The Lost Wolf

The rescue.

ALEX’S POV

Her brother? She was fated to her brother? I don’t know if I’m angry, disgusted or just plain freaked out. I decided to give her the benefit of the doubt for a moment, because there was a lot of things confusing about this girl and while I wished she wasn’t already mated, I hoped that maybe they weren’t actually related, for her sake.

Saige couldn’t look anybody in the eye, not even me as much as I dared her glaze, she avoided it. The whole room erupted in murmurs and laughter, Luke shuffled in his boots and looked as if he wanted to just fall into the ground so nobody could look at him.

“What?” An older woman who looked like

Saige spoke with confusion and disgust. “You two are mated? Have you…?”

“No!” Saige and Luke screamed in unison.

“We’re brother and sister, of course not. We don’t understand why this could have happened. We kept it quiet while we figured out what we were going to do about it.” Luke stated. “You think we’re happy about this? Or feel good about this? I feel sick every time I look at her.”

Saige winced, but I knew it was her wolf. “There has to be some explanation.”

“Why didn’t you reject each other?” Her mum asked. “Did you think you could just play along and eventually we would find out and you could live harmoniously? Did you think that pretending that this stranger was your mate would be the cover you need to be with... your brother?!”

I felt bad for Saige, everybody was blaming it on her, as if she had the option to choose her mate.

”We didn’t reject each other because we know the deep hatred that burns after the rejection and I didn’t want to hate my brother. We wanted to tell someone, and then I lied and said that Alex was my mate to try and save him. Then after spending time with Alex, I wanted to feel the mate bond properly.” Everybody gasped at this point. “Before you all start thinking the worst, no not with Luke. I went to Luna Avery hoping she might have guidance, maybe I could be sent into the constellation again and beg for a new mate.”

“Beg for a new mate?” The alpha began. “You’re delusional.”

“Maybe I am delusional, but I hope I’m not because this is not what I want for myself.” Saige’s voice was breaking, she was begging for somebody to listen, to care… and she just wasn’t getting it from these people. “What can’t any of you understand? Something went wrong when you sent me to the constellation, I woke up as a Lycan who was mated to my full blood sibling.”

“Things like that don’t just go wrong.” The alpha spoke. “Kevin and Marcella, what do you have to say for yourself?”

“What do you mean, Alpha?” Kevin spoke.

“Is Saige adopted?”

“I definitely birthed a little girl and a little boy.” Marcella added. “Whether she was switched at the hospital or something, I don’t know.”

The pain is Saige’s face was heart wrenching, her own family were basically disowning her instead of supporting her and trying to help her. She stared at the ground and I wanted so badly to jump up and just hold her.

“So we’ll get a maternity and a paternity

test done ASAP. Kevin, Marcella and Luke go home, I’ll be around to chat with you later. Jacob, go get the swabs and organise the tests. You two…” He looked at Saige and myself. “Just stay put.”

Everybody left the room after this and the silence was earie. Saige was sobbing quietly and couldn’t even wipe her tears away with her hands bound. Her beautiful long blond hair stuck to her cheeks, her blue eyes glistened from the amount of water pouring out of them. This poor girl had so much going on in her own head, and the only people she thought she could trust have abandoned her.

“Can’t say I’ve ever had the urge to date my sister, but you do you.” I jokingly said, thinking it was the right move to break the tension, I was wrong… I usually am.

“Are you f*****g kidding me, Alex?” She shot up. “How can you even joke? I don’t want to date him, my wolf feels these things and I suppress them. God, you’re such a jerk!”

“I’m sorry.” I instantly felt bad. “Sometimes I say insensitive things without thinking…”

“Yeah, I got that.”

“Well if it helps, my family should be here soon.” I said as my watch started beeping, informing me that my dad been notified about the raise in heart rate.

“What made it signal him?”

“Seeing you being dragged in and chained up I think.” Her face softened slightly. “Yeah yeah, I do have a little soft spot for you, Saigey-girl” I don’t know what made me give her a nickname, but she seemed to like it.

“So what are they going to do when they get here?”

