Sydney

Pure pain coursed through my limbs and back but was now settled in my bones. Fear drummed through my head. My pulse lapping through my limbs then retreating back to my heart was the only thing I could try and focus on to keep from losing it.

As the storm waged beneath my skin I was faintly aware that he came out of nowhere and was comforting me. He stroked my hair and held my hand.

But pain spread through that hand like wildfire. My bones crunched together, like a bone-crushing handshake where you knew it'd be over in a moment, but here, there would be no relief.

A scream tore through my throat in a way I had never thought possible.

Please let this be over soon.

Warm breath brushed my ear and neck. His words tried to comfort me by saying that he would be there for me and that everything was going to be okay as long as I continued to breathe.

When the breaking and reshaping finally teetered to a stop after what felt like an eternity, I tried catching my breath.

My vision was filled with lush white fur when I finally braved opening my eyes.

So it is true?

Despite the words ringing in my head, it all felt like a dream.

No, a nightmare.

As though what I had just undergone was a simple case of lightheadedness, everything had flashed black then spotted with the ghosts of light, and now I was finally settling back into my body and could feel again. The grass beneath my form, the air circulating through my nose was tangible, and my thoughts felt real, no longer muddled.

A hand drawing through the fur of my back shocked me into a realization that somebody I didn't know just witnessed my shifting. A secret Mat said we were supposed to keep.

My muscles stiffened but my wolf's voice was loud in my head telling me it was alright but to cautiously be on guard.

"Hey, hey calm down. I know about this, it's alright." Rising to his feet he raised his hands cautiously to convince me he was harmless.

My eyes were set on him like a hawk, wary of his reaction to what he just witnessed.

"I don't know if you remember me or if anyone told you but I'm Elliot."

My body was completely locked up now.

Mat had explained to me that Elliot was the one wolf who changed me, who had this weird love for me despite his dead mate, but he also was an enemy of Jaycen in a way for betraying Jaycen's pack when they were younger. He was also brothers with the person that tried to kill me and my friends.

Without saying another word he shifted into a big light blonde wolf who was even larger than me.

Fear laced through me.

He's going to kill me!

Instead, he pranced up to me, ignoring my tense form, and his tongue rolled out of his mouth. He nudged me with his head then charged off away from the school.

I stood under the large tree canopy, the ground was torn from my transition. It looked more like a fight between wild animals.

Isn't that kind of what it was?

Nobody was in sight as I looked back at the school that was almost washed away in the downpour of the rain.

'Follow along Sydney, I want to show you something.'

The voice rang clear in my mind but was not the one I had come to know as my wolf.

'It's me, Elliot, now come with Sydney. I promise not to take you far and I won't let anything hurt you.'

I was skeptical, but one glance down to my paws I saw no other choice. With no clue how to shift back, I couldn't just approach the school in search of someone to help me.

Elliot was lingering a few yards behind me and after mentally arguing myself I decided to follow.

I still need to be on my guard around him.

Even in his different form, my actions seemed to please him. He turned and trotted ahead forcing me to pick up the pace and chase after him into the rain.

☽✣☾

At first, the weather was a nuisance. My paws felt suctioned to the thickening mud and mentally I was disgusted over the filth coating my body. But then Elliot had purposefully splashed me with a puddle. Annoyance coiled through me, but a wolfish grin signaled his intent to be playful.

Well, two can play at that.

Throwing caution into the wind I lunged forward into a shallow but girthy puddle. It exploded around me and caught Elliot in its wake.

A hearty howl left Elliot.

We continued this as though we were frogs and not wolves. Leaping into swaths of water then watching the other lunge and repeat a similar action. This carried on for a good span of time until Elliot's breathing grew heavy.

'Elliot?' I tested the method of communication.

His larger head popped up, 'I'm fine,' he tried to reassure, 'just a little out of shape.'

I was skeptical. 'Can a werewolf be out of shape?' There was no answer. 'Do we need to go back to the school?'

'No, I need to show you something before...' His voice drifted off and his eyelids fell shut. He wavered then slumped over into a murky puddle. The previously lush white fur that was only dirty up his legs were now soaked in the dirty water.

I shot to his side and nudged him with my muzzle. 'Elliot!'

There was no response.

Fear spiked in my blood.

What do I do?! I need to shift back so I can get him the help he needs.

In an instant, my paws were no longer. Instead in their place, my fingers were fanned in the mud in front of my very human knees.

Shock and happiness swirled together at once. The shift back had been thoughtless and painless.

Was it always this easy?

Sydney we need to get him help.

Right.

My wolf's words launched me back into action.

"Elliot?" I brushed my hand through his mane in hope of stirring a reaction. But still, there was nothing.

With no clothes and no phone, I didn't have any other option than to leave Elliot in search of help.

"I'll be back, I promise. I'm just going to get you help."

Lingering only a moment to make sure he wasn't going to respond, I knew I had to get someone fast.

I sailed through the woods unlike ever before. It was amazing as the world flashed effortlessly past me.

The puddles that only minutes earlier we were prancing through, acted like breadcrumbs back to the school. The tarnished ground of where I shifted came into view and with it a pile of my shredded clothes.

My phone!

Sliding on my knees I ignored the pain and sought out my cell.

I found it quickly and tugged my shredded shirt to my bare chest as I fumbled to use my phone.

It still works!

My fingers were shaking as I scrolled through names and numbers of people. As though on instinct my thumb landed on 'Jay.' It was ringing before I had a chance to reconsider.

He answered on the second series of ringing, "Sydney where are you?"

"Help," The word was shy of a desperate whisper.

"Sydney where are you?"

"In the woods. Please Jaycen, he needs help. Now."

☽✣☾

Jay

Her cheeks were smudged with dirt and her usually radiant blonde was matted. Her eyes swelled for a moment when they fell on me as I approached her from the school. They made my heart skip a beat. It made me think of the times she looked at me before.

"Sydney!" Emily cried rushing past me to hurtle towards her friend's aid. She slid to Sydney's side and tugged my mates torn clothes tighter around her almost frail form. Sydney's eyes fell to her friend, vaguely responsive. Emily cupped the side of her friend's face and talked to her in a whisper.

She shifted!

It had been tunnel vision since I received Sydney's call and now that I had her in my sights, I was afraid if I blinked that she would vanish. But my wolf was right. The torn environment around the radius of Sydney paired with her tattered clothes were all a telltale sign of a shift.

I had been trying to hold back from wrapping her in my arms, but this propelled me forward.

Crouched at her side I was surprised to see her eyes flicker back towards me and soften.

"Hey," I said gingerly. "Are you alright? Did you shift?"

It felt like an obvious answer and the angered look that flashed in her eyes told me it was. No longer was there any softness in her gaze.

"What do you think?" The words were bordering on venomous.

"Syd he's only here to help."

Her eyes snapped angrily to Em, "Well he wasn't!"

My stomach coiled at her words. Nothing we ever do is right...

We need to take care of our mate. The words were so faint I almost thought I imagined them on impulse. Find out what she called about, then get her home and safe.

I steeled myself and rose, Sydney's eyes skeptical followed my movement. "Who were you talking about on the phone?"

Her dark green eyes dashed away from me almost guiltily, "Elliot. He collapsed and needs help. He just started struggling to breathe and he went unconscious."

With a slight nod to let her know I heard, I turned my attention towards the woods and let my nose flare trying to catch his scent.

"You two stay put, Emily bundle her up please, I'm going to go get him then we are heading back to the pack."