saw before blacking out was Nathaniel's horrified face looking down upon me.

Then everything went black.

When I opened my eyes again I was laying on the forest floor. Sitting up all the pain from before was gone and I felt as light as a feather.

Am I dead?

I quickly shook that thought from my head, no no no... I can't be Axton needs me! I can't die when I've only just found out the truth!

This has to be some kind of dream.

Looking around I could see nothing but endless forest. Yet it seemed vaguely familiar. Standing to my feet I started walking in a random direction, as strange as it was, this felt like the right thing to do, it felt as though someone was calling out to me but it was so faint.

Eventually, I came across an open field. And in the center of it all sat a midnight black wolf who was starting at the forest as if waiting for someone.

Excited I ran towards the wolf it had to be Axton!

The wolf's ear twitched and they turned their head to look at me, stopping me in my tracks, instead of the golden irises that I've grown to love so much, I was met with my own green eyes.

It wasn't axtons wolf....it was mine.

She watched me curiously as I approached and didnt make a single move.

I sat down next to her and we just sat there silently. She looked back at the forest and continued her wait. Who was she waiting for or what? I've heard stories that mates could share dreams, was she expecting to see Axton? I look into the forest and waited with her, seconds turned to minutes and minutes seemed like hours. I could tell she was losing hope. She wanted to see him just as badly if not more than I did.

As we sat there in silence I thought about what happened that night that I shifted, I had run away from Axton, but why didnt he come after me?

Closing my eyes I delved into the memory and tried to make it resurface, slowly bits and pieces came back. I could remember I was running, then I collapsed. Then there was snow...and Hunters...i could hear the gunfire...gunfire...?

Then i understood what was wrong. And the reason for me shifting so suddenly.

Axton was shot.

I got to my feet in a panic and my wolf whimpered beside me. No no no! "I have to go find him! I can't stay here any longer! " doing the first thing I can think of, I pinch myself, looking around me, nothings changed, we'll that didn't work...

"I have to get out of here I need to wake up! Please! You have to help me Axton is in danger!" My wolf only huffed and laid her head down.

I was baffled, did she not understand me or was she purposely blowing me off?! I looked at the forest in the direction she was looking. If she wasn't going to help me then I have to help myself.

I started running in the same direction, only glancing back once to see my wolf wasn't following.

Did she not care? Shaking my head I continued to run, deeper into the forest. The trees seemed to go on forever with no end in sight, but I didn't stop. Eventually, I came to a familiar area and stopped.

The cabin?

Slowly I approached the small building. Why was it here? Walking to the front door I hesitated before opening it.

What I saw before me brought tears to my eyes. Axton lay sitting against the wall with blood covering his chest. His eyes were closed but his breathing was heavy. He's alive.

"Axton!" I took a step towards him and his eyes shot open as he lifted his head and looked right at me. I attempted to take another step towards him but something pulling me back and before I knew it I was awake, Lying in bed inside Axtons room.

"Ev!" Leiah came into my field of vision and gave me a near life-threatening hug, I had to choke out her name before she squeezed me to death. Once she pulled away I gave her a forced smile and glanced around the room, Ethan my father, and Darin we're all either sitting or standing around. Everyone was waiting for me to wake up. Everyone but Axton. Why wasn't he here? I doubted that his injuries would be bad enough to keep him for seeing me again right?

I was pulled from my thoughts as Leiah grabbed my shoulders and shook me slightly."do you have any idea how worried we were about you!?"

Giving her an awkward smile I tried to calm her down before she gave me another hug that might literally be the end of me. "I'm sorry if I worried you all but im fine...Nathaniel took good care of me." They all seemed a bit surprised that I called him by his name and not his title first.

I gave a small smile to my father but he seemed concerned, most likely over what had occurred in the car, I still wasn't sure what had happened either. But im glad he cares it's more than kade ever did for me. Looking at ethan he seemed to avoid my gaze, looking off with a frustrated look.

Because of him, I found out Axtons big secret, does he blame himself for what happened? Does he think I hate him? I hope not...

Darin gave me a small smile back as he pulled Leiah off of me, and I returned it.

"how long was I out?"

"A total of 23 hours we were getting a bit worried... Alpha Nathaniel said you started freaking out then passed out in the car, what happend?"

Glancing down at my chest I moved my hand over the area that hurt so much, but I felt nothing. "I'm not sure...it was just a sudden pain... My chest felt like it was on fire, I passed out because of the intense pain." Darin and Leiah shared a concerned pain while ethan began fighting nervously and my father leaned against the wall skeptical of something. Everyone was silent.

Clearing my throat in an attempt to change the subject I looked at each of them.

"So where's axton?"

Instantly the mood in the room darkened as everyone avoided my gaze. "Ev....you should worry about resting for now..." I looked at Leiah expecting an explanation but she only looking at me with pity. Why was everyone acting so strangely? Dread started to seep into my bones.

"No...i want to see Axton, I need to see him!" Pushing the blankets off myself I attempted to remove myself from the bed only for Leiah to grab and stop me.

"Ev you need to rest! Axton can't see you right now!"

"I don't care! I need to see him! Please, Leiah! You don't understand! He's my mate!"

A look of horror came over both her and Darin's faces. Why were they looking at me like that?! What happened!? The silence continued to turn the air cold.

"Take me to him now!" I demanded.

"Axton is gone..." Turning to look at Ethan he was now standing by the doorway as if getting ready to leave.

"What?..."

Ethan glanced back at me one last time before he left the room.

"Alpha Axton is dead."