JAY

After they left the field, Mat told him Sydney had been working in a computer lab in the art wing of the school on some of the classwork for the English promotional spread and the newspaper.

Jay was trying to calm himself, and desperately wanted to believe Mat was right when he said that Elliot's voice was not deep enough to be the mid-twenties man that Sydney was talking about.

'But if Elliot knows about her, who else might know?'

Jay wasn't even sure in the first place how Elliot could know about her, as Jay himself had discovered her only a day ago.

As they briskly combed the hallways heading towards her class, Mat asked, "Are you sure Sydney is your mate? She's human, through and through."

Jay pushed open the women's bathroom and found no one in it. "I'm positive Omega, now stop questioning me."

There was silence, making Jay think Mat was finished talking, when instead he said, "I want you to leave Sydney out of pack business. You cannot mate her."

Mat's words triggered a release of fury that Jay wasn't sure if it was his own or his wolfs.

'Make him submit!' His wolf snarled.

Not giving Mat a chance to turn back from the classroom he was looking into, Jay caught his throat and pinned Mat to the lockers. He started to squeeze, and felt his nails elongate, pressing into Mat's delicate skin. Blood trickled out like tears.

Cocking his head to the side Jay, a rumble of dominance emanated from his chest, "You have no say Omega, you never have and never will. There is a reason you are at the bottom of the chain. Submit."

Forcing Jay's nails to grate against his neck, Mat obeyed and turned his head to the side, exposing his throat fully to Jay.

He released Mat from his deadly grasp, and watched as Mat gasp for air and hold his wounded neck.

Pure hatred radiated from Mat's eyes, "It may not matter what I say, but when Sydney sees this side of you, she will never accept you."

Jay flinched. Mat's words caught him by off guard.

I don't even know the girl.

"I don't even know if I want her, but right now I am trying to keep an innocent girl safe. Leave if you are going to continue to be a nuisance." With that Jay continued down the hallway in the direction of the art wing.

'This is taking too long, where is she?'

"This is her class," Mat was still holding his wounded throat as he paused in a door frame and leaned into what Jay could already predict was an empty class.

"Where is her car?"

Mat left the room and Jay followed wordlessly back the way they came.

"There's no way we missed her."

Mat paused, "Shit, I forgot she was going to look for her phone, she lost it last night. She would've gone the other direction if she went to check the lost and found first, then she was going to go outside."

It was Jay's turn to freeze. "It's not there, I have it."

The Omega's eyes went wide, "Shit that means she's probably out in the woods looking for it!"

"Damnit, let's split up and you check the parking lot to see if her car is still here, I'm going straight to the woods." Not needing to say anything more Jay sprinted off towards where he first saw Sydney less than a day ago.

Jay burst out a side door of the school and was no more than fifteen strides away from the school when an ear-piercing scream tore from the woods.

He felt his heart swopped and the hair on the back of his neck stood on end.

'Sydney.'

Now he was running at full force towards the woods, spectators be damned. Everything blurred by him as he wove through trees, leaping over fallen limbs and dips in the forest ground.

An ache was forming in the side of Jay's throat, and it was slowly worsening, but it wouldn't stop him from reaching the source of the scream, that deep in his bones, he knew was Sydney's.

After what felt like ages, all Jay could see was blonde and blood. Crumpled on the forest ground with her head lulled to the side, Jay could see the fluttering of her eyelashes as she looked at him.

'Jaycen!'

It felt like a terrible nightmare where he kept running but couldn't cover any ground. He couldn't hold onto his humanity any longer. His wolf took command and Jay felt an effortless, almost ease, for his bones and skin to shift. In one leap the shift was made from man to wolf, and then Jay could finally feel the gap closing between them.

With a swift shift back Jay cradled her to his chest. He saw where teeth marks had ravaged her neck and it was still oozing. Crimson blood from her neck stained her hair and skin. Dirt and leaves were tangled in her hair and stuck to the red coating her.

Jay saw red, before screaming.

Red. Blood. Sydney. Mate. Hurt. Help. Pack.

He felt his frame shaking, his nails lengthening, teeth were elongated.

Jay was blinded by rage.

'Kill!'

"Jaycen-"

He snapped, body transforming into predator, he spun and snapped at whoever called his name.

They backed away, "Shit."

Jay backed up towards Sydney's limp form, before seeing a shadow out of the corner of his eye and snapping around again.

"Fuck man, Jaycen we need to get her help. We can't stay here." The new voice said.

'Don't let them touch her!'

Jay hunched, ready to pounce. His hackles were raised and saliva dripped from his jowls, his nails were digging into the dirt preparing to launch him at the next attacker.

"Jaycen, please-"

Suddenly Jay found himself knocked to the side. He scrambled to get up, his claws scratching to catch hold of the ground, or better yet his assailant.

'Jaycen! Calm down!' The voice radiated in his mind, but he paid no heed. His mate was endangered.

