Chapter Hundred and Sixty-Five – Shifted.
Jaden’s POV
Ralph always played pranks on me, smart pranks, along with Jake. Was this one of them?
“Ralph, talk!” I shook his body vigorously.
He said nothing, did nothing, felt nothing. His body was only… lifeless.
Logan killed him. Logan had killed my Beta!
My eyes stung but I fought them back. I could hear the soft sobs of my mate behind me.
It broke my heart. I winced in pain, my jaw clenched as I tried to fight everything in.
“Ralph is dead.” I said, slowly accepting it. “My brother is dead.”
What would I tell Jake and Jonah? The pack? His wife? How’d I heal from this?
“Jaden,…” Rihanna touched my shoulder.
I moved her hand away, placing Ralph back on the seat he had been tied to, under the volcano.
From what Chris said earlier, the volcano was about erupting.
If Logan had tied him here, was it so he’d be consumed by the lava? That was unfair and gruesome.
“… I’m very sorry.” Rihanna said softly.
I was very sorry too. “Take him back please.”
My body felt hotter than my surroundings. The suede trousers I wore felt itchy on my body and I wanted to get it off.
“Please, Rih. Take him back home.” I said again.
She gave me puzzled looks as I turned away from her. “Are you going after Logan? You don’t know where he is. He’d harm you!”
I shook my head. “I won’t go after him.”
My wolf was mourning and I needed to vent. Also, something amazing or critical was happening to me.
“Jaden come back, please.” Rihanna pleaded as I strutted off.
“Just take Ralph back.” I said with a low tone.
Away from my mate, I broke down.
Mentally, physically and emotionally. The tears flowed freely and I wondered, why Ralph?
Why did Logan want him? To show me he could hurt me? Was that all he’d been planning all the while that he didn’t attack my pack?
My legs grew hairier and my body temperature increased. My wolf was fighting for dominance in my own body.
I didn’t know what he wanted to do, chase after Logan or just vent?
But I caged him back, like I tried to hold back all the emotions I felt.
An energy was coming closer to me and I wiped the wet tears out of my eyes.
Rihanna passed me, holding Ralph. I was glad she didn’t stop to talk and went along, I couldn’t form words now.
I sat there, on a rock, staring into space.
A lifetime passed.
“Jaden!” Someone called behind me. It was a female’s voice and she ran, covering the distance.
She didn’t use her energy so I knew it wasn’t Dara. I groaned, when I sensed the person.
I was seated on a wet rock and wanted to be left alone. The caller was Beatrice of Silver Pack.
The fact she was a Beta, made my heart sink. Again and again, I was reminded I had none.
She caught up to me. “Did my Alpha meet you and the rest?”
I said nothing.
“Are you okay?” she asked, staying behind me.
I sniffed, wiping my face with my hands.
She gasped. “Did something happen to you?”
Her question should be if something happened to my Beta. I stood up but didn’t face her.
“No matter what, make sure you protect yourself while protecting your Alpha, Beatrice.” I said. “Don’t die while protecting her.”
These were words I wanted to tell Ralph.
“Um… okay.” Beatrice stuttered.
“Because, if you die, your Alpha would blame herself for your death.” I concluded.
I cleaned my face with my hands before turning to the Beta. She was confused, and why shouldn’t she? I was confused as well.
“Rihanna will return to your pack soon. I asked her for a favor so she’d drop by Black Rose.”
She nodded, taking steps away from me. “And Logan? Ralph? Was it settled?”
Was she asking if I found Ralph? “Yes, I found him.”
She sighed in relief, smiling. “That’s a win then. Maybe Logan escaped but with all of you, he’d be counting his last days on Earth.”
Or maybe it was I.
At that point, the injury of my shoulder burned up. I held unto it. “Excuse me, Beatrice.”
I sped away from her, not wanting to keep on saying things she didn’t understand.
I threw the jacket out of my body and fell to the ground but the injury kept on burning up. Like it was healing rapidly.
A dark liquid slowly slid out of my shoulder. Dark like the poison that had fallen on me.
Was that it coming out?
My energy was dispensing the poison?
But how?
All through today, I’ve only lost energy not gained. “What is this!” I asked my wolf.
He exhaled but didn’t give a reply.
I laid on the ground to enable the poison to flow out faster but when I did, I felt energized and angry.
And it was more than my pain causing me anger, it was my wolf’s, he was transferring it to me again.
The shockwaves began zapping through my body in incredible speed.
Hair sprouted out of my skin, gray skin like the color of my wolf’s fur. Was I shifting? Why wasn’t I bending and kneeling?
I felt my bones stretch and I gritted my teeth painfully. It wasn’t as painful as losing Ralph and whatever this was, could pass away.
But the bones kept on stretching. “What’s happening to me?!” I yelled at my wolf.
But he stayed as he had been today, quiet.
My head size increased, then my legs and arms. Was I unlocking a new rank? What was it? I left the ground and stood.
My body size began to increase, I grew bigger while standing up as I hadn’t crouched yet.
Was this real? Am I still a wolf?
“Hello, Jaden.” It was my wolf, finally he was speaking, even if it was with a different tone.
“My name is Leon.”
Was he finally telling me his name? Leon?
A loud growl left my insides and erupted around my surroundings. I was twice my normal size and looking at in the sky.
I had shifted but what did I shift into?
“I thought you didn’t know your name.” I said to my wolf, breathing heavily.
“Now I do.” He replied, gently and confidently.
What kind of psycho was he? Suddenly telling his name after years?
“Then what did you do to me!” I barked. “And what the hell did I just turn into?”
“You unlocked a rank for your species. You tapped into your anger and did it.” he cheered.
“And became what!” I barked.
He snickered before replying. “A Lycan.”
Author note: Hello readers! Who saw this coming? Everyone? No one? Only me? Okay.