Some problemos on wattpad, so i just hope you can read it... and sorry if you can't :( People say it will fix itself :) Enjoy!
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Brent P.O.V.
I should have told her. I should have told her everything I knew, before I marked her. She deserved to know. She was giving everything up for me, and I had still lied to her, too scared that it would send her running again.
So selfish.
Even now, when we sat at the same table, she was resisting the bond. She had chosen the chair furthest away from mine, and even my hands were twitching at the separation. Liza was human, so the connection must have been much more powerful. Her face was scrunched up in concentration, and her trembling hands were clasped in front of her.
"I, for one, think that the idea is completely unrealistic. Even if we did allow the women to fight, it would be suicide. They don't know how to fight." Randon, the Alpha's right hand, said forcefully. He sat down again, and the Alpha nodded appreciatively in his direction.
Liza sat up straighter. "That's only because you never bothered to teach them." she said quietly, but everybody heard her.
"Who allowed the human in here?" Randon asked condescendingly, "She is not a part of the pack, and should not be included in our meetings."
An angry growl rippled out of me, and he winced at the noise. Before I could stand up for her, Liza decided to do it herself.
"Au contraire, sir," she said respectfully, but with a sharp edge to her voice, "I am the mate of the future Alpha, which would make me Alpha female when he takes over the pack. That makes me as much part of the pack as anybody, and I ask you to respect that."
Her tone was powerful, and I knew that the Gods had made the right choice in putting us together. She certainly knew how to control the pack, and as Randon sat down without another word, I noticed that everybody at the table looked at her with a little more reverence.
"Now that's settled," she continued, still looking over at the head of the table, "I ask you to consider my idea again. It may not be the best proposition, but I know that you have little choice left. Either you can sacrifice some of us, or you can kill us all."
Even the Alpha shifted uncomfortably.
"I can assure you that most of the women will not oppose the idea of helping to save their pack. Though they might be smaller than the males, they have speed on their side, which should make it a fair fight for everyone. You would double the number of fighters in your pack, and give you a huge chance of survival."
"I agree with Liza." my mother spoke up, looking fragile next to the giant frame of the Alpha. "Even I would like to do my part in fixing the problem that I have caused."
Liza shot a thankful smile in her direction, before focusing on the Alpha again. "How many days did you say we have left before the other pack is here?"
"Around two, maybe three." Randon grunted, still looking unhappy that she was here.
Liza nodded. "That should give you enough time to teach them the basics. I really don't see what the problem is here."
"The problem," the Alpha growled dangerously, his dark eyes locking on Liza's, "is that women can't fight, and will never be able to. They are too weak, and will never be able to hold up in the intensity of battle."
"You dare to say that in the presence of your own wife?" Liza said, raising her eyebrows in disbelief. "She was strong enough to desert her own pack and run away with you. Doesn't that account for anything?"
My mother was certainly looked indignant. "Yes, dear, what do you think of that?" she challenged the Alpha, twisting around in her seat to look straight at him.
The Alpha cleared his throat nervously as the two women in the room ganged up on him. "That wasn't the same."
"Or was it?" my mother said, "What do you need in battle? Bravery? Strength? Planning? I'm not trying to boast, but I can say that I did all of that. Don't be blinded by prejudice."
Liza crossed her arms angrily. "Why are we even still discussing this? The women should be allowed to fight if they want. They know the consequences, and they won't be forced into it, so it will be their own choice."
"Human-" the Alpha snarled.
"My name is Liza." she reminded him, her expression turning furious. "And if one more person calls me 'human', I will show them just how human I am."
I actually really wanted to see that, I thought guiltily, watching in amusement as every single person in the room lowered their head nervously.
"I think this meeting is finished." she said impatiently, getting up from her chair. "You are all going to die if you don't open your minds to change, so I suggest you hurry up with the process."
Everybody looked at her in disbelief as she stormed out of the room, closing the door loudly behind her. I knew she couldn't have gone far, she wouldn't want to test the limits of the bond at the moment.
"Well, that certainly is a feisty one." Manson chuckled. He was one of the older members of the council, and his hair was greying fast.
