Jay

My wolf and I felt awful for not telling Sydney everything when we had the opportunity to because she deserved to know what was going on completely.

When I heard that now horrendously annoying voice I knew I was in deep shit. I had this sinking feeling in my stomach that this was going to shatter any progress I had made with Sydney and our hopes of a relationship.

I turned along with Sydney to see perky black-haired Jasmine with her two of her friends behind her. I stood up to tell her to fuck off when she slung herself towards me.

Get her off us human! My wolf cried teetering between annoyed and inraged. I unlike you want my mate only.

This made me irate. I do too! And why would I want someone like Jasmine when I have a woman as amazing as Sydney?

I started to push her off me. "Jasmine. Jasmine stop."

She pulled away confused as to why I was asking this of her. She finally spotted Sydney across the table from my spot. "What? Wh-Oh, it's you."

Sydney sized her up and her face morphed to restrained disgust.

Oh god! She's going to reject us now. Put me out of my misery.

Oh, shut up. Let's see how this pans out. Sydney's a strong girl and seems to listen to people and give them a chance.

We had our chance but we wanted to play footsies and try and woe her instead of telling her everything she has already asked about and deserves to know before committing to us.

The pit in my stomach grew.

Sydney's eyebrow quirked up as she looked at Jasmine, her arms still crossed defensively from our earlier conversation. "Yes, it's me. And you are?"

Jasmine was ready to fire back. "Well, let's just say you aren't the first person to open their legs up to Jay. And probably unlike you, he actually comes back to me." Her friends giggled at her crass meaning.

Sydney stood her ground, "Slow your roll. I don't even know who you are, but you have no right to talk to me that way and for your

information, unlike you, I don't need to have sex with someone to keep their company."

My mouth fell open from the way she talked and how attractive she was while doing it.

Damn, she's hot when she takes charge. My wolf groaned.

Yes. She. is.

Imagine how feisty she could be in our bed. My wolf pressed on.

Cool yourself Jay. You don't need to take Sydney right on this table in front of these people.

As I imagined it more depth it grew disturbing the thought of Jasmine and her click and even the cashier boy being anywhere near me and Sydney in the throes of passion.

"Oh, you fucking bitch you-"

Sydney looked ticked and interrupted her. "Look who's talking."

By now Jasmine's anger rolled off of her and wolf started to come out as she prepared to lunge at my mate. "Jasmine stop!" One of her little friends pleaded seeing this was spiraling out of control.

Jasmine's canines flashed as she said, "NO! She better know who the fuck she's talking to. I'm going to teach her a lesson."

My body tensed as I prepared to defend my mate from this psychotic woman. "You watch yourself, Jasmine."

Jasmine's head snapped as she looked to me. "But Jay I thought we were a thing. We even talked about marking each other." She reached out to me lovingly causing Sydney to growl at her.

Jesus Christ! There is something wrong with this girl.

What is with her and us being a thing? And do you ever remember this talk about marking each other and becoming a thing? I very clearly remember even her saying we were done the other day.

NO! Now get her off of us! Sydney's getting mad and frankly so am I!

I finally made my stand. "No, we didn't Jasmine, and if you don't want me to ban you from the pack I suggest you shut your mouth."

A pout crossed Jasmine's face and made me wonder what in Gods' name did I see in her before I met Sydney. "But Jay! I thought I was going to be the packs new Luciana, not this nobody," she indicated towards my mate.

A furious snarl left not only me, but Sydney too as she started to let her wolf take over.

I was shocked, earlier she had shifted with no problem, but I had still needed to guide her through it. Now here she was shifting for her third time, her second intentionally, with no aid.

Once finished she let out a dominant growl that warned Jasmine and her groupies to stay away from her and what's rightfully hers.

Shit, that's a turn on. I told my wolf.

It was nice to see Sydney defending me even if it isn't entirely on her own accord.

Trust me, I know, but we need to stay in control, this is about to get out of control. We're in public and we need to do damage control and prevention.

Coming to my senses, I jumped in front of Jasmine and raised my hands to Sydney's large white wolf.

"Sydney, baby. Calm down. It's okay," I tried to soothe my furious mate.

She growled at me warning me. "Why are you protecting her? Do you want her?" It was Sydney's wolf that asked me.

"No. I just don't want you to get hurt, or have someone call the cops for there being a wolf here."

"So you don't think I can defend myself?" Demand edged in her tone.

"Star, I know you can defend yourself," I said the first part out loud and the second part in her head. "Trust me not only do I find it attractive and flattering, but I understand why you're doing this, and it's because of all these new emotions and abilities that I don't want you to hurt yourself."

Sydney's wolf seemed to relax at my words.

"Can you not defend yourself?" Jasmine antagonized.

She just had to say something, didn't she? I asked myself.

With that Sydney tensioned and lunged at her. Shifting I leaped into the air and rammed my head into Sydney's belly trying to not cause her any damage. This caused her to flip and land into the concrete with a yelp.

My wolf immediately growled aloud; not towards Sydney, but because my wolf was angry that she was hurt.

I laid down and crawled beside her nuzzling Sydney's snow-white scruff.

