Chapter 6 - Nathaniel

I sigh as I walk back towards our home with the rest of my pack. Today it's raining and both me and my wolf love the rain. We've always loved it for as long as I can remember. The coldness of it doesn't bother me one bit. However, it affects my pack members. I quickly take off my raincoat and put it over a warrior who is shaking because of the rain. She smiles over at me and thanks me before we both focus on where we are headed. It's weird how the cold or the heat doesn't bother me. The cold affected my mother and father so how come they don't affect me. I shake my head bringing myself out of my mind. Now is not the time to be in my mind. All that matters is getting everyone back to the pack and making sure everyone is doing alright. I already know Alice is going to want to give me a check over because in her words if I'm not okay the pack won't be okay. And I guess she is right. I hate the fact she is right. Just as we've reached the border of my pack lands a black wolf with blue markings runs up to me and jumps around. I scrunch up my eyebrows confused as to who this wolf is until I get a whiff of the wolf's scent. It's Mia.

"Mia. Is that you? I...wasn't your wolf brown before?" I ask confused. But then I realise the same thing that happened to Niyah has happened to Mia as well. A week after me and Niyah met, Niyah started to shift like it was her first time. However, instead of her cream coloured wolf, it was now a dark purple with gold markings. You see in books we turn when we are 16. However, in real life, we can shift when we are born. However, we don't hear our wolves until we are ten. As we grow so do our wolves. And after our tenth birthday, we have what some call our first shift even though it isn't. We still call it that as we shift into grown wolf size and we finally hear our wolf for the first time. So, anyway... When she started shifting like that I panicked but I stayed by her side through it. Before she shifted her wolf was a cream colour and it was so soft as she always kept it clean.

I should have realised this would have happened to Mia as well. I can't believe I wasn't there for her when she needed me.

"Of course your wolf's colour has appeared," I say smiling at her and kneeling so I am face to face with her. I roll my eyes as she sits in front of me and licks my face.

"How is Niyah. Is she awake yet?" I ask her. I look at her with a chuckle as she nods her head hurriedly before she stands and runs in the direction of the packhouse.

"She's so energetic. I feel sorry for her mate" Eros says and I laugh. I turn towards him as we continue to walk to the packhouse.

"Kylian is the same as her. You should feel sorry for yourself" I say to her. Eros rolls his eyes but doesn't say anything back to me. I smirk over at him just as the packhouse comes into view. We all enter the house and we all split up to go to our own rooms to change out of our wet clothes.

I sigh when I place on some dry clothes before stretching. The smell of beef drifts into my room and I smile. As if on queue my belly grumbles.

"You are still hungry?" James's voice asks from the doorway making me jump, slightly surprised. I look towards him only to see he isn't alone. Niyah is leaning against the doorway with James beside her.

"Niyah!" I yell running towards her and engulfing her in a hug.

"I missed you so much. Never do that to me again" I say as I pull away from her.

"I heard you wiped the Crystal Pack out while I was in a coma. Good for you. I wish I could have helped to take down the pack that has killed so many" She says and I smile over at her.

"Mia didn't go either" I reply before looking down at my stomach as it growls before chuckling as my wolf enters the front of my mind just to order me, Go downstairs and get some food, will you? I'm hungry and Claudia has made beef. You know how I love my meat.

"Let's go before my stomach gets any louder and before my wolf takes over to get to her meat," I say to both James and Niyah. Both Niyah and James chuckle as I hook my arm in Niyah's and we make our way down the stairs and over to the dining room.

I sigh in distaste when I see my pack waiting for me to take the first bite. Hell to the no!

"Just eat already guys. We won't be like that kind of pack where they have to wait for the alpha to take the first bite. I won't allow it. Just eat okay" I call out. Instantly there is a sound of cutlery hitting plates as everyone digs on. I sit on my seat as a plate of beef dinner is placed in front of me. I can already feel my wolf jumping around in my head just by the sight of it alone. I think my wolf is addicted to meat.

