(Nate's POV)
"Is she....." Danny asked.
"She's shifting." I said and watched and listened to her bones brake one by one.
She never cried, she never screamed, she held everything in. If it wasn't for her facial expression I wouldn't have ever guessed that she was in pain.
But her facial expression gave her away and I knew she was in pain.
I bent down to the grown and made eye contact with her.
"You can do this Eva. Don't fight it and let it happen."
She never said anything back but I could tell she was listening to me.
I know she was fighting against the transition because it shouldn't be that painful to shift into your wolf.
My father came running out into the backyard with the rest of us and looked down at Eva.
"She's shifting?" He asked surprised that her wolf was back.
The doctor told us that her wolf wasn't with her because of all the drugs they used on her over the past couple of years that she was with them.
"I think." But something was wrong.
It was like her wolf was fighting to get out but something was something was stopping her to do so.
So we sat there, and watched.
We watched as her bones broke but then would repair itself after awhile.
"Nate man, this isn't right." Alex said looking from me to Eva.
It had been an hour and we were still sitting here.
At first we thought it was going to take awhile, because she hasn't been with her wolf in awhile but this.... this was taking way too long.
"Alex, go get the pack doctor." Alex did was I asked and ran in the house.
"Danny!" Danny pulled his glued eyes away from Eva and looked at me.
"Bring me water, and some towels." He nodded his head and went inside to get them.
When he came back he handed me the towel and I dipped that in the water and dabbed it on Eva's sweaty forehead.
For once, she didn't pull away from my touch and for that, I was grateful.
"You're going to be fine." I said looking at her and then to the door. Where the hell is Alex?
Finally Alex came back with the pack doctor and he asked us to step aside.
He dug into his bag and took out a syringe.
She looked at him with scared eyes and then to me when he stuck it in her neck.
Her whole body started to go limp and then her eyes were closed.
From her mouth came soft snores so I know she was still alive and breathing.
"What the hell was that?" I asked him kind of mad.
Seeing Eva scared kind of triggered something deep inside of me.
So deep that even my wolf was angry.
The pack doctor picked himself up from the floor and starred at me.
"I'm sorry Alpha but it was her wolf. She was fighting to be released but I'm afraid during the process Evangeline's body was rejecting her."
My father spoke up this time, not giving me a chance to process what he just said.
"What do you mean her own body was rejecting her?" He said looking at him confusingly just like I was.
"Exactly that. It is not that she couldn't shift, but Evangeline wouldn't let herself shift." He said looking at her sleeping body.
"If I may, Alpha." He said bringing me out of my thoughts.
"Evangeline is very strong, I don't know how strong she was before she... left. But it takes a lot of power to deny your wolf freedom. I'm glad you called me when you did."
He grabbed his suitcase from the floor but I did have one more question.
"And what happens if she doesn't allow her wolf to roam free?" I asked wondering why Eva wouldn't welcome her wolf.
"Her wolf would claw herself from the inside out."
"Meaning?" My father asked.
"Meaning, if Evangeline doesn't let her wolf free and she attempts to keep her at bay again than she could kill her, and her wolf." With that he walked away leaving us to a passed out Eva on the floor.
Two hours had went by and we were all in the living room.
By all, I mean Danny, Alex, Athena, Destiny, Ariana, and myself.
We were all stressing about Eva and her wolf.
Who knew that if you keep your wolf at bay for so long that it could kill you.
"Do you think we should hire that which lady again?" Danny said looking at me.
I sighed and shook my head.
"No. Witches are still forbidden. She just has to let her wolf out whether she wants to admit it or not"
Ariana nodded her head agreeing with me.
Athena got up and smiled at all of us.
"As fun as this is, the boys will be back from their rounds around the territory and lunch isn't even ready yet."
She was going to walk away, but Alex grabbed her hand and pulled her back down to the floor with him where they were laying.
"Nope. Marie can do it, you need to take it easy remember?" And he was right.
Athena checked herself out of the hospital but the pack doctor told her to take it easy for right now her body still has some healing to do.
"Alex is right Athena. You shouldn't push yourself too hard." I said and everyone kind of agreed throwing in their comments.
Athena finally sighed and agreed not to do lunch today.
"I just feel so helpless if I'm not the one cooking." We know how much of a sweetheart she is, she just likes to help out a lot its like her thing.
"You are not useless, you are the best female third I know!" he said making her smile.
She kissed him but not before her smart reply.
"I better be the only third female you know mister"
Danny made a whipping noise which then caused Destiny to smack the back of his head and shaking her head disapprovingly at him.
