AT THE SAME TIME
XAVIER'S POINT OF VIEW:
I was getting closer to Wanessa. I could feel her, closer than ever, and yet so far away. The bond between us was stronger than ever, pulling me forward, urging me to reach her. My wolf, howled inside me, desperate to be with her. He could feel her shifting too. He knew she was slipping, and if I didn't act fast, she'd be lost to us forever.
"Michael, Terrence!" I barked, urgency tightening my voice. "We're getting too close to losing her. Don't let her get away!"
"We won't." Terrence growled from behind me.
He was right at my heels, his wolf instincts working with mine. Michael was leading the charge, scenting the air like a bloodhound, and just as fierce in his pursuit. The scent of Wanessa was growing stronger, mixing with the unmistakable, wild scent of the wolf she was becoming. We were getting too close.
"Xavier, we need to hurry!" Michael called back to me, his tone sharp and strained.
His eyes were focused, scanning the road ahead. And then, there she was. The first thing I saw were her eyes those amber colour eyes that had captivated me the moment we met, now filled with fear, confusion, and desperation.
"Wanessa!" I shouted, stepping forward. I tried to catch her gaze, hoping she would hear me. "Please, stop!"
She froze for a moment, her body trembling. I could see the muscles in her back tensing as the wolf inside her fought for control. But then, just like that, her body twisted, and the fur began to sprout along her arms. Her features morphed, and the human side of her began to retreat, slipping into the chaos of the wolf's instincts.
"Don't do this!"I shouted. "You can't transform inside the forest!"
She was trying to hold on to the woman she had been, the person I loved. But the wolf inside her was far too powerful, too primal, and it was winning. The pain in her eyes was unbearable. She wasn't fighting me, she was fighting herself. She was growing desperate, and I could see it the wolf was taking over.
"Wanessa, please." I begged, my voice cracking. "Fight it. You don't have to do this. I'm here. We're all here. We won't let you go."
But the growl that erupted from her throat was pure animal, feral, and harsh. Her eyes flashed, glowing golden, and for a moment, the woman I loved was gone. In her place was a creature, wild and untamed, a wolf that didn't recognize me. Terrence was the first to act. He rushed forward, trying to block her from running, but she snapped at him with a vicious snarl. She tore past him, darting deeper into the forest, her feet barely touching the ground.
"No!" I growled at Michael, and the two of us took off after her again.
The chase was maddening. She was too far gone, though, or so I thought. We finally closed in on her as she skidded to a stop near a large boulder, her breath ragged and shallow. Her body was halfway between woman and wolf now. She growled at us, her teeth bared, but there was something in her eyes, a flicker of the girl I knew was still inside.
"Wanessa!" I called out one more time, reaching out to her, my hand trembling as I touched her arm. Maybe even a hint of recognition but then she jerked away.
"No!" She cried, her voice shaking. "Please... don't let me turn into wolf!"
My heart broke at the sound of her voice, but I couldn't let her fight this alone.
"Wanessa, you're not alone." I told her firmly. "We're here. We're not letting you go. We're your pack. We're your mates."
She turned to me, struggling to understand my words.
"I- I don't understand!" She cried, her body shaking, the wolf inside her fighting to control her. "I don't want to be this—this thing!"
"You are a werewolf like us, but you can't transform inside the forest!"Terrence shouted.
I stepped forward slowly, keeping my voice calm.
"You're not a thing, Wanessa. You're our Luna. You're special, and we're not going to let you slip away."I said.
She looked at me with wide eyes, a flicker of the woman I loved still present. But then, her body twisted again, and her features shifted once more, the fur sprouting across her skin. The wolf inside her took a final, overwhelming hold. She was almost transformed into her wolf form.
"No!" She screamed, hitting in Terrence's grip as he tried to hold her still. "I can't, don't make me-"
I turned to Michael. He was already holding the vial, the bitter medicine that could stop her transformation. "Xavier, we have no choice. She's not going to make it if we don't calm her down now."He said."She needs transform into calm spot or she will loose control for good! We seen it happen before!"
She won't forgive us, but we have to save her.
"Hold her down." Michael commanded.
Terrence moved swiftly, pinning her arms to her sides, but Wanessa fought him. Her strength was increasing as the wolf inside her took over completely. She kicked, screamed and growled at the same time.
"No! Please! No!" She cried, her voice trembling.
"Hold her down!" Michael snapped, and we did our best as we could. She was fighting us with everything she had. Her body twisted, her muscles straining against our grip.
"Please! I don't want this!" She cried, her voice breaking, her body squirming under the tension.
My heart was breaking. Every part of me wanted to stop, to hold her, to tell her it was going to be okay, but I couldn't. I couldn't lose her like this.
"Just a little longer." Michael said, his voice tight with urgency.
I nodded, trying to keep my composure. But inside, I was panicking. I couldn't let her go. Not like this. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Michael was able to get the vial to her lips. But she was so wild, so out of control, that she fought the medicine, gagging on it as she tried to shake her head.
"No! Don't- please!" Her voice was desperate.
"Take it, Wanessa!" I ordered using my alpha voice.
I was desperate, my hand gripping her arm tightly. With one last, ragged breath, she finally swallowed the medicine. Her body tensed violently, and I watched as the fur reduced from her arms, her breathing slowing down The change had been too fast. She slumped in Terrence's arms, unconscious.
"Wanessa..." I whispered, my voice breaking.
"She'll be okay." Michael said softly, kneeling beside us. His eyes were filled with the same pain I felt, but there was also a glimmer of hope. "She's just exhausted. The medicine will help."
But I couldn't stop the worry from flooding my chest. She wasn't okay. Not yet.
"We need to get her back to the castle." I said urgently, my voice shaking.
Together, we lifted her, cradling her between us. Every step felt like a weight too heavy to bear. I had to keep her safe. She wasn't just my mate. She was our Luna. And I wouldn't lose her again.