The first sign we had that the Moon Goddess' punishment was in effect came only moments after sunrise.
We heard a commotion outside and the four alphas, with the exception of Kevin, were immediately at their feet. Kevin was staring at the floor, thinking about something but I didn't pay him any mind.
I stood up as well and started to make my way towards the door but Harry, Dylan, and Zayn stopped me the moment I took a step forward.
"It's starting," I whispered. "Your packmates are outside and it's happening."
Mikhail was already opening the door, letting the chilly air in. Goosebumps sprouted on my exposed legs.
Dylan removed his jacket and placed it on my shoulders, "Maybe wear some pants first, Selene? Your exposed legs aren't doing us any favors here."
"Thank you," I murmured. Dylan's close proximity to me sent his heart pounding. It was weird hearing that I was getting that reaction from him just by being near.
That seemed to piss Harry and Zayn though. Zayn grabbed my arm and pulled me to him.
"What the fucking hell do you fucking think you Northwaters are doing?" Mikhail shouted.
I cringed at his loud voice and thought how his foul mouth rivaled only Cat's.
Harry's head snapped towards their direction when he heard his pack being called but he made no move to go out. He looked reluctant to leave me alone so I took Harry's wrist and pulled him along to go out and see what was happening. I slightly winced as pain shot up from my shoulder. Harry noticed so he matched my pace to help ease the pain.
When we got outside, Mikhail and one of his packmates were facing off with Klaus, Jackson, Jasper. All three Northwaters wolves were acting like shields for a panic-stricken Ally.
I looked over Zayn's house, worried his Mom would see this unusual sight.
"Don't worry, Mom's still asleep," Zayn said on my other side.
"Alpha..." I heard Ally said, her voice lost and confused.
"That Westwind wolf attacked Ally!" Jasper snarled.
"No!" the man next to Mikhail said. "I will never... she... she's my-"
"Soulmate," I said, my mouth blurting out the first thing that popped into my mind.
I glanced up the sky with a slight frown. I couldn't see the moon but I knew she was there.
The boy didn't take his eyes off Ally, only nodding in agreement at what I said. Ally looked somewhat scared but she kept peeking over Jasper's shoulder to look at the Westwind boy.
I heard the back door open and shut. Kevin had left.
"I just... this smell, I just followed this intoxicating scent... and then when I saw her today, I just... and when I touched her..." the boy stuttered.
"Like a spark of electricity shot through me," Ally continued.
Harry drew in a sharp breath, while I felt Zayn and Dylan tense when they heard this.
"You're perfect," the boy breathed.
I closed my eyes. She's really making it hard for them to resist her punishment. She was using their senses to bombard them with desire for their so-called soulmate.
The sensory overload was making them forget how powerless they were, and how unfortunate it was that they now had no say who they'd love and spend the rest of their lives with.
"The fuck?" Mikhail said, his face contorting in disgust. "Too bad for you, Naz, you can't fraternize with Northwaters. Now go back to your fucking post."
But this boy called Naz didn't move.
"Now," Mikhail barked, lacing his voice with his alpha tone.
Naz cringed liked he'd been slapped. Ally whimpered.
Naz glanced and I could almost see the gears of his brain go into overdrive. I realized he's that wolf I saw when I snuck out that night before my birthday.
"I hereby denounce my allegiance with Westwind Pack, severing any and all ties," Naz exclaimed. "Under the moon and with Lead Seer Selene as witness."
My jaw dropped.
Ally broke away from Klaus and the others and ran towards Naz who welcomed her with open arms.
Everyone stood still in shock.
Did Naz really just-
"What's going on?" I heard Cat said as she opened the door.
Mikhail's head snapped towards her at the sound of her voice.
"Elle? You shouldn't be out here, you lost a lot of blood," Cat said, walking next to me. "And hell, you're not wearing any pants!"
Mikhail's eyes zeroed in on Cat, inhaling deeply as he did so.
Oh no.
Cat, with her slightly disheveled appearance, looked at me worriedly. She was oblivious that Mikhail was now looking at her hungrily.
No, no, no, no!
