Wild at Heart

I walked out of the room, knowing I couldn’t face Natalie a minute longer. Nick tried to comfort me, but I pulled away from him.

“I’m sorry.” I said instantly as tears welled up in my eyes. “I’m sorry, Nick. I know this isn’t your fault. I know if you could save her, you would. But right now, I just need Chloe.”

“Whatever you need, little wolf.”

“Please take care of him.” I instructed Daniel. He smiled and nodded to me and I turned to run out of the house. I knew Nick was feeling terrible in this moment as well, but I couldn’t comfort him when I couldn’t even comfort myself.

The cold air hit me like a ton of bricks, but I welcomed it. I pulled my shirt over my head and ripped at my pants until they opened, and I slid them off at the same time as I kicked my shoes off. I threw my bra and panties with my clothes and let my bones break into new forms. My hair grew all over my body and my mouth turned to a snout. I dug my new claws into the dirt and took off running. By the time I got to Chloe’s house I was panting as my lungs rattled my ribs. I shifted back into my human form and knocked on her door naked. Kyle’s look of shock as he answered the door was almost comical. “I’m sorry, I’m just looking for Chloe.”

“Of course, one sec.” He did everything he could to advert his eyes from my body as he turned and went to get my friend. He must have informed her of my bare body because when she came to the door, she had a robe in her hands.

“Get in here.” She told me as she wrapped the robe around my shoulders.

“Sorry, I shifted, and I didn’t think about clothes.”

“It’s fine.” She said as she closed us in her house. She led me to the couch and took my hand. “What’s going on?” I barely returned her calls half the time, so she knew that my stopping by unexpectedly meant something was wrong.

“Natalie messed up.” I said as I tried to swallow the huge lump in my throat. “She messed up really bad.”

“Oh, Moon Goddess, Emma.” Chloe covered her mouth with her hand. “What did she do?”

“Treason.” I muttered. Chloe gasped and shook her head. “Her trail is tomorrow.”

“Emma— there has to be something we can do.” Chloe began. “This is Chase’s fault! He’s the one who should be on trial!”

“Chase is dead, Chloe.”

“What!?”

“He challenged Nick and he lost.”

“Oh, Moon Goddess...” Chloe’s eyes filled with tears, knowing what the outcome would be. “I’ll come with you, we can talk to Nick, there has to be something we can do!”

“It’s not up to Nick, Chloe. The elders are going to have the final say.”

“Emma, they’ll kill her!”

“I know.” I whispered. I pulled Chloe close to me, giving her the embrace we both needed. Natalie may not have been the greatest of friends to us the past few years, but she was still our friend. She’s just a young wolf who lost her way. But then again, wasn’t Derek? And I still took his life. “I’m sorry I’m not here for a better reason.”

“I’m just glad you’re here.” She sobbed into my shoulder. Chloe has always felt things deeper than I ever knew how to. She was so in touch with her emotions I was sometimes jealous.

I didn’t know how long I sat there with Chloe, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to stay long. I needed to get home to Nick before morning.

“Will they let us in the trail?” She asked. I nodded in response.

“I think everyone has to be there.”

“When they convict her of whatever they’ll convict her of doing… we won’t see, right?” She asked as she sniffled again. “They won’t do it right there, will they?” Would they kill Natalie in front of everyone? Would we all be forced to watch? Who would be the one to kill her? Would it be Nick?

“No, I don’t think so.” I tried to reassure her, but in all honesty, I had no idea.

“We would kidnap her.” Chloe said. I sat there in silence waiting for her to tell me she was joking, but she didn’t.

“Chloe, all that would do was put us in her position.” I stroked my friend’s hair in an attempt to calm her head.

“Right.” She said with a nod.

“You should get some sleep. Cuddle up with Kyle and try not to think about it until tomorrow.” I suggested.

“Okay.” She said. “What will you do?”

“The same with Nick.” I said with a smile.

“Okay.” She nodded and sat up as I let my arms fall from her body. “Thank you for this tonight, Emma.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Love you.”

“Ditto.” We smiled at each other. I was happy I still had Chloe after all my friendships that I’ve lost in the recent months. “You want your robe back?” I asked. “I’ll probably just shift and run home anyway.”

“You can leave it by the door when you go.”

I did as Chloe told me to and I shifted and ran home to Nick. I shifted back into my human form in the backyard by Nick’s wood pile. I took the stairs on the deck and made my way into the house that way. I could smell the scent of sweet pine trees and it eased my mind. I went straight into the bedroom and crawled into bed with Nick. He moaned pleasantly and opened his arms to me. I slid into his body and he wrapped an arm around me while the other covered my body with the blanket.

“How are you doing?” He asked me softly.

“I’ve been better.”

“I feel that.” He pressed his lips gently against my forehead. “I wish I could help, Emma, I really do.”

“I know, Nick.” I leaned my head against his chest and closed my eyes.

“Tomorrow is going to be a long day, little wolf. Get some sleep.” I didn’t argue, I just let the darkness of sleep take me away.

I spent my morning in the bar, taking care of any and everything I could possibly think of to keep my mind off of the events that would play out tonight. Nick went to meet with the elders and took Daniel with him to prepare for tonight, but I didn’t want to be there. The whole pack would be crammed into the firehall to wait and watch what would come of Natalie tonight and until that moment, I stayed in the bar. I counted and recounted our inventory. I redid Luke’s numbers for payroll and redid them again just to give myself something to pass the time. My dad stopped by and I had lunch with him, but he knew better than to utter a word about Natalie. Everyone did. At this point word had gotten out and everyone knew what she did. Now it was just a waiting game until the trial.

Nick picked me up at the bar and we stopped home quickly for me to change into something a little more appropriate. I wore black slacks, a dark maroon shirt, and a black blazer over it. I looked more like I was going to a funeral. In a way, I was. I had no idea how sentencing would go, but I knew the outcome. Natalie would be sentenced to death for treason and I had no way to stop it.

The ride to the firehall was silent. Neither Nick nor I knew what to say to each other. We walked into the hall where the elders already sat in a long table against the wall. Pack members were already starting to fill up the opposite side of the hall. Kyle and Chloe were holding hands as a unit and I offered her a small smile of assurance. She returned the favor, and I took a deep breath. Moon Goddess, I didn’t want to do this. Finally, the hall was full of the entire pack. The Omegas stood in a group by the door while Nick, Daniel and I stood to the left of the elders. Alex stood with Natalie, a sturdy hand holding her arm in case she thought it was a good idea to take off running. We all listened as Josephine spoke of the evils Natalie did to the pack. I tried not to listen, but I had no choice.

“Natalie Whey, Alpha Nicklaus will now sentence you for your crimes.” Josephine turned the attention all on Nick. He stepped forward and locked eyes with Natalie. She had tears running down her face from the moment she stepped into the firehall and they still flowed as she stood face to face with Nick.

“Natalie Whey,” he began. “You committed a serious crime against your own pack. Do you have anything to say for yourself?” He asked.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry for everything.” She choked out.

“As Alpha of the North Pack, I hereby sentence you to—” He paused without warning and took a deep breath. “Natalie Whey, I banish you from this pack and all it’s territory effective immediately.”