"You could say that again." I said grimly, and some people smiled knowingly. I lounged back in the chair, and tried to ignore the feeling of intense yearning that was creeping up on me as Liza walked further away.
"Have you marked her yet?" Randon asked sharply, "You need to keep her under control."
I turned to glare at him. "I have. She may be feisty, but she is not out of control, so stop talking about her like she's an animal. She is my mate, but I'm not going to restrain her and follow her every move. She needs her freedom."
Randon snorted. "So said the boy that will get stabbed in the back one day."
"Have some compassion!" I blurted out in anger, "She has learned about werewolves, got a mate, and got caught in the middle of a battle in the matter of days. In my opinion, she has handled it better than anyone could have expected, so cut her some slack."
The room was silent, and my anger soon seeped away, left only with an extreme wanting to be with her.
"Let's change topics, shall we?" Manson said quietly, and everybody sighed gratefully for someone breaking the silence. "I think we should give the girl's idea a go. What do we have to loose?"
Several people nodded in agreement.
"It's an outrage!" the Alpha roared, causing everyone to freeze. "I will not take orders from a mere human who has no idea what is at stake. If we allowed women to fight, it would destroy tradition and create uprisings all around the werewolf world. We cannot allow that to happen!"
"You're worried about tradition, Alpha?" I hissed. "Maybe you should have thought about that when you drugged the children in your pack. That goes against every moral tradition ever invented, don't you think?"
He turned his penetrating glare on me. "I did what had to be done. An Alpha must make risky decisions sometimes."
I shook my head. "You do realize that you made all the children change prematurely, including the girls? Why did you put them through that torture if you weren't even going to use them for anything?"
"There was a mistake in the message." he growled, his knuckles turning white as he balled them up into fists on the table.
"Don't you think they deserve something in return from you putting them through that?" I continued, my eyes narrowing, "Let's say, being allowed to fight for their own lives?"
The Alpha didn't say anything, he only scowled mutely in my direction, refusing to rise up to the bait.
"I say we put it to a vote." Manson interjected quietly, watching both of us warily. "We aren't going to come to a decision fighting the whole day, and there are preparations to be done. Does everyone agree?"
We all nodded.
"Right, all those in favour of the girl's idea?" he said calmly, and then he counted the number of hands. "All those against?"
A small smile settled on his lips.
"I think we have come to our decision."
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I found Liza sitting on a chair outside of the room, wringing her hands nervously. She looked up quickly when I walked closer, and then returned to looking at her lap.
"Your idea won." I told her quietly, sitting down next to her. "They're sending out a message right now to any women who want to fight, inviting them to a basic training session this afternoon."
A look of satisfaction flitted over her face, and she nodded sharply.
"You were very good in there, persuasive and all that." I said lightly, hoping to get a reaction out of her. She had barely talked at all since this morning.
Finally, a small smug smile graced her lips. "I know." she whispered.
I sighed gratefully. Maybe the old Liza wasn't too far buried. Maybe I could dig her out before she cut herself off completely.
"What do you want to do before the women’s training? I'm guessing you want to see it?" I asked, and she nodded. "Do you want to go for a walk?"
"A walk? Yes." she said, and I felt my insides start to glow. "With you? No."
She stood up, a cold glint in her eyes before she spun around and walked away. I felt my stomach drop back heavily, and I got up as well, letting the feeling of depression settle itself over me again.
I had been so stupid.
I wonder if I was ever going to get her back?
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The afternoon came on soon enough, and as I pulled up into the parking lot, I wasn't surprised that it was almost completely full. Liza sat stiffly next to me, hating that she was in the same car as me. But at the beginning stages of the bonding, we couldn't risk being too far apart.
She jumped out of the car as soon as it stopped, and slammed the door shut behind her. I watched the stalk away, her fists clenched at her sides. Soon, I started to feel the separation take its toll, so I got out and followed her before it became too bad.
I spotted Red, sitting on the stacked up tables, and headed over to him. Liza was on the other side of the field, talking to Hailey - I wasn't surprised she had shown up.
"Hey." I greeted Red, and took a seat next to him.
"An impressive gathering, don't you think?" Red asked me, watching the girls stretch on the field, a familiar glint in his eye.
