The Shadow Wolf Chronicles: Book One

Chapter Two: Nik

“What was that?” Alex called out in the hallway awake for the same reasons he was now awake. He had risen from his bed hearing a very familiar howl echoing through his king sized suite. A frantica knock on his door made him groan in irritation. He was already freaking out and now his family was bothering him. He drove a hand down his face facing the realization that it could in fact be who they both were probably hoping it might be. Of course there was that lingering, nagging, feeling that they were wrong. It was not possible. She was back in Myanmar with her mother safe from the hell that this world was becoming. 

“Nikolas!” Emily’s annoyingly high pitched voice drove him back from his thoughts and into the realization he had to answer them. The curses of being a head of the family meant he had no choice but to answer them. 

“Yeah, hold on! I am coming!” He called out with some annoyance his thick English accent coming through with the annoyance. He grabbed a pair of gray sweats from the chair on the side of his bed. He slipped them over his bare naked ass before walking out to the small crowd that was forming in the hallway. Alex and Emily were directly in front of his bedroom door with worry stricken on their faces. They all were thinking the same thing he was, and it was filling him with false hope he didn’t want to have.

“Nik did you hear? It’s her I know it! She came back!” Emily’s unusual bubbly voice broke the silence. He looked over at his very  blonde, very optimistic sister. She was in a lingerie robe with basically nothing much underneath it but panties. He was just glad it wasn’t seen through, he was already seeing too much of his little sister then he liked.  She tied it off around her hips and giggled at his reaction before grabbing his hands like he hadn’t heard it once already. He let out a scuff and pulled away from her quickly. Holding his arms over his muscular chest he glared at them. 

“Look it’s not possible you guys. Jade went back to her mother’s home and she has been there for over a thousand years. If we haven't been able to find her by now she isn’t here anymore. I would have felt her if she was here and you know it. This is just an odd, very rare and weird coincidence that we all felt that power surge. It’s probably just one of Marcus’ experiments out there roaming around. Look, just go to bed and I will investigate things in the morning. Just go back to bed.” He spoke over the many voices trying to ask him about the woman he used to love. He didn’t want to believe that what they were feeling was true, not after all this time. She couldn’t be back let alone this close to him without him knowing. He couldn’t go back to obsessing over her. He had given up a long time ago on ever finding her again, and now he was struggling to remember why he had finally let her go. He couldn’t go back to obsessing over her again and spending his life searching for her. It wasn’t what she would want. He had decided to do right by her and do things that would make her proud and live the life she would have wanted him to live, but it hadn’t been easy. Why would she suddenly be in New Orleans now? After all this time why would she be back so suddenly? Why now of all times when he was about to save this city from Marcus would that howl wake him and remind him of her? Did she know they were in danger and come to help? Did she feel that New Orleans was in trouble and decide to come save it herself? What could possibly be going on in her mind to pop up? No, no it wasn’t her. It couldn't be.

“Nik you know that was not some coincidence.That was Jade, she’s here. Don’t lie to yourself or to me. I know what I felt.” Alexander spoke up grabbing hold of his hand before he could get fully back into his room. The group of their siblings looked up at him giving him that look and he knew what he was saying was true. They were telling him that this was no coincidence, that the woman both he and Alexander loved was in fact in New Orleans for whatever reason it may be for, a can of worms was being opened again. His heart was ripping from his chest all over again and he wasn’t sure he wanted to accept what they were all saying with their eyes. Growling, his iris became red showing his anger hoping to make them back off him.  

“She’s not back, Alexander, it’s not possible. Eric told us she went home and I trust our brother. Unless you are calling him a liar, brother. Now I am going back to bed, I suggest you do the same.” Nikolas spat back at them with power in his voice and pulled his hand away from Alexander’s grip. Looking up at his siblings he narrowed his red eyes into a glare. “ Off with you!”

“You and I know the truth Nikolas but be stubborn if you want. I will not be letting that call go unheard. You don’t control me.” Alexander’s accent came through now with his anger nearly matching Nik’s only less deep and more aggressive. He backed away while the rest of their family scattered like leaves in the wind. Doors slammed shut leaving only Emily and Alexander to face Nikolas alone.  Since Eric had disappeared and Marcus was cast out of the family the authority had mostly fallen on Nik to hold them together and sometimes he failed at it but he wasn’t exactly perfect. Alexander was the better pick, but Nikolas had shown the makings of a good alpha so they had chosen him to be the head of the house. Alex always tested his authority and he was in no mood to deal with it tonight. Not after hearing that howl. Not after wondering if he was suddenly going to be face to face with her again. The brothers glared at each other like they were waiting for one of them to jump first, but Nikolas backed down and snapped at him hoping it would shut him down. 

“I said I would see what that was in the morning Alexander. If you want to go explore it as well, fine, but don’t forget you guys made me the head of this family not you, Alexander. If you want this power, fight me for it, if not then listen to what I have to say for once. Now leave me alone and go to bed!” Nik lashed  back at his siblings before slamming the bedroom door in their faces. He leaned against the door listening to Emily calm down Alexander  before they both walked away talking among themselves. Hearing their bedroom doors close, he turned around and pressed up against the door with his back. Both hands grabbed onto the sides of his head, gripping onto this hair. Letting out a roar of frustration it shook the very room he stood in. Why was she back? What did she want? What was he going to do now? There would be no sleep for him tonight, not with her on his mind. Not with our memories flooding back in his head and questions rising. Opening his window he jumped out of it and ran off into the night hoping the air would clear his mind.