CHAPTER SIXTY THREE
ALEX DAVALO
It was frightening!
Sandro and I had been driving home after class that day when I suddenly began to feel a sharp pain shooting through my body. It was strange and unsettling, like an electric current stinging under my skin. I furrowed my brow, gripping the steering wheel tightly as I tried to push through the discomfort. “What the hell is this?” I muttered, trying to focus on the road ahead.
The jazz music softly playing in the background did little to ease my anxiety. Sandro, oblivious to my inner turmoil, bobbed his head to the rhythm, tapping his fingers on the dashboard. I glanced at him, wishing I could share how I was feeling, but the words were stuck in my throat.
“Hey, man, are you good?” Sandro asked, finally noticing my silence. He shot me a quick glance, his expression shifting from carefree to concerned.
“Not really,” I admitted, my voice low as I gritted my teeth against the pain. “I don’t know what’s going on. I just feel… off.”
Sandro’s brows knitted together as he watched me. “You sure it’s not your wolf acting up? You know how they get sometimes.”
He had a point. My wolf was restless, almost as if it were trying to communicate something important, but the pain was making it hard for me to listen. “I think it is,” I said, pressing my palm against my thigh, trying to ground myself. “But it feels worse than usual.”
Suddenly, the pain intensified, sharp and spreading outwards like fire igniting under my skin. “We have to stop the car!” I shouted, unable to bear it any longer. The urgency in my voice startled Sandro, and he instantly obeyed, jerking the steering wheel to pull over to the side of the road, while I floored the brakes.
“What’s wrong, Alex?!” he exclaimed. He turned to face me, concern etched across his features.
“I don’t know!” I gasped, trying to catch my breath and stop the racing of my heart. “There’s a pain… and my wolf… it’s restless!” The words poured out in a rush, and Sandro’s eyes widened in worry.
“It’s the mind link. Nadia is in trouble!” I suddenly realised. Now that we both shared a deep connection with Nadia, if she was in distress, we would feel it.
Sandro’s expression shifted from worry to urgency as he nodded vigorously. “Then we must go back to school immediately!”
Quickly, he took the steering, shifted the car into reverse, and we sped back towards the school. With every second that passed, the crippling pain under my skin increased and a knot in my stomach tightened. I could feel the bond we had with Nadia pulling me closer to her, and this sense of urgency became unbearable.
As we reached the school parking lot, we jumped out of the car, scanning our surroundings for any sign of her. “Nadia!” we called at the same time, our voices echoing through the empty courtyard. But our voices were the only ones we could hear. It was dead quiet in the school, the late afternoon sun casting long shadows over the grass.
“I’m not sure she’s here,” I said, my heart sinking as I glanced around the empty lot. “Maybe she’s at home?” My mind raced through possibilities, but nothing felt right.
“Wait!” Sandro shouted, gripping my shoulder as I turned to head back into the car. “Can you hear that?”
I paused, straining my ears. It was faint at first, but then I heard it too-a low growl emanating from the school. “Yeah, I hear it,” I said, exchanging a panicked glance with Sandro.
“That’s coming from our classroom!” His eyes widened, and we sprinted towards the entrance of the building, adrenaline pumping through our veins. As we barreled inside, the growling intensified, and then we heard her voice.
“Nadia!” we shouted, hoping our calls would reach her.
But as we got closer to the classroom, what we saw left us both stunned. The door swung open, and we stepped through to a chaotic scene. Nadia stood in her wolf form, tall and powerful, her glossy fur shimmering as she confronted Lara, Bethany, and the guys they had brought with them.
“Holy shit,” I whispered, my jaw dropping in shock. I had seen wolves before, but this was different. Nadia looked massive, her eyes glinting with fury and primal energy. Not even our wolves could compete with hers.
Bethany and Lara had also transformed, but it was clear that Nadia was the more powerful of the three. She lunged at them, unleashing a fierce growl that shook the core of the building.
“Get away from her!” I yelled, instinctively trying to intervene. I hadn’t realized the full extent of how protective my wolf would be when it came to Nadia. It felt like every part of my being was urging me to rush to her side.
As I stepped forward, the chaos heightened, and I could see the fear in the eyes of Bethany and Lara as they backed away from Nadia, their bravado crumbling.
“Let’s get out of here!” one of the boys shouted, and they all began to retreat toward the door.
The moment Nadia caught sight of me, her expression shifted. It was as if the wildness in her faded slightly, making way for confusion. I could see the emotions swirling in her eyes and felt the urgency to connect with her right away.