"You have a girlfriend." I reminded him, chuckling despite myself. Red was too much of a teenager for his own good.
He shook his head. "Nope, not anymore." he said, and continued to watch one of the girls in our class bend over in red shorts.
"You broke up with Narcissa? Why?" I asked in astonishment. They had been inseparable, literally, for the last few months.
"Too clingy." he dismissed with a wave of his hand. "And besides, she found her mate a few days ago." he finally added, and I noticed the hurt under his words.
"Ouch, sorry." I apologized, laying a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, you'll find yours soon enough."
Red laughed, shaking off my hand. "And in the mean time, I'll enjoy being single!" he said with a wink, and then walked off to start a conversation with the girl in the red shorts. She blushed as he when he said something, and I had to shake my head in amusement. He was too charming for his own good.
"Attention! Everybody, quiet down!" somebody shouted in the microphone, making it squeal noisily. Everybody covered their ears and winced, but their attention had been grabbed effectively.
"The council has chosen that you should be allowed to fight, too. The oncoming threat needs all fighters they can get. Today you will be learning the basics of fighting that you will need in battle. Are there any questions?"
The speaker was a woman that I recognized from somewhere, but I wasn't quite sure from where. Her light brown hair was pinned up into a slick bun, and she was dressed in a dark blue tracksuit with spotlessly white sneakers.
There was a short silence, before someone dared to shout out, "What exactly will we be learning?"
The woman nodded her head. "I'll have to pass the microphone over to my husband for this one. Come on up, Randon."
Randon walked over to where his wife stood, his face extremely sulkily. I now realized where I had seen the woman - on his arm at some parties. I had seen that Randon had voted against, just like the Alpha, but being the right-hand man, he had to be in charge of all the fighters.
"Good afternoon, ladies." he grunted, "Today you will be learning basic defence and offense. Now, watch carefully, because I will tell you to pair up and re-do the movements in a few moments. So, the first move-"
I zoned out of his instructions, having heard it all before. Instead, my eyes scanned the crowds, looking for one person in particular.
Liza stood next to Rosie, their heads inclined towards one another in a hushed conversation. Even with my improved hearing, I couldn't hear them from across of the field. Hailey, who was standing a few metres away from them, listening to the lesson, caught me staring at them. She sent me a pointed glare that said to mind my own business, so I turned away, scowling.
So now I can't even know what my mate's talking about?
She needed her freedom, I reminded myself, and I needed to give it to her. It was the only way she could ever survive the rest of her life with me.
Randon finished explaining, and told everyone to pair off. I watched as the girls got together, and after a few minutes of joking around, they got down to the serious training. That's what they were here for, anyway, and they weren't going to waste their chances.
I noticed a tiny, lone wolf standing in the centre of the throng. Her fur was so light, it was almost white. As she turned her head around nervously, it shimmered in the sunlight.
I realized that there must be an odd number of participants, so after a long sigh, I trembled and shifted. My shirt shredded, but I managed to preserve my jeans and I tucked them under a crook between the tables with my nose.
My muscles enjoyed being stretched as I loped through the field, towards the wolf. It felt like my body was about to explode with all the energy that was kept inside, and I realized that it must be my strength returning and strengthening after Liza had let me mark her.
Another thing I owed her.
I carefully came to a halt in front of the wolf, and she looked up in shock. Her pale blue eyes widened when she saw me, but then they turned grateful. She gave me a wolf-ish grin, and then wagged her tail playfully, ready to get started.
Her happiness was contagious, and soon I was grinning as well, a playful growl making its way out of my lips as I circled her.
Liza had been right. What the girl lacked in strength, she made up in speed. Every time I lunged at her, set on pinning her down, she leaped out of the way at the last second. It was safe to say that she ran circles around me, while I tried to keep up.
The she-wolf seemed to be really enjoying herself. Sometimes, she would randomly jump up into the air and twist around, testing out the feel of her new body. She obviously loved it, the way her eyes shone.
At least someone had benefitted from the transformation.
I taught the girl some of the manoeuvres that I had learned as well, and I was glad they came much easier to me than before. My body was willing to move and change into different positions, the aching in my joints completely disappeared.
