Silence had settled for a minute around the forest. Natalie's sobs were the only sound we could hear.

"Please don't fight," she choked out again, her shoulders shaking in remorse.

To my surprise, Axel started walking towards her. Thomas flared his nostrils and made a move to stop him. But I started walking to stop Thomas only.

I grabbed his injured hand and winced while looking at his bloodied knuckles. But his eyes were focused on Axel.

I too raised my gaze and caught him standing beside Natalie, quietly.

"We are mates, Natalie." He spoke with utter seriousness.

Natalie let out another hard cry while Thomas fisted his hand again.

"Let them talk for once," I whispered to him frustratingly. Thomas blinked while looking at them. "Let. Them. Talk. Thomas, he is speaking the truth. Even Stephen had mentioned his confusion for Natalie to me."

Thomas' face turned angrier while he turned around and crossed his arms across his naked chest, blanket tightly wrapped around his waist.

"Look, we have said so many things to each other and never talked for real. I didn't even have anything against you. But you were just so greedy over fighting with me on your brother's behalf," said Axel, hesitatingly.

Natalie sniffled while looking up at him through tears. "You bullied him for no reason," she choked out.

Axel sucked in a breath, his gaze moving all over her. "That was between him and I. You didn't have to-"

"Oh? I will always be there for him!" She cut him off angrily and let out another sob.

Axel closed his eyes and nodded calmly. He opened them to announce, "Look. I will talk to him. But first, you tell me. Don't you feel anything? I am telling you something so important. We are mates. Do you know what that means? That whatever happened between us on the full moon night wasn't some tragedy. I wasn't a mad beast, newly shifted and uncontrolled. I was pulled towards you because we have a bond to share."

Natalie's sobs calmed down while she removed her hands from her face and looked at him shakily.

Axel was looking down at her sincerely. "You too put your hand on my cheek," he said softly, touching his left cheek absentmindedly and winced when realized Thomas had punched him there only.

I was smiling so goofily, totally lost in enjoying the scene. When all of a sudden, Thomas kicked the truck hard, making me jump.

He walked around the truck and removed the thick cloth from the luggage a little. He pulled out a duffel bag in which some of the night suits were folded. "He must be lying!"

He brought out a black top and a stretchable pant of mine. I looked away when he hid himself behind the truck's front part and I turned my gaze on the couple I had been shipping secretly.

"He isn't lying. Even Natalie likes him," I muttered, making Thomas chuckle humorlessly. "She is just more focused on fighting with him because of you."

My breathe stuck when Thomas's glare fell on me. He bent down and put the blanket on the hood of truck.

". . . You don't have to be scared of those Lycans anymore. You won't be going to any other pack. You will always be close to your family members. Where were you even running away to? The city? You don't have to. I am going to announce it to your parents that you are mine. Everything will be fine," said Axel softly, leaning himself lower to match her height.

"You have called me bitch," she complaint quietly, her voice hoarse while her gaze was on the trees.

Axel smiled slightly. "You are my bitch and I am your dog."

I controlled another goofy smile while Thomas walked out from behind the truck to my front. He started walking towards the couple, anger high on his nose.

"Thomas!" I tried to stop him. "Let them talk!"

Axel sighed heavily while observing Thomas coming towards them. He raised his hands and showed us his palms. "Man, I am here to make peace."

"No. You are here to fool my sister!" Thomas said angrily, green puppy eyes holding furry.

Natalie looked at Axel hopefully as he shook his head and walked ahead towards Thomas. His words stuck in his mouth when he observed him in my clothes. A lopsided smile curved his lips.

I too cupped my mouth to cover a snicker while Natalie was too serious to even smile.

"I am not fooling her," said Axel, ending up raising his tone.

Thomas gritted his teeth and grabbed his collar again. Natalie widened her eyes while I whimpered in frustration.

Axel gave him a dead look. "I am only controlling myself because you are now my mate's brother to me. Or I'll shut you in one punch!" He growled lowly.

"If you keep this rivalry on with my brother, you can forget that we are mates." Natalie said hurriedly, making Thomas stop and Axel's eyes stunned.

Natalie flinched when Axel pushed Thomas hard in anger and pointed at both brother and sister. He began with Thomas. "You! You were always happy. I hated happy pups! I hated your free smile and funny nature because Alpha and my parents had always taught me to be determined and goal-oriented. I have spent days and nights working hard and none of the happenings in the day would bring smile on my face."

"My parents are strict. I would get beatings for a mere slip in trainings. I have no sibling. With my friends, a target formed when they started talking about you. I was misunderstood by my own bitterness."

"You were fucking jealous of my happiness, you piece of shit?" Thomas asked in disbelief.

Axel controlled his anger and gulped hard. "Yeah, I did wrong by bullying you for that shitty reason. Call me stupid. But I never went extreme, Tommy. Those were just comments."

"Yeah! Comments on my sisters. Comments on my sexuality! My gender! You fucker!" Thomas spat angrily. "Your each word was an attack! Moron!"

