Calex

The anxiety bouncing between us cracks after turning the corner to the alleyway, then malts into a blinding fury.

Flynn tears his way out, and I surrender enough control to feel our bones snap out of place and jerk into new angles, and our muscles strain as our new height stretches to its limit. Our nails elongate, and our teeth split our gums to accommodate the new sizes. Seeing red, we lunge at the male, and when he drops the body, a feminine wince of pain sends a nasty shock to our system.

Throwing him into the wall, a satisfying crack and a yelp greets us, then it turns into a hoarse howl as we drive him into the ground muzzle first. He swings backward, and we jerk his arm back until it pops loose from the socket. Flipping him over, we slice through a layer of flesh coating his abdomen, and he lashes out with a roar while protecting his injured midsection. Retaliating, catching him square in the jaw, we use the momentum to follow the head swing with our teeth straight to the jugular, laying into him. The blood filling our mouth, and the feel of his skin giving way beneath our claws brings a wave of victory from Flynn, and deep within me, there's a sense of justice.

The blood is stronger, polluting every direction we try to breathe in. Choked breaths break up the silence, and the heartbeat accompanying it is weak. Swivelling on our haunches, the female's sprawled on the concrete, motionless until it registers we're staring. Her head rolls back to the centre to gaze at the sky, chest rising and falling too slow for my liking. Her scent is mangled with acidic elements, registering as fear, and it proceeds to swallow her the closer we get.

"Mate. It's her," Flynn howls, sorrow lining his tone as he pushes forward. "We must save her."

Growling, we slide our hands around her, feeling the bond spark to life under our touch. She whimpers, and I would give anything to hush her worries, but I can't, and Flynn knows there's nothing he can do either. Resting her against the wall, I narrow my eyes on the wounds littering her small frame.

How did she last this long?

Her hair is matted, fused with crimson, her skin is pale while she's dark under the eyes, and we relax our hold as she trembles against us. It had shaken her like a rag doll, taking pleasure in her pain, and it makes me feral, needing to kill the bastard all over again.

"We should have killed him slower," he snarls, watching closely.

The sound of another male's name falling from her gasping lips releases a growl from us, the possessive need to claim her riding on the border of no return. Emitting another growl, her head rolls to the side. She's trying to wriggle free, but the fight is quick to leave her body completely when her skin comes into contact with our muzzle. Her blood tracing the length of my snout has it wrinkling, but I'm fast sinking my teeth into the fresh incision on her neck, hating the small shriek coming from her. The unconscious cry she lets out hurts my ears, and I work hard, trying to suck out the venom.

"Calex, it's not going to work."

"It has too," I snarl, giving it a second attempt.

Flynn's right, I can sense the venoms presence in her system.

Dragging my tongue across the opening, trailing it down the length of her arm before adjusting her to tend to the rest of the injuries. A thin coating forms below where the original layer of skin should be, and I know this will keep her going until the venom spreads enough for her to heal by herself.

Feeling our bones crack and slide into shape, Flynn hands over the remnants of control he had left, sitting in the background and watching over her. I never thought we would find our Mate, not like this. Barely alive, bloodied, and beaten. . . now she's going to change.

Two days have passed since Flynn and I found her—our Mate. She's nothing like when we scooped her up that night, asking one of our wiser females to assist in washing the filth off her body, to rinse and detangle her hair as I waited outside with Flynn urging me to go in to see her. When she woke, the pain knocked her out soon after. I'm thankful to the Moon Goddess she isn't writhing in agony anymore, for those few minutes had been torturous. As she slept, I sat beside her until it was time to take my leave.

The night I approached her within the comforts of her home, the acidic smell from that night clung to her and lingered in the air as she huddled beneath the blanket on the sofa. Flynn remained in the background, watching over her as I whispered a warning of the time she had left, breathing in the faint waft of wild berries while resisting the urge to caress the shape of her shoulder over the blanket.

Now, I'm lurking near the house with a pair of shades, and Flynn's pissed with the memory of how relieved she had been to see the male waiting on her doorstep.

Battling the temptation to storm in and take out the male, I thrust my hands in my pockets, forcing the image of her inviting him inside to the back of my mind. Instead, I focus on how healthy she looks now that the venom has fused with her DNA. Her hair is thicker, auburn but on the browner side, eyes like fresh blades of grass, skin a soft peach tone, and a curvy body that holds the mystery to whether she can give the softest embraces.

Following my train of thought, Flynn eases up.

Raised voices on the other side of the brickwork steals our attention.

"Mate in distress," he snarls, scratching to get out. "Go to Mate, now! Need to touch her, she's close to transition." Pausing his movements, he licks his muzzle. "Let me eat the male."