"Star, are you alright?" My wolf asked her softly.

She looked up to me with tears in her hazed green eyes. "So that's it? You want her, not me? You're not even going to give me a chance?" Sydney asked.

"What? No, no. Jasmine's none of my concern or Jaycen's. Only you are."

Without saying anything Sydney slowly got up and due to her now aching body, she limped off to the woods.

My heart broke a little right there.

"Yeah go run you, stupid bitch!" Jasmine yelled like she was the victorian in this battle.

I spun on my heels and shifted at the same time knowing full well that I was naked, but I didn't care.

"Tell me one good reason why I shouldn't fucking kick your sorry ass out of my pack right this fucking second!" I roared.

"J-Jay...I thought you liked me..." She whispered.

The small glint in her eyes made me feel bad.

I can't go around hurting people's feelings but Sydney's come first and foremost.

"Well. I'm sorry but I don't. I have a mate, a mate that I care about and want. Now leave me and my mate alone if you don't want me to rip your head from your body, for harming my mate and threatening her."

After that, I turned and ran off into the woods after my mate.

☽✣☾

"I don't know where she is! I haven't seen her and I can't find her scent!" I snapped.

After I left the ice cream shop in search of Sydney I was shocked to find she had either faked the severity of her injuries or that she was so enraged that she was able to take advantage of my telling Jasmine off and had gotten a massive head start from me in the forest.

Had I known she was going to disappear on me in that short time I would have left Jasmine in the dust. Nothing was more important than Sydney.

I searched the forest for hours. Now, it was eight o'clock at night, and I still hadn't found her; it has been nine hours since I last saw her and my wolf and I were going crazy.

"Jay just calm down!" My father commanded.

"No! I will not calm down! Sydney's gone because of fucking Jasmine!"

"Well, maybe you should've thought about that before you went and screwed all of those other girls and didn't wait for your mate," Mat said.

Anger shot through me and I lunged at Mat grabbing him by the throat slamming him into the closest wall.

"You watch your fucking mouth omega!" I snarled, my wolf coming to the surface due to the situation and stress of Sydney's absence.

"You don't tell me what to do when it comes to my best friend, Alpha." Mat spat venomously.

My grip on his throat tightened. "What did you say to me?"

"You know damn well what I said," he choked out, "if you didn't then you might what to get your fucking ears checked you moron."

"You motherfuc-" IMy grip tightened and Mat started to squirm against my hold.

"Jaycen Ward! Get off of the omega." My father commanded with his alpha voice, making it nearly impossible for me to not do what he said. The only reason I could go against what he said was that I had alpha blood running in my veins as well. The closer we'd get to the transfer of power, the easier it would be. But still four years away, and me trying to come back to my rational self, I let go.

Reluctantly letting go of the boy, I turned to my angry father who stood with my mother and sister at his side, and Terrence, along with his father were present in the room as well.

"Let's try this again. Where was the last place you saw her Jaycen?" My father hounded.

"I already said the ice cream shop stalking off into the forest. I dealt with Jasmine then went to go look for her. But because she's a white wolf I couldn't keep up with her even if I am an alpha, and I lost her scent when she went through water and she seemed to have mentally blocked me from sensing her."

My father sighed, frustrated. "Great now we have a newbie werewolf on the loose who happens to be the future Luciana because my son slept with other women and pissed her off, and to add on to that she's a white wolf! Great!" His sarcasm practically dripped from his words.

"Syd probably doesn't want to be found...I doubt she is physically hurt." Mat suggested.

"And how would you know that?" I pressed angrily.

My father warned with a look, "Jaycen."

I looked back at my mate's best friend. "Because, Sydney's a smart girl. Plus you explained the main points about being a werewolf." Mat said in a lighter tone of voice.

"But you forget there are people after her, and these people know things about us. This is Elliot and his hooligans we're talking about. They're fucked up in the head, and they could seriously harm Sydney if they found her just running around in the woods. Worse, they cou-" I couldn't finish.

"Well, why would Elliot do that? I mean he bit her, sure he may have meant to leave her for dead, but they also could have done it because they wanted to send a message to you and use her. So, maybe they still need her, and that'll keep them from laying hands on her?" Mat asked.

Like that's any better.

"I guess you're right. That doesn't mean I want Sydney stranded in the dark by herself with those fuckers out there."

Mat nodded. "I know." His voice softened, "Trust me."

"Okay, we'll send out a search party for her and see what they can find. Do you have anything that smells like her so the pack can get a whiff and know what we're looking for?" My dad asked.

I nodded. "One sec." With my heightened speed I leaped up the stairs and grabbed the shirt she wore last night to bed.

I nuzzled my face into the shirt missing Sydney being where I could see her so I could easily protect her.

I thank the heavens for our bond not being complete, so I wouldn't feel the full-fledged pain of my mate missing from around me. But it also meant that I didn't have as strong a connection with Sydney yet, so I was unable to connect with her from where ever she is and make sure she was alright. Now I was left with the obvious question.

Where is Sydney?

☽✣☾

EDITED JUNE 22 2020