Jay tried to find Sydney, despite the growing weight pressing down on him. He caught sight of her, and not just her but the Omega beside her, brushing hair out of her face and weeping.

A howl tore out of Jay and his efforts were doubled, clawing at anything and everything. He broke his view from his mate just long enough to bite down on an arm that was pressed around his neck and trying to hold his muzzle closed.

"Ahh!" A male screamed.

"Terrence, we need to give him something, he's not going to stop-"

"Pack doctor is trying to get things ready for her arrival, Alpha and Luciana have been notified."

"What about an ambulance?" The Omega's frantic voice broke out. "She's losing so much blood!"

This fueled another howl from Jay.

Suddenly, a man was in Jay's face grabbing his muzzle. "If some fucking part of you wants Sydney to live, you need to calm the fuck down, and we need to get her back to pack land. Can you do that Alpha?"

Jaycen's wolf was struggling, but Jay knew it was Terrence trying to do the best he could as his future Beta.

'We need to calm down. We need to help Sydney.'

'They are keeping her from us!'

'They aren't here to hurt her, we need to save her. If you have any hope for a future with her-'

'If we. If we want a future with her.'

'Yes, if we want a future with her, I need you to calm down and help me so we can get her safe.'

Via the mind link, 'Get off.' Jay's voice came out cold.

Terrence turned and looked at him. "Are you sure you can hold yourself?"

'Do not question me,' Jay commanded.

With that the weight on top of Jay slowly lessened and he rose off the dirt ground, quickly going to Sydney's side.

He whimpered and licked at her wound, only to see it start blending again.

"Jaycen, I know you're not in control right now, but we need to help Sydney. Let me get her on your back and we'll run to the pack land." Terrence said from behind Jay.

'He's right. Let him put her on our back,' He told his wolf.

Jay watched as Mat and Terrence bent down and carefully lifted her onto his back. He was struggling not to be overcome by the smell of her blood and go into bloodlust again. Then his ears peaked when a soft moan reached his eyes.

Males from behind him gasped, and he heard, "Sydney, can you hear me?" Mat asked her.

Jay felt his frame paused, waiting and hoping that she would answer even though she looked so close to the brink of death.

Her pale wobbly lips moved. "M-Ma-Ma."

Mat raced forward and grabbed her hand. This gained a low growl from Jay.

"Sydney, I'm right here and so is Jay. We are going to get you to a doctor."

"M-Mathew, h-he bit m-me. He sa-said he w-was sorry and t-that it had t-to ha-happen. He s-said he was a w-w-werewolf. He a-also a-ask about Ja-Jaycen, a-and said I w-was a m-mate."

"Who's mate Syd?" Mat pressed.

"J-Jaycen's. T-then h-he told m-me his n-name was E-Elliot. He's cr-crazy, he th-threw me into a t-tree and b-b-bit me."

Jay growled at the thought of someone hurting what's his to protect and love. His chest heaved with thick breaths of rage.

It was then that Sydney seemed to realize she was laying across his back as she did what Jay assumed was as close to a gasp as she could.

"Okay Syd, you're going to be alright. You're on Jay's back and we are going to take you to get help."

"H-he's r-really a werewolf." She whispered to what seemed to be herself.

Mat chuckled. "Yes, and you have nothing to be afraid of. He's here to help you."

"I don't understand," Suddenly Jay felt the shake of her body, and what he could only assume was her crying.

She was scared of us.

"Sydney we'll explain later, but we're going to get you help."

She started to say something, but Jay felt her head roll.

"Oh no no no. Sydney you need to stay awake, Sweetheart." Mat patted her cheek lightly.

It was killing Jay that he couldn't see her, "I'm j-just so tired M-Mat."

"Okay, but you have to stay awake, okay?"

She nodded then proceeded to make tiny fists of his fur to hold onto Jay. Sydney then nuzzled her face into his thick black fur and inhaled.

"Y-your furs so s-soft Jay. It smells g-good t-too."

'Why thank you Gorgeous, I'm glad you approve of me in wolf form,' Jay said trying to keep the mood light so she wouldn't freak.

To say she was startled was an understatement.

'C'mon Jay we need to hurry.' Mat signaled for Jay to follow.

Instead of answering him, Jay just started running alongside him, before taking over as the lead.

"Y-you, j-just talked in my h-head," Sydney spoke.

'That I did, Star. It's an ability shared amongst the pack...'

He waited for an answer but never never got one.

'JAY! Wake her up. Sydney's falling asleep!' Mat warned.

'SYDNEY!' He yelled into her mind. He felt her jerk on his back.

"J-Jay, I d-don't feel t-to good." Sydney whimpered into his pointed ear..

He surveyed their surroundings and saw that Terrence had run ahead to get his father to help, 'Don't worry Gorgeous; we're close to the house.'

"B-but Jay. I-" Sydney was cut off by the sound of her pucking.