"He used to sulk alone in his room in grief until I'd find him and he'd burst out in tears," choked out Natalie while looking up at Axel whose face filled with shame. "He never offended you or anything. It was unfair of you to poke him. It wasn't fun."

Axel closed his eyes and wiped his face. He opened his eyes and sighed heavily.

"Look, I apologise. I am sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you personally. I was just, I don't know. The past four years, I was frustrated that I hadn't shifted. Then, you shifted when you were still three years younger than me."

"Yes! Because I am an Alpha's blood and that's not a crime!" Thomas said through clenched jaws.

"I am sorry, Tommy. I am fond of you. The outer hatred was just some frustration. You are now mated to my good friend, Alyssa. I was personally glad to know that she has a perfect one like you."

Thomas huffed. "Oh! Please."

Natalie watched Axel as he further added, "I take responsibility for all the hurt I brought to you by my comments and stuff. You are a good pup. I was not. Now, I have to win you before I win Natalie. You are now family to me. You are her twin. It's important for me that you accept Natalie and my bond. Again, I am sorry. And you'll always have my back."

"Good," I said while looking at Thomas hopefully.

Natalie lowered her eyes when she still saw disbelief and anger on his face.

"Thomas." I gave him a dead look.

My little brother flared his nostrils and kept his jaws clenched. He looked at me again and I pleaded him with eyes. He looked back at Natalie who had lowered her eyes and was still weeping.

He groaned and breathed hard. "Fine," he said while looking at Axel. "I forgive you. But if you hurt my sister or bring a mere tear in her eye, I am going to kill you, not caring if the history is repeating or not!"

Axel bit his lip and nodded sincerely. A small smile curved his lips as he started teasing Thomas while opening his arms for a hug.

Thomas turned around and started ignoring him, making the male chuckle. I watched as he opened the door of the truck and sat on the driver's seat.

Axel turned around to give Natalie a hopeful smile.

I controlled a giggle when she immediately lowered her eyes as if she wasn't watching him.

"I have apologized to him. We will soon be friends," joked Axel while raising his eyebrow at her. "Now, Natalie. Let's forget our rivalry too and start a new. You need your mate's love and support during your first shift."

Natalie's tears had stopped but her cheeks were all stained and reddened. She gulped while standing there frightened and confused. I almost awed when she glanced at him and lowered her eyes back.

"Don't be shy, Natalie. Don't pretend that you have never thought of us together, before."

She couldn't speak. The confliction was there on her face.

Axel sighed and walked closer to her. He grabbed her shaky hand while I heard Thomas growling in truck lowly.

Axel stared at her face and said, "My mother would be so glad to know, I have gotten such a beautiful mate."

Natalie's cheek turned scarlet. She collected the courage to look up at him. "But you hate me. . ."

Axel raised her hand that he was holding and smiled cheekily. "Well, you tried to put my life in danger. But if I look at your reasons, I know that you were frightened for the fourth night. You still are. Don't be. Because no Lycans anymore. You are mine, now and forever."

I giggled excitedly when Natalie blushed hard. Axel kept staring at her, enjoying her reactions. He turned curious when she opened her mouth to say something. She hesitated and closed her mouth. Somehow, she managed to collect courage.

As finally, she bit her lip while saying, "I am sorry too. For the full moon night. I didn't know that I could be so evil and do such an act. I am ashamed. I am sorry for not visiting you in Stephen's home too." A tear leaked from her eye as she added, "I had been so cruel to you."

A soft smile curved Axel's thin lips. His straight nose had reddened from the chilly wind while the cheek had started to heal.

"It's okay." Axel smiled teasingly. "I'll have night stories for our grand pups."

Natalie blushed hard, her maroon lips curved slowly. "Thanks, Axel."

My mouth opened in a silent laughter. He didn't just go for the pups but the grand-pups.

Thomas kept muttering curses inside the truck. Though, it wasn't audible outside.

Axel kissed Natalie's hand, rising the heat.

My little sister couldn't even raise her eyes anymore. She was so shy.

"I always knew we have a chemistry," said Axel while looking at her. "But never thought, we would end up as mates."

"Ah! Liar!" I teased, snatching their attention. "Since the full moon night, he has been mumbling your name in sleep. Stephen told me."

Natalie's eyebrows raised at him.

Axel sucked in his cheeks, trying to control a knowing smile.

Thomas blew the horn. "Is this going to continue the whole night?" He yelled irritatingly.

Axel wrapped an arm around Natalie's shoulder and started walking towards the truck. I was already close and suddenly realized the situation. With a goofy smile, I walked around the back of the truck and opened the door to the shotgun.

The first I did after sitting was wearing the seatbelt.

Thomas gave me a blank look. "Seriously, Misty? Is Goon Moddess. . . I mean, Moon Goddess drunk? Natalie and that jerk?" He asked helplessly.

I rolled my eyes while sitting comfortably. I pulled the gown all inside the truck and closed the door. "Chill, Thomas. You need to chill. Because that jerk is better than a Lycan. Isn't he?"