"No, Flynn. We have to trust our female to handle herself for now. If you're lucky, she may kick him in the balls."

His muzzle peels back in joy at the thought.

Eyeing her neighbourhood, I frown.

The street's too quiet for this time of day; surely no one is suspecting anything from the night of the attack.

Word got back; it had been taken care of. No security cameras, pinned as a drunken mishap taken too far. Being a first to visit this area, I'll let it slide as a quiet street, but further investigation will test the theory. With my female taking residence, I'm not putting it to chance. If fate is on my side, she won't be here much longer.

Another excuse to hate the town, there's a lack of consistent patterns; it's a random disarray. At least with the woods, you make your mark, leave a pattern, and things are bound to overlap one way or another. Growling, I fight the urge to pace, using her voice to ground myself.

The slam of the door snaps my spine straight, and Flynn's ears prick up. The scent of fear is back, only this time, it's not radiating from her but the male. Peering around the corner, he's backing up onto the pavement, stumbling over himself with his bag conveniently situated between him and my Mate. Despair floats around her, and Flynn snarls.

"He's upsetting her. Why isn't she kicking him in the balls?"

"Because this is a matter ball kicking can't fix."

He makes tracks down the street, pumping his limbs back and forth until the stench of fear disappears with him. Sucking in a lungful of air, a faint earthy fragrance from the tree across the road greets me, tangling with the saltiness of sorrow close beside me before the door cuts it off. Weak sobs come from inside the house, and they drive me insane while Flynn attempts to claw his way out to break down the door and comfort her.

There're a few thuds and a muffled shriek before silence falls, then there's a small rustle close to the door. Two minutes later, she storms out with a long-sleeved top, fitting joggers, a pair of sunglasses, and a backpack slung over her shoulder. Each stride is made with purpose, but they shake with every step, and I pray for something to give her a sign to turn back. Risking proximity will scare her off, and I can't gamble her winding up somewhere I won't be able to retrieve her for the shift. If my scent doesn't give me away, a slip of the shades will. I remember how she stared into my eyes with fear, and I want to carve it from my memory.

With each passing hour, hiding her from sight for the transition will be difficult. Flynn's curiosity trifles my own at what her wolf will be like; the colour and softness of her fur, the shade of green her eyes will take, and if they'll be more alike than not. He wants to curl around her, to make sure she knows he will protect her.

Cocking her head to the side, her nose twitches, and I can make out the shape of her throat bobbing every time she swallows. Her hand flattens against her stomach, rubbing it like there's something missing. Tracing the direction of her gaze, there's a market with trinkets, books, clothing, and food.

"Mate is starving," Flynn notes.

"I know, but she doesn't. This is new to her." Tracking her steps as she manoeuvres around town, her eyes are everywhere, closed in on herself, and I can imagine her heart racing.

It's not long before she passes a large set of gates, her shoulders relaxing enough to the point they're not near her ears. She'll be fine within college grounds. Many wolves attend, and it puts Flynn at ease knowing the rogues will take care of her, with or without our say in the matter.

"Alpha, what brings you here?"

Glancing over my shoulder, a familiar face comes into view before they shuffle to my side with a subtle bow of the head.

Refraining the low growl wanting out, I force a tight nod. "Ronny, do you know a male by the name Kai?"

His eyes widen in my peripheral, then they narrow on the gates ahead. "He's on my basketball team. Human." He clears his throat, eying our surroundings for any onlookers. "If you don't mind me asking, why the interest?"

I can smell the anxiety on him, as little as it is, but he remains calm and collected. I respect that, and Flynn's nod of approval is a good indication he does too.

"You mustn't let him out of our of sight," Flynn growls at him, even though Ronny can't hear a word of it. "He could be a liability," he huffs at me, and I grunt in agreement.

"I need you to keep a close eye on him." I growl when a group of females strut past, eyeing Ronny with the giggles before their eyes sweep to me. Glaring at them, they scurry off. "I have reason to believe he's suspicious of our world, and I need to know if he's trustworthy or not."

Ronny bows his head, hitching the large duffle up his shoulder, and stepping into my line of sight. "Of course, Alpha. I'll keep you updated."

With another nod, he makes way toward the same set of gates she walked through. I've never had the urge to go to someone and bathe in their company like I do right now. I want her here with me. Flynn wants it too.

Fucking hell, it would be so much easier if I could skip this shit and start teaching her so she's ready going into it.

"We'll teach her what she needs to know," Flynn assures, tone gruff, still pacing. "Not long to go."

He's right. It won't be long now, then she'll understand we're not the villains in this story. When the time is right, she'll find her footing beside us.

Moon Goddess, I know I don't pray to you much, but please, let this be true.