The Forgotten Twin

Chapter 4: Breaking bonds

It had been 2 days since I moved to the basement, and to be honest it was a refreshing change. I had my own bathroom and I had complete privacy. I had so many plans for my space after I was done cleaning it out. I still had the nightmares and woke up in pain, but it was easier to handle in my own room. After a day I ran into the woods in the middle of the woods and found some wild wolfsbane. I picked a plant with gloves on and shoved it into a baggy, I took it to a the waterfall with the cave and crushed it up with rock, making it into a mushy mess. I took the purple plant back in the baggy and ran home, I snuck into Alexa's room with a cup and cut her palm and let her bleed into the cup until she healed. I snuck back out and went back to my baggy of wolfsbane, I put it in my cup then sliced my own hand and bled into the cup. The blood sizzled as it made contact with the wolfsbane. I picked up a stick and stirred the bloody cocktail before saying the words Slate told me to. 

"I hereby cut the bond that binds me to you Alexa Blake." I lifted the cup to my lips and downed the red fluid. I choked and coughed as my body burned, the wolfsbane running through it. I fell to the ground and trembled as the deadly toxin worked it's way through me. I felt a rubber band snap in my head and I cried out. My entire body burned, trying to cool off I pulled myself into the small swimming hole underneath the falls. I felt my body begin to shut down and I whimpered, I closed my eyes and focused on keeping my heart and lungs working. 

I opened my heavy eyes not realizing I had fallen asleep, I was still in the water, but my skin was disgustingly pruned. I pulled myself out and collapsed from the effort. I woke up again and the sun was beginning to rise. I shakily stood and took a few deep breaths before falling to my knees again. I saw the cup and looked inside to see the wolfsbane and blood had dried up, I grumbled as I shifted. It was as painful as the first time. I was screaming and crying as my glass bones broke and reconnected weakly, I buried the evidence and walked home unsteadily, I collapsed before I could get home and I fell to the ground. Cillian saw me and ran over as my vision started going black. I was semi conscious so I was able to feel my fuzzy body get lifted and get carried to the hospital. I felt the doctors draw my blood, then black. I saw Cillian and his dad talking to the doctor that wrapped my ribs after the blood rouges attacked. I felt my eyes roll back and I was face to face with Slate again.

"I cut the bond." I said weakly. 

"You did, and you survived a lethal amount of wolfsbane. I said a tiny amount." He growled.

"I didn't want to risk it not working."

"It definitely worked Ashlyn. Now you need to get up and pay attention to what people are saying." He nudged me down and I woke up to see Cillian and Mike still talking to the doctor.

"...this wolf will be fine, she had a medium dose of wolfsbane from somewhere, which caused her unconsciousness. The pride of the pack is doing so much better, I don't know what caused the sudden sickness, but she is almost ready to go home."

"Could it be a twin thing, Ashlyn was injected with wolfsbane, and Alexa felt the symptoms?"

"I'm not sure, if that is the case, this wolf would have been dosed with a lethal amount, seeing as the white wolf showed symptoms 4 days ago, and Ashlyn came back today with a medium dosage still in her system."

"Could she have been dosed more than once?" I heard Mike ask, speaking for the first time.

"I don't think she was, there are no wounds from the wolfsbane, had she been injected twice, her fur would be falling out."

"I see, so tell me, can she still fight? If she can't she is of no use to the pack. She is violent and short tempered." Mike asked.

"Dad!?" I heard Cillian shout. "You know we have to keep her around in order to keep Alexa here, no matter what the twin bond will keep them together." I felt my heart shred, of course he was using me for Alexa. I made them aware of my waking up by stretching on the bed. I shoved my emotions in a chest and locked them up, I looked at the three men and shifted back to human form rather painfully. Cillian ran over, but I stopped him by putting my hand up.

"I'm not a pup. I can get up on my own." I said emotionlessly. I sighed and stretched my stiff muscles and listened to my bones crack.

"How were you dosed?" The doctor asked walking up.

"I'm not sure, I was enjoying my night when I feel asleep, I was in the middle of a nightmare when my body began to shut down. I had to focus on my breathing and my heart rate to survive."

"Which one?" Cillian asked. 

"A new one. A wolf was literally stabbed in the back by a friend of hers, her spinal chord was cut, she was paralyzed, unable to move as the mountain spewed lava and eventually killed her."

"That sounds horrible."

"The feeling of betrayal is worse than the lava." I said as I stood on my shaky legs, I managed to walk to the coat rack and throw on the large sweatshirt and leave the room. I walked past Mary and John and went home. I hobble down the stairs to the basement and cried myself to sleep. 

...............2 years later...............