The girl was keen to learn, and soon she had picked up most of the tactics, while the rest of the pairings around us still struggled with the first. When I nudged her head with mine, telling her that I was pleased, she seemed to glow with pleasure.
Finally, Randon called attention to the gathering, and I snuck out of the group. I shifted and quickly changed back into my jeans, the cold wind ripping against my bare torso. I had to start being more careful with my clothes, or I was going to have none left.
The session ended, and everyone started to shift back into their human forms. I noticed a lady in a white doctor's coat hurry in the group of changing wolves. She was carrying a wheelchair that was folded together, and I looked closer at the crowd. Had someone gotten hurt?
She knelt down next to the small wolf that I had been fighting with, and I instantly started to stride over. Had I hurt her? Had I been too rough?
Then the girl shifted.
Her almost white, blond hair sprawled around her on the ground as she struggled to sit up. The lady tried to assist her, but she shrugged the hand off, set on doing it herself. She finally managed to sit up, red-faced and panting, with tears in her eyes.
"Macey?" I asked in astonishment, kneeling down next to her as well.
"Hey, Brent." she muttered, her blue eyes ashamed as she kept them fixed onto the ground.
"Macey," I said gently, lifting her chin up with my finger, "what's wrong?"
She avoided my eyes, swallowing a sob. "I hate being so helpless." she whispered hoarsely.
"You're not helpless. Didn't you just fight me in your wolf form? The fact that you can still even change into your wolf is amazing." I said carefully, barely recognizing the optimistic girl from the hospital.
"Being a wolf is great." she said, her eyes shining at the memory. "But when I'm human, I can’t do anything. It's like I'm just a ghost, watching the world go by."
The reality of what had happened to her must have finally set in. When I had first met her, I could hardly believe how fine she was with everything, and I should have known that it wouldn't last. She was finally feeling the pain.
I didn't know what to say. There was nothing I could say. How could you comfort a thirteen-year old girl, who would never be able to walk again?
Without a word, I gently scooped her up and put her in the waiting wheelchair. She didn't comment, only stared blankly at the sky. The nurse gave me a grateful look, and started to wheel her away.
"Wait!" someone yelled behind me, and I turned to see Liza running towards us. The nurse turned the chair around, and Macey watched in surprise as Liza came barrelling towards her.
Liza skidded to a halt, gasping for breath. "Thank God I caught you. I don't believe we've met. I'm Liza." she said, holding out her hand.
Macey hesitantly took her hand and shook it. "Macey." she said, introducing herself.
"I wanted to come visit you, but there was never any time, and-"
Macey smiled. "It's alright. Is it true that you found me?" Liza nodded. "I guess I should say thank you, then."
"No problem." Liza replied, grinning in return. "I watched you fight Brent here. You were amazing! You had him chasing his tail half of the time."
Blushing at the compliment, Macey said modestly, "When he wasn't pinning me down, that is."
Liza waved her hand dismissively. "I didn't see that happen once. Brent, are you loosing your macho touch?"
Wait, was she talking to me?
"Wha-" I started in utter shock, while Liza watched me calmly, "Of course not."
"I think you are." she teased, poking me in the stomach. "I think you need to work out some more, darling. Your fats levels are becoming atrocious."
Macey giggled as I spluttered in disbelief. First, she won't even talk to me, and now she's calling me fat?
"I think you should go harder on him next time, Macey." Liza said with a wink. "He's becoming a little too flabby for my taste."
"I will." Macey laughed.
The nurse was watching the whole exchange in confusion. "We really should get going. Your car is waiting." she told Macey quietly.
Macey pouted a little, but nodded. "Alright, fine. It was nice meeting you Liza, and until next time Brent!"
She grinned at me cheekily until the nurse turned her around and they headed towards the parking lot. I stared after her in shock. Hadn't she just been depressed?
Liza came to stand next to me, watching Macey being rolled away as well. "Isn't she just lovely?" she asked.
"Yeah." I had to agree. Then I looked down at my stomach. "I'm not really that fat, am I?"
She laughed, poking me again. "Of course not. I just had to put Macey in a good mood.”
