C2 1

My head was pounding.

My arms were heavy and my eyes almost refused to open. I felt a weight pressed down on top of me and a furry texture brushed against my arms. I forced my eyes open. Momentarily, I thought I had gone mad. Why was everything upside down? I briefly looked to my left and right and noticed a large furry body lodged between the window and my left arm.

Flashes of memory ran through my mind.

My twin sister, Adair had been celebrating her birthday earlier this evening with a few bottles of beer scattered on the club counter. We lived together at Harbor Moon Pack with our parents but had a house all to ourselves. She was currently 45 years old in human years but she’d actually lived through a decade in werewolf estimation. She had turned when she was sixteen and unfortunately, it wasn’t the same with me.

I held no trace of the werewolf blood and my pack had deemed me a non shifter. I had no strength or overly sensitive hearing. I couldn’t shift and I had no special traits. The Oracle has prophesied that it was possible I would be Mateless in the future but for my sister, she was fated for greatness.

She was fated for so much greatness that I couldn’t watch her drown herself in alcohol anymore. She was depressed that she hadn’t found her mate and was convinced he wasn’t even looking for her. Mates meant everything to us werewolves. It was our missing piece, the other half, the yang to ying. I did my best to console her but I couldn’t do much.

Luckily and unluckily, I had only been blessed with immortality through the help of the Oracle from the moon goddess. I still experienced pain though and right now, I could feel my sister’s anguish through our familial bond. I paid for the ten bottles she had already consumed, her metabolism most likely burning through it quickly but she still seemed groggy as I carried her to her car.

“When is he going to show up already?” She mumbled angrily in her dazed state.

“Soon sis, Just relax” I soothed.

I tucked her seatbelt in and started the car.

“That’s all you can tell me huh? I bet I’m going to end up like you!” She scowled.

I tried to ignore her condescending tone and focused on the road.

“There’s a celebration tonight at the Pack House. The Alpha says everyone should be there. Tonight could be the night to meet him”

Distracting her would work best in this case but it didn’t seem to work. Adair freed her chest from the seat belt and slumped in her seat. The Alpha has requested us both to be specially present. He had planned to surprise Adair with a vision from the Oracle of who her mate was.

“Useless and mateless,” Adair spat, “Just like my fucking sister”

I knew the alcohol was clouding her judgement but it still hurt. Her words stung. Did she not think that I longed for a mate as well? Did she not realize I, more often than not, saw my existence as fruitless? I couldn’t shift, I had no Wolf... and I had no mate. Eventually I’d have to marry into the human world and move away from mom and dad.

“Take me back to the bar” Adair angrily ordered.

We were ten minutes away from the pack location in the valley. It was a thirty minute drive from the main capital and I pressed the gas a little more to hurry.

“No, we’re going home” I replied.

Adair reached out and grabbed the steering wheel. I slapped her hand away but she tried again.

“I said fucking take me back” She hollered.

I finally removed her hand from the wheel and tried to get the car back in control. The wheels swerved out of lanes and my eyes caught the glint of an oncoming truck. The steering gear jammed lock as I tried to regain control.

The last thing I saw was white. The last thing I heard was a growl.

Adair’s Wolf, Nume, was sprawled on her side through the broken driver side window. Her upper body was pressed against mine in a protective way and her legs out the window. She whimpered in pain and that was when I noticed the blood pooling against the glass. The car had flipped and was lying on its top on the soft banking beside the street.

“Nume, why’d you shift?” I choked out as I took in a ragged breath.

The road was empty. Apparently the driver had scurried off while I was unconscious. I unstrapped my seatbelt and fell onto Nume’s chest with a soft thud. The passenger side door hung open and I managed to crawl out safely. I hastily went back to Nume’s side and carefully but quickly removed the remaining glass particles that pierced her belly and back. Once I was sure she was fine, I tried to carefully pull her out but she whimpered loudly.

“I’m going to get some help, okay?”

I tried to mindlink Adair on the inside but she wasn’t responding.

“Shit!” I cursed. My jeans were soaked in her blood and my white T-shirt wasn’t any better. I’d look silly approaching the pack house like this but I had no other choice. My sister was set to meet her mate tonight. I couldn’t allow her to die. Pushing to my feet, I jogged the rest of the way to the pack house.

I was already out of breath and trying to keep up after a few minutes until I stumbled onto our territory. I wasn’t out of shape but I was worried, partially injured and I felt a sharp sting in my neck. I passed the front gate and ran straight into the ceremony at the front. My parents rushed to me first and a few pack members followed suit.

The man currently on stage stared at me as if I had two heads but I focused back on my mother.

“We were in a car crash,” I wheezed. “Adair shifted to protect me and she’s lodged between the window. I couldn’t move her”

My dad beckoned to our Alpha and he summoned a few warriors to help. I gave them the location and they each shifted off. I turned to go with them but mom stopped me with a hand on my shoulder.

“What happened?” She asked. Her pretty face was morphed into one of sadness.

“She was drinking again. I was driving her back but she grabbed the steering wheel....I couldn’t save her mom.”

I choked on the last few words and barely managed to keep myself upright. I tumbled to the ground and my mom grabbed my hand in shock.

“Adira!”

I heard her screaming my name from a distance. I knew she was right next to me but....

“Adira!” She shouted again.

Everything was a blur after that. I couldn’t keep my eyes open and I felt my body being hauled against a strong chest.