Faint sunlight had started blinding me even through the closed eyes.

Loud clanking of truck's doors was the only back noise. Otherwise, it was all silent inside the truck.

I opened my eyes slowly, feeling my body jumping on my seat because the speed was so high. A moan escaped me as my whole body had turned stiff from continuously sitting. I turned diagonally and stretched while looking through the window.

A smile reached my eyes as trees and mountains looked beautiful under the bright sunlight.

Looking back at the seats, I observed Thomas' hands in his lap. He had rested his head on the window and I couldn't see his face. But with his stretched out legs and resting hands, I knew that he was sleeping.

I breathed lazily and looked at Natalie. She was sleeping too, with her head rested on a cushion against the window. We both were covered with a woollen shawl. My eyebrows furrowed when I recalled Mom saying that she had packed two shawls for Gran too. This was one of them.

I opened my mouth and looked at the rearview mirror. Axel was driving sincerely. We all nearly jumped again on our seats as the road must have a thin breaker or something. His face looked sleepy but his eyes were very much awake because of the responsibility of driving.

I myself knew how hard it was to stay awake and drive when someone on the shotgun was sleeping. Gran would always do that to me whenever we would go somewhere.

"This shawl?" I cringed when my voice came out so hoarse. I coughed and grabbed the bottle from the driver seat's pocket.

Axel smirked when our eyes met in the mirror. "Good morning."

"Morning?" I stretched my arms while checking the time at the music player. "It's twelve? I thought only three hours were left."

"Your throat would be gone. First, have some water." Axel said while driving. "A tire was punctured. I had to change it. Plus, we were out of the fuel. I had to add it too from a tank placed at the back of the truck. And to take the tire, I had to put all your luggage down and put it back later."

My eyebrows raised as I opened the lid of the bottle and gulped down the water hurriedly. I breathed out while wiping my mouth and putting the bottle back. "Woah! You could have waken us up."

"I didn't want to. You guys were deep in sleep. Also, that shawl is yours. Sorry for opening your bag but Natalie was shivering before the sun came out. So were you. I found it in one of the suitcases," he explained while I smiled and relaxed back.

"Wow, Axel. Is this really you? Or some imposter," I mumbled while taking out my camera and thinking of passing the time.

He chuckled heartily. "I am just breathing fresh air full of love. After all, I have to impress my mate's family. Especially, the siblings. The other two, Eva had kicked me the last time when I had failed to do a wrestling trick she has expertise in. About Pete, well. He nearly killed me. I have a lot to do."

I smiled slowly.

"No offense! Does Pete get a kick by beating his sisters' mates?" Axel mocked knowingly. "He has beaten Ivan too the night Keira found out—"

I blinked calmly. "Do you want to get beaten again?" I warned slightly. "Wrapped in those bandages like a Mummy again? "

He chuckled. "Aww, Misty. I was joking. Plus, these twins are still little pups and they bring out the lost pup in me. We forget that we are elder and mature."

"Yes, you definitely are mature by the way you bullied Thomas for such stupid reason. And Natalie? If you had the slightest idea that she was your mate, why didn't you tell her? She hadn't even enjoyed the parties to the fullest because of the fear of the fourth night," I said while rolling my eyes and looking at dense trees on the far sides. The road had gotten broader again.

Axel hummed. "I know. But I just couldn't. You know how she is good at comebacks. She would have insulted me if I had even told her. Even now, she believed me because she was desperate to get away from the Lycan subject. If it had been normal circumstances, she wouldn't have believed me until she had her first shift."

"I know right," I chuckled loudly while looking far at the mountains.

When all of a sudden, I blinked as sudden terror started crawling my spine.

Something felt wrong.

I had stopped the truck at five in the morning. Three more hours were left for the city. Replacing punctured tire won't take such long time. Right? It was twelve in the noon now.

I gulped hard.

Seven hours of continuous driving.

Chill ran down my spine as I noticed the mountains. No! Building and highways should have been there instead.

Axel increased the speed.

I mumbled, "Are you taking us back to the pack?"

Axel's smile faded in the rearview mirror. He turned extremely serious and determined. "Just like I said, you and I are mature enough to understand what the twins were doing by running away."

I blinked roughly and straightened on my seat. "But Axel, Natalie is way too scared," I said nervously.

"You nearly burnt a wolf, last night. Thomas and I injured the rest of the five wolves. We have been taking away the host Alpha's daughter away from the territory. They don't know, she has a mate now. Running away is not right, Misty. It's rule breaking and even beyond."

I whined, "I told them the same, last night. But Axel, we did so much hardwork to get to the city. Why did you drive back—"

"Misty, try to understand my point. When Natalie is mated to me, we don't have to run away anymore. Do you know that Nirvan could be ripped off of his rank for failing to protect the females in the pack house? It will be such a big insult of Alpha Gilbert," said Axel, emphasizing each word. "Alpha Pete is so fair in his decisions. Do you think he would leave Thomas just like that for taking Natalie with him? You know what happened with Ivan. Right?"

