TBMA [Complete ✔️]

20. Broken jaw

Rosalie's P.O.V

Time had stood still for me as I wallowed in my fears. My wolf, however, was having the time of her life. Zane's body was still underneath hers, but his wolf had come forward, meeting her. The two seemed to get along great because he was already trying to lick her clean, Rain's tongue lapping outside her mouth.

"Rain, please!" I pleaded with her again. "You need to listen to me, you know why we can't be doing this mate thing, especially not in front of everyone!" She finally seemed to listen to me, growling at me as she sat on the grass, Zion, Zane's wolf, letting his human take control back.

Only when he got up did I notice his mom had stood there the entire time, not looking surprised at all. Aunt Zaria had known. She had known everything from the very beginning. That was why she was so happy tonight, because she knew she'd very soon reunite with her son.

Zane tried to mind-link me but I shut him out, a low, warning growl leaving my throat as I took control and looked for Knox. He was glaring daggers at Zane, his fists balled at his sides, though, luckily, he shifted, indicating the show was over and it was time for the pack to go on a run together.

I glared at the mother-son duo hell-bent on ruining the relationship I didn't have with my brother, before taking my place beside him as we began our run. It was a breath of fresh air, whenever I wasn't getting suffocated by Zion and his scent Rain seemed to already adore.

I tried to focus only on nature, on the feeling of freedom as my paws hit the ground, snapping fallen tree branches and kicking rocks to the side, tried to focus on the wind bristling through my fur, of the new-formed connection between me and my other half, but life wasn't that simple.

My senses, every bit of me ached to be near Zane and his wolf, to be touching, to sniff his scent, to know he was around at all times.

My body soon grew tired of running, and of mind fighting heart, so a few of the other wolves, unfortunately amongst which were Zane and Zaria, stayed behind with me, while my brother and the rest of the pack members continued their run.

Paisley and Shawn sat on the nearby grass, Paisley's head leaned against her mate's body, while I ran over to a small stream to quench my thirst. The cold water did wonders for my exhausted body and mind, allowing me to focus on the bigger problem at hand.

My brother.

Yet again it seemed I was held back by him. It was always, "How would Knox react?; Will he hate me even more?; Will he grace me with a greeting today?" It seemed no matter what I did, I always fussed over him and his reactions.

Not this time.

If it was jealousy leading him this time, he had nothing to be jealous over, I didn't plan on accepting Zane, not now, not ever. If it was anger, I didn't control who and when the Goddess would pair me with. Whatever he felt, I had no control over it, not this time, anyway.

For years, I had hoped I would get my brother back. I had prayed and I had lay wide awake into the night, reminiscing on past memories, I had tried time and time again to recall all he had done for me, so I wouldn't give up on any bond left between us, but years later, I finally realized that no matter what I did, no matter what I said or how I acted, my brother was too far gone.

Grief, anger, and thirst for revenge had all gotten the best of him, there was no denying that anymore. And since my wolf was already hell-bent on being with her mate over supporting my decision, my fears, I was utterly and truly alone.

I sat near the stream, staring at my reflection with a small whimper. None of this was what I wanted. I never wanted to lose my best friend, or my second mother, I never wanted my father to look at me and see only a way to expand his territory, I never wanted my wolf and me to be on separate pages since day one, but that was life.

Unpredictable. Sad. Confusing. Cruel.

My reflection was no longer that of a girl with brunette hair and grey lock, I was now a light grey wolf with grey eyes so light they could pass for white.

"You're beautiful!" I whispered to my wolf, which snuggled against our bond.

"I'm sorry I'm not what you wanted."

I smiled sadly, my heart clenching at her thoughts.

"You're perfect the way you are, it's my fears and decisions that are holding you and Zion back." She nudged me again, trying to comfort me.

"You have nothing to fear with him."

This time, I didn't reply. I wasn't about to ruin our moment by telling her there was something to fear in everyone.

Knox and the rest came back around half an hour later, carrying clothes in their mouths.

"Go shift!" My brother commanded through our mind link, his eyes fogged over even as I went to do as I was told.

I didn't have to think too much to know who the other linked wolf would be.

I ran behind a larger tree, imagining myself as a human again as Paisley had previously taught me to do. It wasn't as painful as shifting was, but I could still feel most of it, and it took longer than it would if I was more experienced.

"You did well!" My wolf encouraged me before plopping herself down, head resting between her paws as she got ready to go to sleep.

How I wish I could do the same!

Once I was dressed and had taken a reasonable amount of deep breaths, I made my way back to the stream, everyone but Knox and Zane gone.

"Knox-" I tried, immediately forced to shut my mouth as a warning growl left his lips. His claws had yet to retract, a usual sign of his anger, as well as the constant flicker of his eyes from grey to red.

