Jay

"Hold him back! Restrain him!" Terrence yelled at our packmates 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 Mathew 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!" I couldn't even finish my threat as my packmates struggled against me.

Sydney's body started shaking and jerking about on the ground. Mathew 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! My wolf screamed at me.

I felt tears start to stream down my face in anger towards those who were holding me back from caring for Sydney.

Terrence tore open her jeans from the ankle up to expose her thigh. He grabbed the syringe off the box. He scanned her thigh, looking for the major vein in her leg that he was to puncture. Then, he slammed the needle into her skin causing Sydney to thrash upward and into Mathew screaming.

"AHH!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, hurting my ears along with the others.

"Stop. Please stop hurting her." I cried weakly, pulling against my packmates, feeling bruises and cuts forming, but not giving a single damn.

☽Ten Minutes Earlier☾

After we left the classroom, Mathew told me Sydney had mentioned looking for her cellphone after losing it the night before.

"Shit, she was going to look for her phone, she lost it last night. She might've gone to check the lost and found first, then she was going to go outside."

I froze. "It's not there, I have it. We found it in the woods last night."

The Omega's eyes went wide, "Shit that means she's probably out 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 I sprinted off towards where I first saw Sydney less than a day ago.

I 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.

I felt my heart swoop and the hair on the back of my neck stood on end.

Sydney.

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

An ache was forming in the side of my throat, and it was slowly worsening, but it wouldn't stop me from reaching the source of the scream, that deep in my bones, I knew belonged to Sydney.

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

It felt like a terrible nightmare where I kept running but couldn't cover any ground. I couldn't hold onto my humanity any longer. My wolf took command and I felt an effortless, almost ease, of my bones and skin shifting.

In one leap the shift was made from man to wolf, and then I could finally feel the gap closing between us.

With a swift shift back I cradled her to my chest. I 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.

I saw red, before screaming.

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

I felt my frame shaking, my nails lengthening, teeth were elongated.

I was blinded by rage.

Kill!

"Jaycen-"

I snapped, body transforming into a predator, I spun and snapped at whoever called my name.

They backed away, "Shit."

I backed up towards Sydney's limp form, before seeing a shadow out of the corner of my 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!

I hunched, ready to pounce. My hackles were raised and saliva dripped from my jowls, my nails were digging into the dirt preparing to launch myself at the next attacker.

"Jaycen, please-"

Suddenly I found myself knocked to the side. I scrambled to get up, my claws scratching to catch hold of the ground, or better yet my assailant.

"Jaycen! Calm down!" The voice radiated in my mind, but I paid no heed. My mate was endangered.

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

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

Suddenly, a man was in my face grabbing my 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?"

My wolf was struggling, but I knew it was Terrence trying to do the best he could as my 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." My voice was cold.

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

"Do not question me," I commanded.

With that, the weight on top of me slowly lessened and I rose off the dirt ground, quickly going to Sydney's side. I whimpered and licked at her wound, only to see it start blending again.

He bit her. He bit MY mate! My wolf demanded.

I hadn't even notice Mathew was naked and in human form.

He was still by Sydney's side and with my wolf teaming for control I lunged between them and snarled at Mathew.

Mathew leaped back and raised his hands. His face was tear-stricken.

"Alpha, I know you're not quite in control right now, but we need to help Sydney. Let me get her on your back and we'll run to the pack's doctor."

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

He replied defensively. I don't want that omega touching what's ours.

How else is she going to get on our back? I was desperate.

Truthfully a part of me agreed with my wolf, but not because Mat was an omega, but because we weren't friends anymore and because I had a suspicion that he had feelings towards Sydney.

Sure he said they were brother and sister feelings, but you can never be too careful.

Stop, be logical. We're wasting time. We need to save her. The thoughts were more to my human half, but my wolf replied with submission.

Fine. But this time only.

My wolf bobbled our lofty head towards Sydney and Mathew hesitantly moved towards her.

"Sydney, can you hear me?" Mat asked her.

I watched waiting and hoping that she would answer even though she looked like she was dead.

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

Mathew raced forward and grabbed her hand. The gained a low growl from me.

Mathew frowned at me the spoke softly to Sydney. "Sydney, I'm right here and so is Jay. We are going to take you to a doctor."

Her heavy eyelids opened revealing her watery eyes.

"M-Mat, 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 his m-mate."