"I'm mated to an idiot." she grumbled before getting up.
Danny rubbed the back of his head and smirked.
"My mate is a spitfire." he gets up and basically runs after her.
We all smiled and watched until we couldn't see them anymore.
Bella comes down the stairs and joins us all in the living room.
She slumped down on the couch and sighed.
"Eva is awake but she hasn't said or done anything. She's just sitting there and starring at the wall."
Ariana reached over and took hold of her hand.
"She needs time, remember?" Bella nodded her head but worry was still etched on her face.
"I just don't know why she hasn't said anything to us."
She asked more to herself than us.
"She has not yet fully understood herself what has happened over the past couple of years." We all turned to the door and my father stood there looking through his phone.
He looked up and nodded at me. And I, at him.
"What do you mean? Shes had five years with those assholes, I'm more than sure she knows exactly what has happened."
Alex said not bothering to look at him as he spoke.
Its no surprise that Alex is still hostile towards our father.
"That may be true, but Evangeline has spent every waking hour afraid for her life. Thinking perhaps of the what ifs and wondering when they would return again for her."
Hmm, I've never really thought of it like that.
"Now, she has time to actually think of other things. She is processing what has happened. So in all, she is trying we just can't push her. She must do it on her own terms."
He said locking his phone and looking back up at us.
By the looks on everyone else face, they knew he was right.
Eva did need time. I just wish there was something we could do to help her get back to normal.
"I heard what happened earlier, has is she?" He asked sitting in the recliner that was across from me.
"She's okay. No damage was done.... I don't think anyways." Bella said looking at him.
He rubbed his chin and looked at her.
"She was lucky this time. Next time, she won't be so lucky."
He said looking at me.
"Have you discussed any other options?" he asked
"Like witches?" I asked cocking an eyebrow at him.
He smiled but shook his head.
"Although I admire your way of thinking, the witch wouldn't work either way."
"And why not?" Alex asked.
"Because I used that witch to keep your wolfs from ever appearing. All of your wolves have been brought out, trained, fought, gotten stronger, and now they all have tittles. Your wolf is like another half of you. Once brought out there is no going back. Which is why I found the best of the best to preform the rituals when you all were young."
Alex made a scuffing noise and rolled his eyes.
"Yes, thank you for that." my father ignored him and looked at me but before he could speak we heard the door to Eva's room opened but no one said anything.
It was like we were all trying to keep quite so we wouldn't scare her.
She walked down the stairs and completely ignored us.
She was dressed in a black leggings, a black and white undershirt, with black boots and a leather jacket.
She looked around the room but not necessarily at us.
It was like she was looking for something.
But when she didn't find it in here she went into the kitchen.
"Everyone stay here. Dad." I nodded my head at him and I was hoping he would follow me, which he did.
We followed Eva into the kitchen and watched.
She was looking through all of the drawers moving everything around.
"Eva, what are you looking for?" She turned and looked at me but then returned to looking for whatever it was that was she looking for in the first place.
"You know if you tell us, we could help you." She slammed the drawer closed and growled but I don't think it was at me.
I think she got frustrated when she realized that was the last drawer in the kitchen.
I turned and looked at my father who was studying her.
He had a confused look on his face but didn't say anything.
She walked back into the living room and everyone was standing now talking but stopped when they had seen my father and I follow in after her.
"Nate?" Ariana said but I shook my head at her telling her not now.
Eva headed towards the stairs and started taking two at a time.
I followed in after her and ended up at the door to her room.
She hesitated and just stood there, contemplating whether to walk in there or not.
She took the knob in her hands and turned it.
The door slowly cracked opened and she pushed it the rest of the way.
She still stood there and didn't make any sudden movements to go inside of her room.
I was starting to think she was second guessing her decision but then she took a step inside.
She flicked on the light and looked around.
I turned around to ask my father to talk to her but he wasn't behind me like I thought he was going to be.
He probably thought I needed to talk to her by myself.
"Eva?" I tried again but she ignored me and started to walk around her room.
Looking at every drawing, every present, every piece of clothing that was there for her to touch.
Then she came across our family picture.
In the picture was Eva, Nate, Danny, and I covered in mud smiling and laughing with my parents in the back ground smiling and kissing.
She sat on the bed and furrowed her eyebrows.
I sat on the bed next to her but she kind of scooted over a little making sure to put some distance between us.
"Do you remember the day we took that picture?" She still didn't say anything.
"I do. I was so mad because mom said we couldn't go to the park because dad had a meeting and she didn't want to leave without him. I think I was more mad at the fact that dad was never really with us."