"My office, now!" He said through gritted teeth, taking long steps without awaiting an answer. Not that either Zane, I assume his new Beta, or I, his sister, had a say in the matter.

My supposed mate tried to take my hand, making me jerk it out of his hold with a glare.

"I remember telling you to leave me alone three years ago, I haven't changed my mind!" His eyes flickered with hurt, my heart skipping a weird beat at the sight of our childhood best friend being on the receiving end of our anger, but I ignored it as best as I could, hands already trembling as we both made our way back to the house.

He wouldn't hurt me, I knew that much. No matter how cold or distant Knox became, no matter how many glasses he broke and how many bookshelves he knocked over, he'd still never think of harming me.

That, however, didn't stop my inner child from fearing for her loved ones in the presence of anger.

The door to the office was already open when we got there, with a few books thrown across the room, but otherwise, everything was intact, for now. We got in, Zane shutting the door behind us.

My brother was facing the window with his back to us, tense as one can be. His breathing was coming out in ragged pants I couldn't tell if were an effect of the run or his anger.

He finally spun around to face us, a glass with a yellowish drink in his hand.

"You saw what happened to mother, Rosalie, did you not?" I tensed at her mention, my heart racing. "Oh wait, you didn't! Because I saved you from seeing what I saw!" He screamed, tears gathering in my eyes.

"Don't you dare go there, I suffered just as much as you did!" I shouted back, the glass in his arms shattering between his fingers. He threw the pieces of glass to the floor before sidestepping them and taking slow steps toward me until we were inches apart.

Zane growled at him, my brother chuckling before forcing his wolf to submit. I shook as I forced Rain down, not wanting us to end up with our neck bared in submission as he had.

"Did you?" Knox finally asked, his face just as close as it was before. "Did you really?" I balled my fists, unable to stop the tears any longer.

"If you had, you wouldn't even be considering suffering the same fate!" With that, he stepped back, giving me enough room to angrily wipe my cheeks, embarrassed for still crying at the mention of mom or the past.

"I haven't considered accepting him for a second!" Zane growled, then whimpered, Rain following after him in my head. "In the three years I've known I had not stopped tormenting myself over hurting the one wolf who was there for me when you were too much of a coward to be my brother!"

His eyes flickered to blood red again, and that's when I knew I had made a mistake talking to him like this.

Still, I stood my ground, for my words were nothing but the truth.

I shut my eyes tightly just as his growl shook the whole room, more books scattering along the ground. When I opened them, the office was already a mess, paperwork flying around as if it was an unimportant drawing made by a pup.

"Three years!" He bellowed. "Three years you knew he was your mate and you hid it from me!" He grabbed Zane by the collar of his shirt, my best friend struggling to get out of his grip, his gaze pleading for me to help.

He would never hurt his Alpha, nor would he hurt my brother in general.

He wouldn't put up a fight. He'd end up dead if I didn't put an end to this.

And I would.

I ran over to them, claws out, gripping my brother's hand until it drew blood.

"Why would I tell you?" I asked, trying to keep the tremor out of my voice. "Because you're such a caring brother? Because you'd support me no matter what I chose?" He reluctantly let Zane go, so I dropped his hand, guilt slashing through me for the wound I caused him.

"Alpha, with all due respect, but I am not your father, I would never hurt my mate!"

Wrong thing to say.

"Do not-" Punch. "Ever call," Another punch. "That scumbag my father again, you heard me, pup?" Knox's fist collided with his jaw again before he let him go, my mate cradling his jaw while blood seeped out of his nose.

"Knox, that's enough!" I screamed, taking him off guard again. "I don't know why you even care given you've been the only one that's hurt me in the past few years, but you have nothing to worry about." I ensured he grasped my every word because I would not be putting Zane's wolf, or mine, through the pain of repeating them again.

"I will not accept a mate, whether it'd be Zane or the king of the elves, and you will never," I stopped, so the effect of the last word stayed, so he couldn't forget it. "You will never bring up my past, or hurt Zane again, understand?" He chuckled.

And at that moment, I really wished he wasn't my Alpha, so I could throw a book at his head and make it count.

"Or what?" I sighed, staring at the blood on the ground, crouching near Zane so I could heal him.

"Or your mom witnesses you hurting her daughter and breaking your promise to both of them!" With that, I healed Zane's wounds, then his, because after all, he was still my brother.

"Anger won't get you anywhere in life, Alpha!" I said before helping Zane up and leaving, the sound of things being destroyed the only remaining sound in the dead of the night.

A/N

Hi, Treasures! Make sure you join my F-a-c-e-b-o-o-k group Teddy's Treasures for extra content and discussions! Happy holidays! I have left a Christmas bonus chapter of the first book in the group if you want to check it out! How did you celebrate?