"Wait, you planned that?"
She nodded. "I saw how she was reacting. It hurts to be helpless, I would know." she added quietly, looking into the distance.
"That was a wonderful thing to do, Liza." I said quickly, sensing that she was slipping away back into her unreachable void. She smiled briefly, but didn't say anything else. "Liza, I-"
"No, Brent." Liza said sharply, turning to face me completely. "It's my turn to speak, and you have to hear me out, alright?"
I nodded, already starting to sink back into my depression. She was going to tell me to stay away. Never to talk to her again. That she didn't want to be with me anymore.
"Look, honey," she said, scowling as she said the unwanted word, "I need to say something... I need to apologize."
I knew it. She doesn't want me anymore. She wants- wait what?!
"What are you talking about?" I spluttered.
She sighed. "I've been selfish. Actually, I've been selfish a lot in the last few weeks. Only thinking about myself, not caring that my decisions will affect every one else as well."
"No-" I started to object, but she put a finger to my mouth to silence me.
"I'm sorry about how I acted before. I was just too shocked with the whole change to understand, or accept, what was happening. I'll be better now, I promise." She looked imploringly at me, "Do you forgive me?"
How could any one resist her?
"Of course, princess." I said, feeling my heart swelling up again. All of a sudden, I felt rather daring, so I plucked up my courage. "Now it's my turn to ask something."
She took in my mischievous grin warily. "Shoot." she said carefully.
"Liza Macdonald, would you like to go on a date with me tomorrow?"
Yeah, that was pretty damn daring.
She gaped at me, her eyes wide in shock. "Brent-... I-" she stuttered, "How... the pack... we need to prepare..."
"I'm sure we can make some time, darling." I said with a smile, trailing a thumb down her cheek. "I'll pick you up tomorrow at seven, alright?"
She blushed at my touch. "You don't have to pick me up, Brent. We live in the same house." she reminded me, but she didn't object.
"All the better." I winked, and she hit me lightly on the chest.
"Don't make me change my mind."
I stepped away, not wanting to push my luck any further. "Wouldn't dream of it."
She shot me a breathtaking smile before she also backed away. She turned to go, but then she hesitated.
"I saw you playing with Macey earlier." she said quietly, looking away from me. "You were really good with her."
"As were you." I responded, confused why she was bringing it up.
She shook her head. "It wasn't the same. I did it on purpose, and you just did it naturally. And I couldn't help but think..." she trailed off.
"Think, what?" I prodded.
"That you are going to make a really good father one day." she said shyly, risking a glance in my direction. When she saw my shocked expression, she blushed crimson and practically ran away without another word.
Did she- ...Was she suggesting-..Me?
I pumped a fist into the air.
Maybe my luck had finally turned around.
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'Sup guys? :) Yeah, that's my new greeting... so gangsta don't you think ;) (yeah... dream on looser...) Pshht anyhow, hope you're all happy with the upload and the earliness of it and all that stuff.
And guess what (I know you don't want to hear about my lame life :D) - I think those health classes finally got to me! I KNOW! I'm like, playing tennis EVERYDAY after school! Makes me super duper sore, but you can't imagine the speed that I do my homework at after! It's like I'm turbo charged and all that... :P
But now... *yawnnnn* = tired. I think I'm gonna go watch some How I met your mother.
Have a great life people :) Or day... or whatever :)
Song: Stay Here - Lee Dewyze (just for you soph and tash... no... it's actually an awesome song.. JK!.... no, really! ;) )
Hope you enjoyed!
P.S. Next upload, on the weekend as usual. See you then cowboys! :D
P.P.S. Planning out my next book (after TMH) OMG SO INTENSE I CANT WAIT! :P
P.P.P.S. Guess what I did before I uploaded? I helped my sister with her essay. And you know what? She's in IB... yeah... my english is just so superior :P Pshht jk,... no.. but really... (anyone what Ray William Johnson? ;) ) She seriously wrote (it was a Theory of Knowledge essay, about how emotions affect your decisions) and she wrote: "The point of suicide is not because they like it."
Yeahh.... ;)
Love you too ;) <3