"Thank you, Claudia. Just what we needed after a long walk back" I say smiling up at the pack cook.

"No problem, Diana. I knew all of you would be hungry when you got back so I thought a beef dinner would carve your appetites. Oh, Mia's mate is awake and is up and about. He's eating and drinking more than he did and he's gained some more meat on his bones. He also shifted into his wolf yesterday so Alice gave him the clear" She explains to me and I smile happily.

"Oh, Mia also would like to talk to you after you have filled your stomach. She should be out in the garden with her mate" Claudia then adds on.

"Thank you, Claudia. Now, go eat. I'm sure you are hungry as well" I reply while bringing her in for a hug. She smiles and walks away as I start to dig into my dinner. I stop as Eros sits at the table.

"How is he, Eros? What did Alice say?" I ask worriedly.

"He's got a concussion, several broken ribs, a broken arm, and bruises around his throat. Doc said to keep him on bed rest until he is healed" Eros explains and I sigh feeling the sadness and guilt eating at me.

"I'm sorry Eros. If I had known that the Dark Hallow pack was still there I never would have attacked" I apologise as tears reach my eyes.

"Hey. Don't blame yourself. There is nothing to be sorry for. You saw a time to attack and attacked. How were you to know that they would still be there? Plus you know Killian. He stayed and fought which gave the others a chance to escape. Anyways, he took a lot of the warriors down as well. There were just too many for him to take on. He woke up a while ago and told me their defense and attacks were sloppy. They all left their necks wide open. It wasn't training that failed him, there was simply too many of them for him to take on alone" Eros says comforting me as he reaches across the table to hold my hand. He squeezes my hand before he pulls away and grabs his knife and fork.

"Now, dry those tears and finish that delicious-looking meal while I finish mine" Eros then says making me chuckle slightly. However, I pick up my knife and fork and start to eat once again.

I groan once I've finished, holding my stomach.

"I'm so full" I groan out while leaning back in my chair.

"So am I" I hear Niyah says just as she finishes her meal and pushing her plate away so she can lean her head on the table. I sigh and stand and stretch out my body. I sile when I feel my bones pop slightly.

"Uhh, I better go see Mia, she is probably wondering why her wolf has somehow changed color" I explain to the group.

"You mean it happened to her too?" Niyah asks and I smile while nodding.

"It must have something to do with them being your destined sisters. I don't see any other reason as to why both their wolves would change" Eros says after wiping his mouth. I nod while unconsciously biting my lip.

"I think it is. We all have markings. I'm black and gold, Mia is black and blue and Niyah is Purple and gold. Each of them has a part of me. Niyah has my colour markings while Mia has my black fur" I explain before grabbing a piece of beef off of James' plate and run out of the door. I sigh and make my way to the gardens where Mia and her mate are.

I walk down the steps towards Mia and a guy who has a little bit of muscle. Both of them turn and I gasp when I see the guy's face.

"Hello again, little Lycon" he speaks out. Tears fill my eyes as the memories come back.

"Nat. It's really you. I thought you died" I say to him.

"Wait you know each other" Mia says while frowning.

"Well, no not really. He just helped me escape from the pack that killed my family and he got caught doing so. I'm so sorry Nat. I was too weak and pathetic back then" I apologise as the tears finally escape and cause a streak down my face.

"So that's why I recognised the name," I say, more to myself than them.

"So are you telling me, my mate and my sister have met before? That my mate saved your life and he helped you escape only to be caught by the pack" Mia asks looking as shocked as I feel. However, I smile and nod my head as the memory flashed through my mind, as bright as day.

----Flashback----

I sit curled up in the corner of my cell crying. They killed my parents. My parents are gone. What will I do now? Who will take care of me now that they are gone? I wrap my arms around my knees and rock back and forth.

"Psst. Hey, little one why are you in here?" a voice asks from the cell right next to me. I peek over my knees and see a child who looks to be a year older than me. I stay silent staring at him. 'Safer to be silent. Safer to be silent. Safer to be silent. Then they won't hit me again I think over and over to myself.