“Nothing. They’ll get us out quickly and quietly, and then we’ll discuss our next steps once we’re back home.” She seemed to relax, even though she was being treated so horribly by these people, she didn’t want them to be attacked. “Soooo.. whats the mate bond feel like?”

“I wish I could tell you it’s electrifying and exciting, but I can’t. Maybe one day you can tell me what it’s like.” She was sad now and once again, I regretted my question.

The next couple of hours went by slowly, we were able to engage in conversation and she told me a lot about her childhood, which was seemingly normal, she didn’t have a bad word to say about anyone and her family spoilt her from day dot.

I told her about the history of my clan, and how my grandparents rewrote our story and changed the way we lived. She asked about Tasha, and if I would still see her when we got back and I couldn’t answer her. Was I going to see Tasha? I couldn’t just break up with her for somebody who’s not even my mate, it would make no sense, but I have little interest in her since meeting Saige.

When the town clock stroke midnight, I knew my family wouldn’t be long. And I was right, I could see the light flashlights in the windows of the hall, at least 20 of them. They didn’t waste any time and broke in through the front door without making a sound.

Dad walked in first and held his finger to his lips as if to tell us to be quiet. We followed his orders. He cut both our restraints with garden shears and led us back the way they came in. I grabbed Saige’s hand and followed my family back out to the woods, she seemed to be in shock at how quickly it all happened and was clinging to me tightly, even while we shifted, she never let go.

We all ran together until the familiar scent of my town was clear in the air and once in view of the houses, we shifted back to our human forms. Her transition was much smoother this time and I squeezed her hand, as she looked up at me, her eyes were filled with an emptiness that could not be soothed, I pulled her in and hugged her tightly as everyone walked on forward.

“You’re going to be okay.” I whispered into her hair.

“Alex!” Tasha’s voice came closer as she reached us and she stopped a few meters away.

“Hey Tash.” I pulled away from Saige and walked towards her, pulling her in for a hug. She planted multiple kisses on my face and as much as I wanted to pull away for Saige’s sake, I let her continue, I knew she would have been worried.

“Are you guys okay?” She looked between myself and Saige who was silently staring at the ground uncomfortably.

“Yeah, we just need to get some sleep… In a bed.” Tasha looked confused by this, she must have thought I wanted to take Saige to my bed. “Saige will be able to jump in with Essie… But I’d like to have my bed to myself tonight.”

Tasha just nodded and the three of us silently walked back to our houses.

Once Tasha was out of sight, I turned to Saige. “I’m sorry, I won’t stay with her anymore…”

“Don’t be silly. She’s your girlfriend.” Saige said, monotone. She was hurting, I don’t think it was about me… I don’t think she really felt what I felt toward her but this poor girl was in pain.

Once inside, my sister and mum engulfed us both with hugs and kisses. Saige was overwhelmed but took it all in. Essie happily led her to her own bedroom and gave her some clothes to sleep in, I didn’t see her again for the rest of the night.

Before jumping into bed, Dad pulled me aside for a chat.

“Did they harm you or Saige?” He questioned.

“I got hit once but overall no.” I began. “Saige is going through something extraordinary, Dad. We knew she was a Lycan from the moment we saw her… she only found out when I told her. Her wolf mated with her own blood brothers wolf… Her entire clan including her family just completely dismissed it all as if she were a liar and basically abandoned her… I don’t know how she will get through this.”

“She will get through this because she found us. We’ll help her. Should we prepare for an attack during the next full moon?”

“I’d say so. They’re pretty mental over there.”

“Righto, Bud. Get some sleep.” He patted my back and sent me off to my room

SAIGE’S POV

I woke up next to Essie who happens to be an avid sleep cuddler, which truth be told I felt safe knowing somebody was beside me and Ecko really liked her. We had stayed up for hours talking and I told her everything that went on with me, which only made her terrified for her 18th birthday soon. She is sweet and genuine, just like her brother.

I followed her to the living room, expecting to find that Tasha had spent the night with Alex but he was sitting alone at the table eating cereal.

“Fancy meeting you here.” He smirked. “How’d you sleep, Saigey?”

“Good. Your sister sure gives good cuddles.”

His jaw dropped slightly and I sensed a little jealousy which excited me.