I grabbed Cat and pushed her to go back inside. Before I got in myself, I looked back and scowled at Mikhail. Using my seer tone, I said, "Go. Go back to your pack house."
I was pulling Cat up to go to my room, not caring that my shoulder was now aching.
"Hey, what's going on?" Cat asked.
I heard the front door open and close again. Dylan stopped me before I stepped foot on the first step of the stairs.
"Are Mikhail and this girl..." he started.
"No!" I all but screamed at him.
Dylan raised his hands in surrender. There was a scuffle outside and a loud scream. Mikhail was trying to not follow my order and I could tell it's putting him under strain.
"Selene!" Mikhail growled outside but I ignored him.
Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god. My heart was starting to palpitate.
It's happening. Allegiances would shift, families and friendships would be broken, enemies would be formed.
Within pack mates, between the four packs, amongst rogues, against each other - chaos. Chaos was going to happen.
And when there was chaos there was always war.
"I'll go sort that out," Dylan said before going out once again.
My eyes followed Dylan as he stepped out the house again. Harry was probably still sorting out the mess with his packmates outside since he didn't follow me back inside.
Zayn was standing by the door, just listening and absorbing everything that was happening.
This was all probably confusing him. Or maybe not. He didn't look all that bothered. Someone must've explained to him what was happening while I was asleep. That or he's somehow managed to keep his cool through all the bizarre things suddenly happening to him.
Something I should probably learn to do right now.
"Where's Gummy?" I breathed heavily. "And Liam? Where's Liam and Louis?"
I saw Cat and Zayn exchange looks.
"What?" I wheezed.
"You need to rest, Elle," Cat answered. "You lost a lot of blood last night. You still need-"
"Tell me, Cat."
Cat pursed her lips, her eyes betraying her.
"What happened to Gummy?" I said, mortified.
"Sybil was in an accident," Zayn answered.
"A-acci..." I felt the blood drain from my face. I felt my knees shake.
Zayn grabbed my arms to help keep me from falling, "On her way to the cemetery, she got into an accident. They didn't find her right away because almost all people were in the plaza... and all the werewolves who weren't in the party went in pursuit of who shot us."
"Is she-"
"She's under a coma in the hospital. Liam is with her," Cat explained.
"Louis is finding out everything he could on the accident. He's at the site with the police." Zayn added.
I clutched at his arm, getting dizzy at all of the things happening at once. The stress of everything that's happened was getting to me and I could feel my strength waning every second that passed. Zayn clicked his tongue and then felt myself getting lifted off my feet.
"I need to go see Gummy," I protested, tears rolling down my cheeks again.
"Rest, Elle. I'll call Liam and get an update," Cat said, whipping out her phone from her pocket and proceeded to make a call.
"You need to rest," Zayn said as he walked up the stairs, carrying me like it was nothing.
"I hate my birthday. Something bad always happens," I quietly sobbed on his bare chest. "I wish I was never born."
Zayn held me closer to him, "Being born isn't a crime, Elle."
I shook my head, "It is. In my case, it is."
Zayn gently lowered me onto my bed, making sure I remained seated. He then sat facing me on my bed, and wiped away my tears. Then he grabbed a glass of water and some pills off my bedside table.
"Just pain meds," he said when I stared at the pills he was handing to me.
The pain on my shoulder was throbbing but I thought I deserved to feel this pain anyway.
"Come on, Elle. I promise I'll take you to see Sybil when you feel better but you need to rest right now," Zayn coaxed.
I blankly stared back at him, but took and swallowed the pills nonetheless. Maybe these will also help ease the pain in my heart.
I laid back on the bed and stared at the ceiling, waiting for the medicine to take effect. Zayn tucked away the stray strands of hair behind my ear, a small smile still forming on his lips when he saw I still had the earring he gave me.
I could feel drowsiness taking over me as the pain in my shoulder numbed down into a dull ache, "You better keep your promise this time, Zayn."
There was a short pause, "You remember?"
My eyelids were starting to feel heavy. With everything that happened after I woke up, I hadn't had the chance to tell him yet.
So I tried my best stay awake enough to look at Zayn straight in the eyes and said, "I remember everything now."