I was finally almost 18, after I learned why everyone wanted me to stay, I fell into a depression. I stopped eating and stayed in my room. If Ed hadn't come to check on me I would have died from dehydration. Alexa called me an attention w***e and accused me of trying to steal the spotlight from her. Ed hired me to aid him in training younger wolves so he could keep an eye on me. Before long (6 months) I was back in fighting shape. The only difference was I only talked to Ed, I cut contact with Cillian and his friends which left me alone. I didn't care though, according to most of the pack I was a heartless wolf who only enjoyed violence and gore, Alexa was the pack sweet-heart and they didn't know how she dealt with having a twin like me. As is to make it more clear, Alexa began to bleach her hair and dye it white. 

Rumors began spreading of an Alpha named Darius who was traveling to different packs to find his mate, people said he was cruel and power hungry and only wanted his mate so he could become his strongest self. Alexa had Cillian, against his liking, invite him to our pack, he was set to arrive two weeks after our 18th so Alexa could see if she was his mate. I was looking for a way to leave the pack the night of our 18th, but decided to stay in the woods, like most nights. 

I had made a small home inside of a cave in the side of the pack mountain, I basically lived there unless I wanted a shower or to sleep in a real bed. I had finally finished growing and stood in at 5 ft 7 while Alexa was a short 5 ft 4. I had an amazingly proportionate body and an athletic figure. Alexa had more of a straight figure, she would have an hourglass figure if she actually learned to fight instead of letting wolves do it for her. I did some research on Crescent wolves and I am sad to say all I have learned is that we are few and far between, you could even say we are even more rare than white wolves. I would tell people what I was, but I truly had no clue, and neither would they.

I was pulled from my thoughts by a tap on my shoulder, I raised my perfectly arched eyebrow at Terrance who smiled shyly at me. I hadn't spoken to him since I heard Cillian, I crossed my arms and raised my second eyebrow waiting for him to talk.

"Cillian would like to see you in his office." I blinked slowly once and nodded and left without a word. I walked to the pack-house in my training gear and walked to the fourth floor and knocked on his office door.

"Enter." I heard Cillian say. I walked in to see him talking with Alexa and her parents. I stood and raised my eyebrows at him, not letting off the faintest hint of emotion. "Ashlyn it is good to see you, have a seat." He said motioning to the chair beside Alexa. I stood like a statue and he dropped his hand in defeat.

"You shouldn't refuse a request from an Alpha." Alexa said. 

"You shouldn't use people for their twin and yet some people do. Right Cillian?" I looked at our alpha who was looking down at his desk.

"You should be honored to have a twin as amazing as me." She said flipping her fake hair.

"Fake and weak, yeah, honored." I said sarcastically rolling my eyes. She huffed and looked away from me while her parents glared at me. 

"At least your twin has worth, which is why Alpha Darius will be my mate."

"If he's not?"

"Then he will take me as his bride, we are the last stop before he goes home, i have sent him an email offering an agreement, if he doesn't find his mate, he should take me as his Luna and have my power." She said with a smirk. I roared with laughter confusing everyone. 

"None of you know? This is great let me revel in this for a moment" I said taking in their confused faces. "That wont work dumb dumb. In order for an Alpha to gain your full power, they either have to kill you or be your true mate." I was being looked at like I had three heads.

"How do you know that for certain?" Mary snapped at me.

"I have been reading up on different types of wolves looking for a wolf named Kraya. She was burned at the stake during the Salem witch trials. I came upon lots of stuff about white wolves, they can influence the minds of people around them and make them feel what they do, it comes with a price obviously, the wolf will slowly begin to show age before their time."

"Burned at the stake like in your nightmares?" Cillian asked.

"The same."

"Do you know why?"

"Not a clue." I lied. I knew it because somehow our wolves were all connected which is why I could talk with Slate. "So why did you summon me?" I said getting to the real reason I was here.

"I am leaving to find my mate, I have been alone for too long. Terrance is going to lead while I'm gone, I wanted you here to ask, no beg you to not start s**t while I'm gone." 

"You act like it is all I do." I snarled at him. "Not once have I started s**t, i'm the one who finishes it." I turned to leave but needed to say one last thing. "You have no idea what alone is." I slammed the door and walked back to the training grounds where I fought six warriors and won. I had gotten so strong one wolf took me less than a minute to defeat, which was just sad. At the end of the day I ran home to my lovely little cave and went to sleep, waiting for the day my gut told me to leave. 

What do you think Cres? Soon?

(I can't be sure, it just doesn't feel right.)

I know, which is why I will wait for the go ahead.

(Thank you Ashlyn)

Your welcome Crescent.