Chapter 7

***Julia POV***

Pain radiated from a point in my thigh. I couldn’t seem to wake up completely. My eyes didn’t want to open. For a few seconds after the pain I thought I recalled Billy. I tried to open my eyes again, but to no avail. I was starting to get frustrated, when I heard that inner voice say, ‘sleep, child. You need to heal.’

As the inky blackness started to claim me again, I asked, ‘Who are you, for I know, I do not have a soul-sharer.’ I got the same response as before. ‘Hush now child, let me heal you.’
As I slipped off the edge of darkness I heard the whisper; ‘I am here now. It is time.’

***Billy POV***

I knew I should be fretting about Julia and her well being. I had been assured that she was alright. Although still unconscious, Julia was in a stable condition. When I saw the car driving out of the hospital car park, I thought nothing of it. Until I heard the squeal of brakes followed by a scream of pain.
My legs were moving before I was fully aware. There was something horridly familiar about the scream. When I reached the accident I soon realised why. Julia; My Julia was laying on the road, close to the front wheel of the car I had just seen leaving hospital grounds.

My heart leapt in my chest at the sight of the woman I loved, just laying there. I, of course, rushed over to her. Dreading the pulse check I would have to administer, I placed my fingers on her neck. First, I thought; Nothing. Then I felt the push of blood through Julia’s veins as her pulse became more and more apparent.
It was then, that Julia opened her eyes and looked straight at me. Then, completely blindsiding me, Julia made all my dreams come true, by asking me to be her chosen mate.

Technically, Julia and I couldn’t be mates. Not with her not having a wolf, an all. But the sentiment was there. For any wolf, fated or otherwise, becoming mates is the equivalent of marriage in humans.
It was an honour, and one I will accept with everything that I have. I have loved Julia for such a long time now. Since we started on the medical courses run by the pack hospital. Julia was the most clever, most outstanding and most humble person I had ever met. To this day, I still feel lucky that my table, at lunchtime, had been empty, apart from me. Soon, two girls sat down. One was shorter than your average she-wolf. But what she lacked in stature, she made up for in plenty of other ways. Stacey was the type of girl that others flocked to.

The other girl, was quite simply the most stunning she-wolf I had ever laid eyes on. The type of she-wolf that my adolescent dreams were filled with. That was my Julia. From the first moment I laid eyes on her, I was smitten. The three of us; Stacey, Julia and I. We were inseparable. For the first few months, we all had the same classes. I went on to do the pack doctor course. Julia should have been on the same course. But, Julia being Julia, was more comfortable being in the background. Her devotion to her patients was incomparable. As was her devotion to her useless family. They didn’t deserve Julia. She was a goddess amongst mortals.

I always wondered what would have happened, had my table been full with other men, and the girls had been forced to sit elsewhere.
And now look at us. Julia had asked me to be her chosen mate. Me! I was so happy I could just burst. As there was nothing I could do at the moment, I sat in the waiting room. Not the doctor this time. Just a family member, waiting for news.
I got out my phone and text Stacey; to tell her our news. I expected a phone call back. I also wasn’t surprised to see Stacey, running through the door of the hospital, tears streaming down her face. I opened my arms to her and she ran into them, sobbing. Stacey was crying so much she couldn’t get any words out for a long time.

As she calmed down, Stacey turned her tear streaked face up to mine and asked, ‘Is she dead? Julia; is she dead?’ I stared down at my best friend, in shock that she would ask such a question.
‘No, no Stacey. Julia is alive. She has a few broken bones. But she is alive. In fact, I just text you with some news.’ Stacey looked at me blankly for a few seconds as she took in what I had said. Then I felt her slip out of my arms as she slid down onto one of the plastic seats. She placed her face in her hands and I could hear her whisper, over and over, ‘she’s ok. She’s ok.’

I touched Stacey’s shoulder, trying to reassure her. I jumped in shock as she stood up, so suddenly, that I didn’t expect her to do it. ‘Where is she, Billy? Where have they put her? Does anyone here know she is wolf-less? Billy. Answer me!’
Stacey reeled off question after question and I suddenly felt very ashamed. Due to my euphoria of finally being Julia’s chosen mate; I had completely forgotten about the secret we three shared.
I just looked at Stacey, with a pathetic look on my face. Stacey’s response was to smack me on the arm, and strut off in search of Julia and whomever was treating her. I just followed behind, rather petulantly.


***Jackson POV***

I was trying to be restrained in my response to Eva standing naked in front of me. I didn’t want to scare her. Sensing my hesitation, Eva stood in between my knees, and placed both hands in my hair. I groaned. I could see her small smile, and hoped that meant that she was relaxed enough. I knew how she felt about sex before official mates.
I pulled her head down to mine and captured her lips. I loved kissing Eva. I had taught her a few things. Nothing kinky, just how to kiss, and how to show affection without having to go all the way.
This time, however. I was very aware of the disappointment and disapproval, from Obsidian.

Whenever I spent time with Eva, Sid would disappear to the back of my mind. Essential shutting himself away from me. I figured that, with time, Sid would come to love Eva. This had never happened, of course. And now? I don’t know. Something was different. Kissing Eva felt different.
‘This isn’t right, Boy! We should be with mate.’
‘Sid, please. Enough. I am with Eva. You need to do whatever you need to do, to deal with this. I’m not going to keep having this argument.’

Eva was kissing my neck, something which would usually turn me on, I never felt annoyed at the action. What the fuck is wrong with me. I pulled back from Eva, and looked up into her lovely face.
There was no escaping the nagging doubt, that there was something wrong. ‘Eva, we shouldn’t be doing this. I know how much it means to you, and I can’t take that experience away from you. It’s not fair of me to ask you to forget your own ethics.’

I was about to continue speaking when the most intense, excruciating pain shot through my leg. I yelled out in pain. Clutching my leg as I did. I could see the frantic look on poor Eva’s face. Gasping, I apologised for shouting. Then another shot of pain, only this time my yell was now a growl. As Obsidian felt it too.
‘Boy, there is something wrong with Mate. We must go to mate!’ Obsidian was becoming frantic. I stood up and gently moved Eva aside, as I reached for my clothes; and quickly changed.
‘I am sorry, Eva. I must go. Pack business. I must leave now. I will see you tomorrow.’ Finally dressed, I rushed downstairs and out the door, until I reached my car.

‘I will get there faster, boy.’ Sid said gruffly. Emotion grasping on to his voice, ‘I know where mate is. I can sense her.’
I struggled to keep control. I couldn’t let him get control.
‘No, Sid. Stand down. Julia is not our mate. It would not be right for us to go to her, guns blazing. Without first knowing what has happened to her. If anything.’ I added, a touch harsher than I needed to be.
‘Let’s go home, Sid. Mother and father both know we are back on pack lands. We will go to the pack house. See if there is any news about an accident, or incidents involving Julia.’

I felt Sid pull back, no longer trying to take control, ‘Fine,’ sid agreed. And I breathed a sigh of relief. I jumped into my car and sped off. Hoping that my father would have some answers as to what was going on with me.