"Who's mate Syd?" Mathew pressed.

"J-Jaycen's. T-then h-he told m-me his n-name was E-Elliot. E-Elliot at-ttacked me,"

I growled at the thought of someone hurting what's mine to protect and love. Even if she wasn't mine, there was no sense in hurting such an innocent person. My chest heaved with thick breathes of rage.

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

Her little blonde head lolled over and she saw me.

"H-he's r-really a werewolf." She whispered.

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

"W-why do I h-have to be one h-his back?" She asked looking back to her best friend.

Suddenly I felt like crying. She was scared of us.

Shouldn't she be? The thought darkly crossed my mind seeing the terror another werewolf reeked on her.

"What that other guy said was true. We'll explain later, but you're riding on Jay's back."

She started to say something, but her eyes started to roll back in her head.

"No, no, no! Sydney you need to stay awake Sweetheart." He patted her cheek lightly.

Sydney's eye's cracked open halfway. "I'm j-just so tired M-Mat."

"Okay, but ya got to stay awake. Here I'm going to move you onto Jay, okay?"

She nodded.

Mat crouched down and lifted her into his arms with ease. He placed her on my back with her belly pressed against me. She made tiny fists of my fur to hold onto me.

Sydney then nuzzled her face into my thick black fur and inhaled.

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

"Why thank you Star, I'm glad you approve of me in wolf form," I said pushing the thoughts from my mind. I wasn't sure if they would reach her in the first place, and if they did, I tried 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.'" Mathew signaled for me to follow.

I didn't answer him I just started running alongside him.

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

"That I did, Star. It's an ability I have with all werewolves..."

I waited for an answer and I never got one.

'"AYE! Wake her up. Sydney's falling asleep!" Mathew warned.

"SYDNEY!" I yelled into her mind.

I felt her jerk on my back.

"J-Jay, I d-don't feel t-to good." Sydney whimpered in my ear.

"Don't worry Sydney; we're close to the house."

"B-but Jay. I-" Sydney was cut off by the sound of a blood-curdling scream.

I flinched when I realized it was right in my ear. Then I started to hear the very distinct sound of bones snapping. I knew that sound like the back of my hand. Sydney's nails dug into my fur and finally reached my skin. She squirmed on my back.

She screamed. "HELP ME!"

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

"Run ahead and have the pack doctor ready!"

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

"NOW!" I shouted.

Mathew bolted through the trees to where you could see the bright lights of my family's home.

"Sydney hold on!" I yelled at her picking up my speed.

I only got about thirty feet when Sydney fell off my back.

I spun on my 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 shrieked.

I shifted back to human and held her shaking body close to mine.

Tears were forming in my eyes as I looked down into her pain-filled ones.

"Sydney, please I don't know what to do!" I said hoping she would somehow tell me what to do and how to save her.

Just then parts of my pack came flooding through the woods at me.

"Jaycen!" Terrence yelled. "Jaycen! None of the adults are home. Ash is calling my dad and yours. What's going on?"

Sydney's screams answered it.

I looked up at Terrence with teary eyes. "Terrence help me."

He nodded and dropped to a crouch and examined Sydney. She looked like she was having a seizure.

"Shit, she was bitten," 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?" I asked.

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."

I growled. "Hell no. I need to be by her side."

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

My wolf was getting the best of me. "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 our 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 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 I'LL RIP YOU TO FUCKING SHREDS!" I yelled as my packmate struggled against me.

Sydney's body started convulsing on the ground. Mat pinning her down with his body.

My head throbbed with the howls and screams of my wolf. Tears streamed down my face watching as Terrence administer the vial.

Sydney to smash into Mat screaming as loudly as possible.

"Stop. Please stop hurting her." I cried weakly.

Suddenly, she stopped. Sydney stopped screaming. She stopped slashing around, she stopped everything.

"Holy shit. I-is she dead?" Mathew was breathless taking his weight off her.

"She'd better not be dead!" I screamed at the two.

Terrence looked wide-eyed and scared.

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

"She was your mate?" A female voice asked.

I just about lost it on whoever said that and I would've killed her if it weren't for the little movement between Mathew and Terrence.

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

Then Sydney was back to fidgeting.

"She's alive!" I cried in joy.

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

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

They couldn't resist my command, now that I was in enough control to enforce it.

"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.

☽✣☾

EDITED JUNE 18 2020