“She can stay in my bed any time she needs.” Essie added and made the both of us a bowl of breakfast.

“Yeah well its not like you’ll ever be allowed to share your bed with a male so may as well take what you can get hey?” Alex joked. Essie laughed and slapped his arm.

Their mother joined us, who I now know as Lucille, or Luci for short. She was warm and kind, just like my own mother… or what I thought my mother was like until I saw the disgust in her eyes yesterday.

“Daniel filled me in with everything, hon, and I just want you to know that this is a judgement free house and there is a lot going on with you at the moment, so whatever you need, please just ask.”

“What’s going to happen to my pack?”

“Straight to the point hey?” Daniel appeared in the doorway. “We’re not violent, Saige. Unless we have to be, we will fight for eachother and what we have built here, so if your pack brings danger upon us, we will not stand down. We are expecting them to find us by the next full moon…”

I appreciated how honest he was about the situation. “I’m so sorry I’ve caused all this.” I began to cry and instantly Alex was at my side rubbing my shoulders. “I should have stayed put.”

“If you hadn’t of found us, you would be living your life as a Lycan in a pack of werewolves, nothing would seem right and eventually it would drive you mental. We need to be with our own kind, that’s the way it is. You’re one of us.” Daniel’s words were comforting. I felt connected to him.

“Thank you. So, you’re the king.” I smiled at him.

“Yeah, and I’m a prince. Do you like me more now?” Alex chimed in.

“I knew it! I knew you liked her!” Essie squealed. “What is that thing you call a girlfriend going to think?”

Alex laughed and looked at me. “Essie and Tasha don’t get along.” All I could focus on was the fact that he didn’t deny that he liked me.

“Don’t get along? Ha! That’s the nice way of putting it.”

The room filled with chatter and laughter. I remember the days when my family was like this and watching how close Alex is with his sister, broke my heart that I would never be like that with my brother again. I tried not to get sad about it, but I didn’t know how to overcome it. In a matter of days everything I thought my life was completely changed and I no longer knew what direction I’m heading.

After breakfast, Alex showed me around the village. It was small, like my own, but it had more character, everywhere you turned was an artwork created by one of the townspeople. There were status, and fountains, tall oak trees right in the middle of the streets, gardens and small lakes. The people were happy and welcoming, Alex knew every single person and every single person knew him. While I still felt like a stranger, Ecko felt at home, and that put me at ease.

Alex and I had walked hand in hand around the town, he knew I was feeling off and his touch kept me calm at times when I felt I might break down, his sarcastic sense of humour but comforting conversations were helping me get through the day. If he wasn’t fated to somebody else, I might have even let myself fall for this man.

“So what are you going to do about Tasha?” I decided to ask, to get that cleared up before it got confusing.

“That depends on what you’re going to do about me?”

I turned and stared at him, his brown hair was ruffled, his big brown eyes tired but still warm and open and lips pursed as he waited for my answer. He was gorgeous… but he was not mine and I needed to remember that.

“I will do nothing about you, you are fated to somebody else.”

“Well so are you, but you’ve been able to suppress that.” He began, and then slapped his forehead. “Ah, I know. I’m sorry. It wouldn’t be hard to do that if it was a sibling.”

“Yeah, unless you’re fated to your sister, then I don’t think you’ll be able to suppress it. From what I’ve heard.”

“So you would never give me a chance?”

I sighed and shook my head. “I’ve been through enough… I don’t want to get attached to you and then have you ripped away like everything else.” And then I said something that I knew I’d regret, but knew it was the right thing. “Stay with Tasha and make it work. The agreement you guys have, it works for you… no point ruining a good thing that works right now is here?”

He simply nodded silently.

“We’re friends, Alex. You saved me and you’ve taught me so much already. I will never be able to thank you.” I squeezed his hand.

“You’re going to have to find yourself a human… yuck.” He joked and squeezed my hand back.

A genuine smile formed on my face and I continued to let Alex lead me around and get my mind off reality for a little while.

I wondering what my pack was doing at this moment, were they planning an attack? Were they preparing for an attack? Or are they just grateful that I’m gone…

***