"Hey, It's okay. They aren't here right now. So we can talk. Why are you here?" He asks me again. I shake my head tears falling out of my eyes.

"It's alright you can tell me. My name is Nathaniel. What is yours?" he asks me a different question. I crawl closer towards him.

"Diana" I whisper to him hoping he can still hear me.

"Diana. That is a beautiful name. Nice to meet you, Diana, even in these circumstances. So how old are you?" he asks smiling at me which in turn has me smiling.

"Nine" I answer back.

"I'm ten. Diana can you tell me why you in here?" he then asks the question I've been dreading. What if he thinks I'm an abomination like the alpha? However, someone, somewhere deep inside me is calling for me to trust him. So I decide to trust him.

"My mum and dad. They were killed... for being Lycons. I'm a Lycon, the only female Lycon left" I whisper out leaning against the bars of my cell closest to Nathaniel.

"Wow! A Lycon! I've never met a Lycon in person. Do you really have red eyes?" he asks. I nod staying silent. It's silent for a while until I break the silence. "Why are you here?" I ask him.

"I'm a rouge. I wandered onto this territory because my wolf seemed to want to come here" he replies and I furrow my eyebrows.

"Why would your wolf put you in danger though?" I ask him.

"I don't know" he replies.

"You know what, I'm going to help get you out of here" Nathaniel suddenly says making me perk up.

"You mean it?" I ask looking directly into his eyes to see if he is lying. But all I see is sincerity showing he is telling the truth.

"Yeah," he says smiling at me.

I watch silently as Nat squeezes through the bars between our cells.

"We better hurry before they figure out what we are doing," he says while helping me pull out the loose bricks we have been slowly loosening these past weeks. We continue until the hole is big enough for us to fit through. I crawl out first and turn to wait for Nat to climb out. However, before he can get fully out he's bulled back.

"Nathaniel!" I yell his name panic-stricken.

"Little Lycon, run! Don't worry about me just escape from here" I hear his voice yell back. I wait a couple of seconds before sprinting out of there.

----End of flashback----

I smile over at Nathaniel as he smirks at me.

"You still remember that nickname you gave me ten years ago. I'm sorry I left you there instead of helping you Nat" I apologise to him, trying to stop myself from crying. What is happening to me? I'm turning into a right cry baby.

"Hey, don't cry. It wasn't your fault. You had to leave me there or they would have caught you again and we never would have gotten a chance to escape again. And plus if you didn't, you never would have been there to save my mate. Thank you by the way" he says as he cuddles me. I chuckle as he pulls away.

"So my mate is your destined sister huh?" he asks and I smile nodding while he wraps an arm around Mia's waist.

"Yeah. Do you want to meet my pack?" I ask him and his smirk gets bigger.

"Well, finally you ask me. I am planning on staying with my mate you know" he replies, making me roll my eyes at him.

"Nat, why did you help me escape back then?" I ask him as we walk back up the stairs and into the packhouse. I turn in the direction of the dining room.

"I don't really know. My wolf said that you needed to be set free. That the world needed you. So I helped you" he answers and I smile.

"Your wolf has some wisdom," I say before we enter the dining room. Everyone turns to face me as I clear my throat.

"Okay everyone, I want you all to meet Nat... Err his full name is Nathaniel. He is Mia's mate and he is also the wolf who helped me escape from that pack, ten years ago. Please give him a warm welcome as he will be staying with us and becoming our gamma male, while Mia is our Gamma female" I say. I then turn to Niyah and James as everyone comes over to Nathaniel to welcome him. I even hear some thanking him for saving me. I smile at that.

"I'm going to go check on Kylian can you explain to Mia why her wolf has changed. I never really got the chance and I can sense she is begging to ask?" I ask them. Niyah nods as she and James hug me.

"Go I know you've been worried about him," James says pushing me slightly out the room. I roll my eyes but turn and head in the direction of the pack hospital.