My Mate is a Werewolf

Chapter 12

*Victor’s POV*

 The collective howl of an emergency echoed through the pack lands. ‘Unknown rogue near hospital’ was heard in the mind-link. s**t, Celina is still in the hospital! Are they still coming after her? I ran out of the training grounds along with a few warriors. Amelia was running out of the pack house as well and saw me.

 “Celina’s in trouble again?” she asked afraid. “I don’t know…but we have to go and secure the area” I replied back. Amelia nodded as she ran off. She was in charge, along with my mother ,to secure the children and elders and anyone who is unable to fight and defend, as well as secure the humans in the area that might get caught in the cross fire.

 ‘Victor meet me near the West perimeter’ my father boomed in my head. The west gate? Why? That was away from the hospital. ‘Dad the rogue’ I tried to explain before getting cut off. ‘Now!’ he ordered. I growled in frustration as I ran off towards the west area. I kept looking towards the direction of the hospital. I need to be there…I should be the one there protecting her! ‘You should be begging for forgiveness’ grumbled my wolf. I rolled my eyes at him…now was not the time for petty bantering.

 I saw my father in the distance along with the Hayes? “Father” I muttered, looking between them. “Did the rogue come this way?” I questioned anxiously. I really wanted to check on Celina, not chase a rogue.

 “Victor sweetie” Elizabeth began. I looked at her and noticed her eyes were red and puffy. “Did something happen to her? Is she okay?” I questioned, my heart racing as I felt the fear of losing her again. “Calm down Victor” my father said, grabbing my shoulder and giving it a slight squeeze. I took a few breaths, feeling Apollo itching to come out and run after her.

 “Victor we know you rejected her three days ago” Richard began as he grabbed his wife in a gently by her waist. “I understand how painful it was and as much as it hurts to know she suffered because of it, I also understand the reasons and thank you, sincerely for doing something so selfless” Richard looked at my dad, who nodded for him to continue. I felt uneasy with this conversation.

 “However” Elizabeth interjected, wiping the tears that start spilling again from her face. “We were too late” she sobbed out the last part and I involuntarily took a step back. “What do you mean we’re too late?” I questioned, warning bells ringing in my head as my heart raced quicker.

 “The doctors informed us she half shifted and jumped out the window. My breath hitched as I felt I was sucker punched again. She half shifted….not full shifted…but half! “Does that…”

 “Yes” my father interrupted me. “She’s shifted into a lycan.” Oh no…all our work to protect her….and we failed her. “No…where is she? Where is she!” I shouted angrily. My father growled in warning, but Apollo was not submitting. I needed to find her! She was in danger! If the warriors catch her…they could kill her!

 “We are not completely sure, but her scent trailed this way…the warriors are securing the other perimeters, but we’re going this way to try to find her before anyone else does” my father continue to speak. I nodded quickly. Her scent shouldn’t have changed right? “Dad…Mr. and Mrs. Hayes…we’ll find her” I promised. Elizabeth smiled and nodded, giving him a quick hug. “Go find your mate” she whispered into my ear. The fact Mrs. Hayes still accepted me for her daughter’s mate, even though I rejected her….it made my chest feel like it would burst. I turned and ran into the forest, shifting mid stride. ‘Apollo let’s find her and bring her home’ I spoke to him. ‘No need to tell me twice’ he responded as we picked up speed, sniffing the air for her scent.

 We ran as quickly as we could, sniffing the air for her scent of strawberries and honey. It was getting stronger, and I noticed there was a third smell mingled in between, almost like orange blossom. Was she with someone else? I growled as I ducked under branches. I stopped near a clearing and looked at the ground, sniffing it as it permeated her scent. The prints didn’t look typical of a wolf or a human, but in between. I stepped out into the clearing, the Moon shining brightly above me.

 This was the place where she was attacked! I looked around until I heard a feral growl behind me. Quickly turning I was tackled to the ground, the growling and snarling close to my snout. I looked up to a pair of golden eyes and my breath caught. Her claws pinned me to the ground, but she was kneeling in front of me. Her face was elongated with a snout and silver fur, but her body was only mid shift. ‘Apollo we need to shift back so she sees us’ I warned my wolf.

 Quickly the noise of bones rearranging and cracking echoed until I was underneath her naked, her claws drawing blood on my shoulders. “Celina” I whispered her name softly. Her eyes remained glued to my own I could’ve swore I heard a whimper. “It’s okay. I won’t hurt you” I tried to reason, ignoring how her claws dug deeper.

 “Liar” she whispered hoarsely, her voice echoing as if two people were speaking…or was it three? Even in her half shifted stated, I couldn’t help but admire her beauty. Her fur was silver, which was unusual considering her hair is dark. Her golden eyes were hypnotizing and feeling her touch still sent tingles over my body. But how? We rejected each other? So why do I feel the effects of the bond.

 “Celina” She roared in my face angrily, pushing me on the ground as she straddled me. “Try again” she hissed. Of course…I’m speaking to her wolf! Or is it lycan? “What is your name?” I asked, trying to keep my voice soft and calm. “You rejected us…why should we tell you” she replied, hurt laced in her words.

 “I did it to stop this from happening…but I was too late” I replied back. She growled and lifted me up partially before slamming me to the ground. I saw stars for a moment as my vision blurred. She was strong I tell you that much. But I wasn’t going to hurt her, not now and not like this.

 “You made us incomplete” she growled, her golden eyes shimmering with unshed tears. I swallowed the lump in my throat as I tried to raise my hand towards her cheek. “I’m sorry…” I whispered, rubbing her cheek gently. “I thought I was protecting you…saving you from the dangers of being a lycan” She pulled her claws away from my shoulders and stood up.

 “Is this what I am?” she questioned me. I sat up, the wounds on my shoulders already healing. I slowly nodded, trying to give her space so she wouldn’t feel threatened. “There’s a lot that needs to be explained, and I wished I had known about this before I left for training. But I found out about it the day I…rejected you” I clenched my jaw and my hands into fists. “I thought it was the only way to prevent you from having to go through this…but I didn’t know it would be too late to stop this” I heard her whimpering as she crouched down, as if hiding herself from me.

 “Do you not want us….are we too…ugly? We are just an abomination to you?” I widened my eyes and moved closer to her, crouching down to her level. “Never say that again! You are not an abomination…Goddess it was taking all my willpower not to claim you the first day I saw you back at school” I told her, grabbing her face gently. “Nothing will ever change how I feel about you Celina Hayes. I won’t leave you again…I’m sorry…I won’t ever leave you again” I blinked a few times, not caring about the tears that escaped at that moment.

 Her eyes soften as she lifted her claws, wiping the tears from my face. “What is happening to me?” she whispered, her voice changing from the hoarseness to her normal voice. “I don’t know much, except that you were a human with lycan genes” I started before looking around.

 “Come on…let’s get you out of here and back home and we can explain it better” I told her. “We?” she asked. I nodded. “My parents and yours have a lot of explaining to do” I saw the tears flowing down her face and quickly wiped them away. She let out a cry as I heard the snapping of bones. She gripped my arms tightly again as I saw her slowly shrink back to her normal self, her body shivering from the excruciating pain of the first shift.

 “I got you” I whispered softly as I gently picked her up, cradling her head against my chest. The sparks were faint, but the tingles were still there. I need to figure out why the rejection didn’t fully work, or better yet, why the bonds were severed only to reattach themselves again.