She ran her fingers over moms figure and then did the same to dad.
"Do you miss her?" She went stiff and I knew at least she was listening.
"Sometimes I feel like things would be so different if mom was here. Dad wouldn't be so cold, we would've grown up with other kids like us. And sometimes I feel like we wouldn't have grown up so fast if she was here. "
She flipped the pictured over and opened the back of the picture frame.
I didn't know why she was taking it apart but then she pulled out the blue necklace that my father gave her for her birthday years ago.
She grabbed it in her hands and then pulled out a key that was in there too.
I was so confused because I've never seen that key before and I didn't know why she needed it.
She put the picture frame back together and without taking another look at it set it by her bed again and walked out.
I jumped up from the bed and followed her down the stairs.
Everyone was standing there watching me chase after Eva who was now headed towards the garage.
Everyone followed us to the garage, wondering what was going on.
Eva stopped dead in her tracks and looked around the room.
Until she found all the keys to the bikes on the wall just hanging there.
She walked over there and took the keys to her bike in her hands.
"Eva, where do you think you're going? If you need to go somewhere we can take you. You don't have to go by yourself." I said but she didn't even look up.
She grabbed the cover that was protecting her bike and ripped it off, revealing her motorcycle that she hasn't ridden in years.
She took the helmet that was on the bike held it in her arms as she climbed onto the bike.
She took the necklace and tied it around her neck, then shoved the single key into her pants pocket and then turned the bike on.
I looked over at Alex and he nodded his head at me.
We both ran to get our keys to the bikes and decided to follow her.
If she doesn't want to stay here than fine, we are just going to have to follow her.
Athena and Ariana didn't say anything as we climbed onto the bikes.
I made eye contact with Ariana and she smiled at me, which told me she understood why I was doing this and knew that this had to be done.
Eva pushed the button on the bike that opened the garage and with that she backed up and pulled out of the garage, speeding off onto the road.
We did the same and followed right behind her.
She was dodging trees and I had to give it to her, it was like she never stopped riding.
We finally left the perimeter and now we were on the road to town.
Some of the teens from the pack work in town just to earn a little bit of extra money but other than that, not a lot of us go into town.
A couple minutes later Eva stopped at a bank like building and climbed off.
She walked inside and didn't speak to anyone.
Alex looked at me and I just shrugged my shoulders because I had never been in this place before and I don't know why Eva has any business coming here in the first place.
"Good Morning Miss Evangeline." An elderly women said but Eva just walked right passed her and didn't say anything.
"She's in a bit of a rush." Alex explained.
The women furrowed her eyebrows but didn't say anything after that.
Eva walked up to a locker and took out the key from her pocket.
She put the key in the slot, turned it and the locker opened.
She pulled out a box and she set it on the table that was right there.
She opened the box and took out her wallet, a USB drive, a watt of cash, and a knife.
She grabbed everything and closed the box back up and put it back into the locker.
She took the knife and shoved it into her jacket pocket with the rest of her things and walked out like nothing happened.
"Eva, if you needed money you should've asked, I have enough of that. You didn't have to come down here."
I said but she didn't say anything, as always.
"I get you want your own money Eva but do you really need that knife?" Alex asked and Eva looked up to the sky and sighed.
She closed her eyes and when she opened them they were a blood red.
Alex took a step back and gasped, as did I.
Her eyes have never done that before and I was worried that she was going to let her wolf take over in a human town.
She got off her bike and started walking down the street.
But something told me to let her. So we did.
We followed of course and when we turned the corner I finally understood why she was walking.
We ended up at an alley and at then end of it was a group of men.
But they weren't alone. They had circled around a girl, but not just any girl.
A female wolf, and those guys weren't just guys.
They were rogues.
Eva growled and her nails extended.
One of the guys looked up, and smiled at Eva.
"Looky here boys, seems like we got a few guest." He sniffed the air and smiled.
"Must be out lucky day, we got a Alpha and Third in our presence." All of the guys turned around and laughed.
Alex growled at them but I kept my composure.
"Here's the deal. You all leave and we won't kill you." Alex said glaring at the rogues.
Eva growled and the nails to her claws extended.
I watched in awe as they all just stood there, and gasped at the sight of her sharp claws.
The main rogue closed his mouth and growled at her before barring his teeth.
"Lets dance pretty girl." And before I could stop him, he lounged at her and then all hell broke lose.
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I have returned from the dead & apparently so has Eva ! Here's a chapter for your bittersweet Monday.
Enjoy! ❤️