Wildling

~~~Jaxson’s POV~~~

What the fuck is happening right now?! Sean and Ash came barreling in the room just in time to see Ember’s limbs twist and crack painfully. I held her in my arms trying to give her some sort of comfort.

“How is she shifting?” They looked on in shock as I shook my head in disbelief.

“I have no idea. I marked her and then the next thing I know she’s screaming in pain and clawing at the floor.” Ashton’s eyes snapped to mine.

“You saw?” I grimaced, clenching my jaw and nodded my head.

“I saw. I felt. I heard. Everything.” Sean’s eyes looked back and forth at us before they lit up in realization.

“How bad was it?” I stared at him a moment, wondering how to respond and swallowed the bile rising in my throat.

“It was so much worse than I ever thought possible.” I looked at my poor mate in my arms before staring at Sean dead on. “I have no idea how she is alive right now.” His face paled.

“Because she’s strong.” Ashton stares down at her as she continued thrash and whimper in my arms. I wish I could do something more for her.

“Even the strong have their limits.” Ember let loose a blood curdling scream as her arms and legs lengthened. Fur began sprouting from her skin. I smelled blood in the air and noticed that her teeth had sharpened and grew, cutting her tongue. Her nails grew out into long, black claws.

It seemed never ending. Sean came in probably 2 hours ago and she still hasn’t fully shifted. A normal shift typically takes about an hour, but this is far from normal. How is she getting her wolf?! I thought she died. No, I know she died. I felt it.

It was going on six hours, we were seriously debating getting the pack doctor when, in a burst of fur, a beautiful white wolf laid before us. She was gorgeous, larger than Ares but not by much. Her long fur silky to the touch and she had a patch of discoloration spread over her right eye; exactly where Ember’s scar was.

She gave a deep sigh and stilled. No noises, no movements, it was silent.

“Em!” I raced over to hold her massive head in my arms, shaking her. “Ember, wake up! Em!” This was it. She had gone through all this pain and torment only to die? I can’t live without my mate. I can’t. Ares howled in my head. I sat there rocking back and forth with her head in my arms, murmuring her name over and over.

Ashton brought me out from my ramblings. “She’s okay, Jaxson. She’s breathing and I can hear her heartbeat.” In my panic I forgot to use any other senses I possessed and jumped to the worst possible conclusion.

“She’s beautiful. Definitely an alpha female.” Sean murmured.

“How is this possible though? Her wolf died. Both Ash and I felt her die.” Ashton nodded agreement.

“We will have to wait and ask Ember. Hopefully, she knows. It’s very curious.”

“Well, thanks for being here guys. I’ll keep an eye on her.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A fucking week. It has been a week since Ember shifted and she still isn’t awake. Ares and I were both on edge. Snapping at everyone who spoke or came near us, destroying furniture, and downright abusing the warriors in training. Sean had to take over because I was being so violent with them. Sean had originally ordered me to train them when I refused to leave Ember’s side. He regretted his decision.

Ares’ thoughts fed into my own. I’m the more peaceful one of us but with Ember in a coma and having no idea on what’s happening or when she will wake, it’s making us both irritable and aggressive. The pack doctor is a fucking joke and had no clue what was happening.

Ares’ just about ripped his head off when he said he had no clue, and she could be in a coma for life. Sean was able to get Ares off before he killed him, which put us in a cell for the night since Ares refused to give control back.

He felt his mate his die. That pain was so great and the only consolation he had was that Ember was still alive. Then Ember starts shifting and he feels more hope than he’s had in his life begin to blossom, that maybe his other half is somehow alive, and now Ember’s in a coma and we might lose them both. He laid just barely beneath the surface, ready to take control at a moment’s notice. It was becoming difficult to hold him back.

We had finally gotten free of the cell when Ares promised to leave the doctor alone and gave me control. I was headed back to the house to stay with Ember when I was halted.

She really wants to die, today doesn’t she? Ashley grabbed my arm to stop me. Her horrid face twisting into something I imagine she thought was seductive.

“Hey, baby.” She purred, tracing her pink talon-like nails up and down my arm. “How about we go back to my room.”

I grit my teeth, begging myself and Ares not to hurt her. She was still a pack member.

Sean come get this bitch before I kill her. She’s seriously testing my patience. I mind link Sean.

Coming. I can almost hear Sean sigh in my head. But he wasn’t going to get there fast enough.

“Ashley leave. I don’t want you nor have I ever wanted you. I love my mate.” Her face twisted into a scowl.

“Her?! How could you take her over me? She’s disfigured, deformed, and human! She’s dying anyway.” She looked smug with her last words until Ares force shifted in front of her. Her face paled and she began trembling in fear as he stood two inches away teeth bared and roared in her face.

His fangs itching to grab hold of her flesh. To rip it from her body as we bathed in her blood.

“Nobody threatens my mate. She is far, far superior to you. You will bow before her!” Ares’ demonic voice came through as he spoke. His claws sharpened as he raked the ground preparing to lunge.

“She doesn’t deserve you! She’s weak and hideous. How do you even stand looking at those disgusting mismatched eyes?” Ashley screamed as Ares sprang at her.

Ares stop! You can’t kill a pack member! He ignored me.

His claws sinking into the flesh of her shoulders as he brought her to the ground. He grabbed her arm with his jaws, relishing in the taste of her blood as it washed over his canines. This bitch was going down.

“Ares! Stop! You’ll kill her!” Sean attempted to get through to Ares as well but didn’t dare to try and take away his prey. She brought it on herself. Ares growled, not wanting to release the cunt who dared ridicule his mate. He stood over her, his paws on either side of her body while his jaw remained locked on her arm. He clenched his jaw further, delighting in the sound of her tortured scream.

He released her from his jaw and watched his prey scramble away from him. She tried to run towards the pack house. Ares threw his head up and let out a thundering howl before sprinting towards her again. Toying with her. He leapt into the air landing on her back, hearing it snap under his weight. That would take a while to heal.

Ashely whimpered beneath his feet. Her eyes pleading with anyone to help her, but they all remained silent. It was true no one really liked her. Although they didn’t want to see her die, they certainly weren’t going to risk their lives against Ares by helping her.

Ares was bloodthirsty, ready to give the final blow, when he felt a slender hand on his shoulder, tingles spreading from the contact. Still in a rage he spun around to face the person who dared interrupt his kill.

Mint chocolate surrounded his senses. And before him stood his beautiful mate. Dressed in one of his shirts, her whole body seemed to glow as she maintained eye contact with him.

She’s awake! Ares give me control! Ares grunted, refusing.

“Enough Ares. You do not need to harm her.” Ares growled, still wanting to watch Ashley take her last breath. Our mate smiled at him.

“You want to meet Aoralia don’t you? I don’t think she’d like to see you with blood around your jaws and your claws in another woman’s chest, hovering over her.” Ember smirked knowing her words would get through. Ares snarled once more before backing away from the blonde tramp beneath him. Sean took the opportunity to usher a warrior to help her to the doctor.

Ares crept towards Ember, sniffing her and taking in her scent. He licked her face as she chuckled.

Woods. He mind linked Ember with our new mate link and turned to walk into the forest, our mate following.