“Wait! Nadia!” I said, taking a chance as I moved closer. “It’s us! It’s Alex!”
She turned toward me, and for a fleeting moment, I thought I could reach through the chaotic energy between us. I held out my hand slowly, hoping she would recognize me. But just as quickly, the connection dissolved, and her instincts kicked back in.
Suddenly, she leaped through the window, shattering the glass and vaulting into the woods outside the school. I rushed to the opening after her, my heart pounding in my chest.
“What just happened?” Sandro asked, breathless as he caught up beside me.
I stared into the woods, my mind racing. “That was… intense,” I muttered, trying to comprehend what we had just witnessed. “I can’t believe she’s been holding that kind of power back. I never knew.”
Sandro shook his head, still in shock. “Neither did I. I mean, did you see how fierce she was when she attacked? It was like she was possessed!”
“Who knew that all that tension was building up?” I murmured, still staring into the shadows of the trees that swallowed her whole.
The rush of emotions flooded through me, and I felt the urge to jump into the woods after her. But there was something different about the way she had transformed-something powerful yet new. I didn’t want to chase her away and frighten her further.
“I don’t think we should chase her,” I said hesitantly, taking a step back. “If she’s feeling this power for the first time, we need to give her space.”
“But what if she gets lost or something?” Sandro asked, his eyes darting nervously.
I ran a hand through my hair, trying to think clearly. “We’ll find her, but we have to wait for her to come back. She needs to settle into this new reality. It may take time.”
Silence fell between us as we both stared at the window through which she had jumped. The gravity of the situation weighed heavily on our shoulders, casting an invisible chain of worry around us.
“Do you think she’ll come back?” Sandro asked quietly.
“I have to believe she will,” I said, taking a deep breath. “She’s our mate, after all. Nadia’s strong. She just needs to accept this part of herself.”
For the next few minutes, we stood in shock, replaying the events in our minds. Images of Nadia in her wolf form flashed before my eyes-the power, the fearlessness, the beauty. I had always known she was special, even when we bullied her, but I never quite understood just how strong she was until now.
“I can’t shake this feeling,” Sandro said, breaking the silence. “What if she has trouble controlling her wolf? What if she doesn’t find her way back?”
“There’s only one way to know, and that’s to be here for her when she does,” I replied, putting a reassuring hand on Sandro’s shoulder. “She’s going to need us.”
“We should head into the woods,” Sandro suggested suddenly, looking determined. “We can track her scent. We have to try.”
I nodded, realizing he was right. We couldn’t just stand here and do nothing. “Okay, let’s go,” I said, and together, we turned away from the school and headed into the woods.
As we moved through the trees, the scents of pine and damp earth filled our noses. I focused on the mixed fragrances, pulling deeply to try and catch any sign of Nadia. There was a certain musk that lingered in the air, undoubtedly hers, and I followed it closely, hoping we wouldn’t be far behind.
With each step, my heart raced. Thoughts of what Nadia might be feeling fluttered through my mind, tangled in worry and determination. She had to understand that she wasn’t alone; we were here for her.
“What if we can’t find her?” Sandro said, breaking the soft stillness that surrounded us.
“We will,” I insisted, grimly pressing on. “Even if it takes the entire night, we will find her.”
Finally, after what felt like forever, we heard a rustling sound in the underbrush. I exchanged a glance with Sandro, my heart racing with hope. “Nadia?” I called out softly, holding my breath.
The rustling grew louder, and with it, my excitement soared. But then, I caught a glimpse of movement between the trees-a flash of fur, not the silky coat of Nadia. Suddenly, the tension in the air shifted, and a pair of eyes appeared, locking onto us with alarm.
It was a small wolf, one not much larger than an average dog. I got disappointed, but realized it was frightened. “Hey, it’s okay,” I said softly, lowering my voice to reassure it.
“This isn’t good,” Sandro said, shifting nervously. “Where’s Nadia?”
In that moment, uncertainty pierced through me. I didn’t want to be led astray or get false fears. As much as I wished I knew where Nadia was, I had to accept that it might take time.
We fell silent, every sense trained on the forest around us. With one last glance at the wolf, I nodded to Sandro, and we pressed deeper into the woods. It would take everything we had, but we wouldn’t stop searching until we found her.
All throughout the night, thoughts of Nadia consumed my mind. The fear of losing her-or not finding her again-gripped me. There was something about her wolf that frightened me…
Something I had never seen before, she was like a goddess in her form!