Thomas quietened and sighed. Natalie took my previous seat behind Thomas while Axel sat behind me. Both of them sat so close to their windows, keeping the much possible gap between them.

"Where are we going?" Natalie asked quietly.

I observed Thomas' blank face. "To the city. Misty needs to be at her home, that was the main order to fulfill. Let's focus on that."

He started the engine and drove straight towards the city.

Five minutes had passed. The lights above her heads were off.

I glanced back to check the environment and couldn't stop smiling.

Both of them were stealing glances and being shy to each other. Natalie tried to focus on the scene outside the window when Axel leaned closer to her. "I am sorry about the things I said last night. Also, you can lick me again to check if I still am nasty?"

Natalie blinked rapidly in utter embarrassment.

"Would you stop?" Thomas said calmly. "Or do you want to be thrown out of the truck?"

Axel grinned. "Sorry, Tommy. I am just trying to clear things and be friendly." He sniffed slightly.

"Don't talk back to me." Thomas mumbled while driving with a serious expression.

"Oh please. I know how to cheer you up," said Axel while winking at Natalie, making her blush and look away. "The whole pack knows, some food will lighten your mood."

"We ate already," said Thomas dejectedly.

Axel leaned ahead and removed his coat with a little struggle as he was quite muscular and bulky. Not as much as Declan was.

A glimpse of our nearly possible kiss came in my mind. I pouted while sighing and shaking my head. Couldn't I conclude Pete's confusion being cleared after a kiss?

But Declan had a mate. A Lycan. After the chaos that happened between Eva, Keira and Ivan, I couldn't even dare to kiss with a male whose mate was very much alive.

I heard some shuffling and the sound of a paper bag crunching.

"Oh. Sadly, I will have to eat these chocolate cookies that I collected from the caterers, alone then?" He asked while bringing out a cookie.

I gulped as my mouth watered at the mere mention of chocolate. After all the continuous journey from these past two hours and spicy food, I needed those.

"Misty?" Axel offered me the packet and I sighed heavily.

Shrugging my shoulders, I smiled and took out of the two cookies.

Axel then offered the packet to Thomas' side. He waited while my little brother kept ignoring him. I moaned knowingly to make Thomas melt and accept the cookies.

Axel sighed at the rejection and then, forwarded the packet to Natalie. "My lovely mate?"

I glanced back to see Natalie chuckling lightly and taking the cookies. "Won't you eat any?" She asked when Axel gestured for her to take the whole packet.

"If you feed me? Yes."

I chuckled along with Natalie as she took two cookies and pushed the packet gently to his cheek as if slapping him.

Axel caught the packet and ate one of the cookies. "I am asking again, Tommy. Three more left," he said while chewing.

Thomas blinked and gulped hard. "Give them to me," he said while adorably taking the packet from Axel who had forwarded it already.

I looked through the rearview mirror. Axel was looking at Natalie whose eyes were on the trees outside.

"Misty, please play some romantic song? It's quite silent here," said Axel while looking at her. "Who would have known there would come a time when Natalie would not be talking back to me?"

The player was already playing but the volume was lowered down. I raised the volume and changed the song.

Thomas huffed when 'Speechless' by Dan & Shay started playing.

I relaxed back and watched through the mirror as Axel sang while looking at Natalie. ". . .I am speechless, starin' at you standin' in that dress, what it's doin' to me ain't a secret. . ."

Thomas flared his nostrils as Natalie's chuckles reached our ears. He took the cookies out of the packet and ate angrily.

". . . Cause watching you is all that I can do, And I am speechless, you already know that you are my weakness. . ."

I watched Thomas, amused by his anger tonight. It gave me a Deja Vu of how possessive and strict Pete behaved while bringing me from the city in the car when Ivan was being naughty.

I was sure, something was happening in the universe tonight. So many past moments were repeating in a weird way. My eyes moved up at the sky through the glass. Maybe, a new planet or star was forming. Or a new moon?

Natalie chuckled more and I glanced at Thomas. He was glaring at the road while chewing another cookie. His eyes moved towards the rearview mirror and they narrowed in sudden frustration.

"Don't you dare sit closer to her," said Thomas, glaring at him and then at road. "Way too early for that shit."

I looked back at them to observe Axel sitting in the middle, leaving a little gap between him and Natalie.

"Oh? So you'll be keeping tabs on how fast or slow we will go in our relationship?" Axel mocked while putting his coat on the left side of the seat and relaxing in the middle. "You got your Alyssa. Right? Natalie accepted. Now, let us mingle. Would you?"

I made a face at Thomas when he glanced at me and twitched his lips in annoyance. "Let them enjoy," I mouthed, pleading him.

Thomas breathed heavily while looking through the rearview and took the last cookie in his mouth. He released a heavy breath and let the anger go. "Fine," he mumbled. He lowered his gaze to the road and glanced at the mirror on the out, in right side.

Suddenly, his eyes widened.

"Tell me this is a fucking dream!" He growled.

. . . To be continued

_______

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