Jay flinched feeling the violence wreaking havoc on her small frame, but what followed scared him even more. Next was the very distinct sound of bones snapping. He knew that sound like the back of his hand, and he remembered the first time, the pain of his body tearing apart, like it was yesterday. Sydney's nails dug into his thick coat of fur and almost jumped when her dull nails finally reached his skin.

"JAYCEN!" She screamed. "HELP ME!"

'Holy crap, Jay ,I-I think she's shifting. Sydney's about to shift.'

'Run ahead and have the pack doctor ready!'

Mat didn't run ahead he just ran alongside Jay staring at the still scream Sydney.

'NOW!' Jay commanded.

Mat bolted through the trees to where Jay could see the bright lights of his family's home.

'Sydney hold on, Gorgeous!' Jay yelled at her while gaining speed from the terror of her pain. He only got about thirty feet when Sydney fell off his back.

Quickly, he spun on his heels and nipped at her to get up.

'Sydney! You have to get up. I need to get you back to the house.'

"JAYCEN!" She sobbed. Tears streaming down her face and into the trails of blood covering her.

Jaycen shifted back to human and held her shaking body close to his. Tears were forming in his eyes as he looked down into her pain filled ones.

"Sydney, I am right here, I won't leave you alone!" He vowed hoping it would bring her some calm.

Just then the Red Mountain pack came running down the crest of the hill that lead to his family home, towards Jay and Sydney.

"Jaycen!" Terrence yelled. "Jaci is calling my dad and yours."

Jay looked up at Terrence with teary eyes. "Terrence help me get her up the hill."

HIs friend nodded and hooked an arm under one of her arms, while Jay did the same. Undeterred by her thrashing, the two carried her to the top of the hill and laid her and dropped to a crouch and examined Sydney. She looked like she was having a seizure.

"Shit, she was bit." Terrence whispered to himself seeing the marks on her neck. "Ash! Run and get me some morphine! NOW!" He yelled to his brother that just showed.

"Wha-what are you doing?" Jay inquired apprehensively.

His father was the pack doctor so Terrence knew a little about what to do, but that didn't mean he knew what to do in this case.

"Nothing you're going to like. Jay I need you to let her go and let me work on her."

Jay growled. "Fuck no, I promised to stay by her side."

He sighed sympathetically, "Jaycen, this is for her own good."

Jay felt his wolf getting the better of him. "She's MINE. You don't get to tell me what's best for her and what's not."

Terrence frowned.

"Hold him back! Restrain him!" Terrence yelled at their pack mates who stood by and watched the scene horror. Then most of them snapped out of it and followed the Beta's orders.

Ash came tumbling back and handed Terrence the glass syringe along with a little first aid kit. Then Terrence turned to Mat and said, "Help me hold her down so I can get this into her bloodstream. If we don't she will be in agonizing pain when she shif-"

"DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH HER! SYDNEY'S MINE! BETA, OMEGA, IF YOU LAY ONE HAND ON HER!" Jay couldn't even finish his threat as his pack mate struggled against him.

Sydney's body started shaking and randomly jerking about on the ground. Mat tried to hold her still but ended up practically laying on her which caused me to growl at him.

'No one should be touching our mate other than us!' HIs wolf screamed at Jay.

Jay felt tears start to stream down his face in his anger towards those who were holding him back from caring for his injured mate.

Terrence ripped open her jeans and grabbed the syringe off the box. He scanned her thigh and looked for the major vein in her leg that he was to puncture. He slammed the needle into her skin causing Sydney thrash upward and into Mat screaming.

"AHHHHHHHHH!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, hurting Jay's ears along with many of the others.

"Stop, please stop hurting her." Jay cried weakly, pulling against his pack mates, feeling bruises and cuts forming, but not giving a single damn.

Finally she did. Sydney stopped screaming. She stopped slashing around, she stopped everything.

"Holy shit." Mat whispered.

"What did you do!" Jay screamed at the two.

Terrence looked wide-eyed and scared.

"No no no. She can't be dead!" Jay cried. "I just met her!"

Jay felt his bones shifting, and was about to break free of the hold on him, if it weren't for the little movement between Mat and Terrence.

Sydney's left leg twitched. Then her right arm. Then her chest.

Then Sydney was back to fidgeting.

"Sydney!" Jay cried in relief.

"Jay stay back!" Terrence said leaping away from his mate, like she was the plague.

"Don't tell me what to do," Jay growled. "Let go of me." He demanded the wolves holding him hostage.

"No Jay she's about to shi-"

Terrence was cut off by the screaming of Sydney. Her body hummed and shivered every which way. The noise of snapping bones came back and Sydney's body started to fold and transform inhumanly.

Everyone stared as Sydney started to change and morph.

Her shoulder blades shifted and her back straightened. Then her arms and legs started forming differently. Her hands and feet scrunch into furry paws. Her head started to snap painfully and her teeth lengthened as well as sharpen.

Finally when it was all finished she stood tall and proud as her bushy white hair moved in the nightly breeze.

Then, she dropped like a cold stone.