He increased the speed more while my heart started dropping.

"But Axel, why did you do it when we had almost reached there? I am fucking sick of such long journey!" I said, my voice shaking. "I want to see Gran!"

"Misty, try to understand. Alpha Gilbert would think, I have run away with his daughter. It will worsen my reputation from what happened on the full moon night. Even at that time when they are all busy with handling injured Leo and Alpha Pete!"

I shook my head and sniffled slowly. Tears had filled my eyes. "Gran!" I cried softly. "We were just three hours away! You are so mean, Axel! She would have been so happy to see me."

"We will come again but with permission from the Alpha. Not like this," said Axel desperately. "Do you even know how the situation at the pack would be like? There must be a havoc because of Natalie's absence! Eva is mated and now, Natalie is the most precious she-wolf of our pack at the moment for all because they don't know that I am her mate."

I wiped the corner of my eyes as my lips trembled.

"Please don't cry, Misty." Axel said desperately. "I need to reach there before the twins wake up. Please don't wake them up. Nothing will happen to Natalie. She is my precious mate and I'll obviously protect her on my life. But I can't let her and Tommy insult Alpha Gilbert in front of all the packs by running away. Other Alphas would laugh at him that how easily the twins managed to run away."

"But Natalie is scared. . ." I reasoned, my voice breaking.

Axel shook his head. "She lacks confidence when it comes to tasks like this. She is smart but fears the unknown. She doesn't hold the same belief in herself like Eva. Because Natalie has always been pampered the most as being the youngest. I will teach my mate to be more brave and courageous. When she will shift, she'll learn on her own. I'll just have to encourage her, I know. Then, she won't run away from the obstacles like she did last night. She will face them boldly."

"Thomas will hate you!" I choked out. "You are breaking his trust!"

Axel gave me a last glance.

"Pack comes first, Misty."

I gulped hard while feeling utterly frustrated and angry.

The whole night was a mess.

Pete nearly killed Leo. Then, Keira came to leave for the city. Natalie was doing the same. Then, Axel and those wolves.

All this for nothing.

Familiar grassy sides of the road started showing up and I realized, it wasn't right.

I put the camera back in my pocket and pinched Natalie on the arm hard. "Wake up!" I screamed in her ear, making her jump immediately.

From my scream, Thomas too stirred.

"Misty," warned Axel while driving faster.

Natalie was shocked and frightened. She observed the tears in my eyes and then, glanced around. Her eyebrows furrowed as she hurriedly pulled down the glass. She gasped.

"Thomas!"

Axel gritted his teeth and growled loudly. "Get back! I am telling you. I am driving here. We all will heal. But you won't, Misty!"

"I don't fucking care!" I screamed while shaking Thomas' shoulders hard.

"Axel?" Natalie stared at his face in shock.

He only flared his nostrils and took the cut into the forest from left side.

My eyebrows furrowed while Thomas woke up and looked around.

He rubbed his eyes and looked at the front. His eyebrows furrowed and then, his eyes widened.

"He is taking us back to the pack!" I screamed.

Thomas clenched his jaws and immediately held the staring. He hit the elbow on Axel's face who was able to push Thomas back equally.

Natalie removed the shawl and rolled it long within seconds by twisting it in the air. She gritted her teeth and leaned ahead, making my eyes wide. Sitting closer to me hurriedly, she swung the shawl over the driver's seat, strangling Axel who left the steering immediately.

"Misty! Help!"

I widened my eyes in horror and pushed myself back. Was Natalie mad? She would kill her mate. Before I could think more, the truck started going to the extreme left.

I screamed loudly while falling on Natalie who was further leaning.

Thomas tried to control the steering while Axel was trying to push him away. Natalie hadn't left the shawl and she started pulling the corners with an angry face.

"You're going to strangle your own mate?" Axel growled loudly.

"It's better to strangle my mate if I can't trust him!" Natalie screamed in extreme anger, her face red.

Thomas turned the direction of the steering and drove the truck straight through the rough path of the forest. There was no special way. We were dodging the trees.

"You'll get hurt!" Alex growled again.

"Shut the fuck up! You piece of shit!" Thomas growled back and punched him hard on the face.

But the truck wasn't being controlled anymore.

I was swung by the sudden force so hard on my seat towards the right. A scream escaped me and before I could even witness more, the truck hit something hard. The front glass broke, sending glass shards everywhere.

Screams escaped me in horror.

I couldn't see what happened to others. I couldn't remember. But my whole body was pushed towards the driver's seat with such strong force, my knees hit the hard case beneath the seat. My head smashed into its back.

The worst thing was the blood coming out of mouth because I had cut my cheek from inside.

Three minutes of moans passed and I kept weeping over how much my body ached. My nose was hurt and chest was aching from the force I was pushed onto the seat.

Moving my head gently, I looked at the left.

Goosebumps risen on my arms while I shuddered on my own. Tears escaped effortlessly and a cry of horror left my mouth.

A branch thick with such diameter that I could hold it in my joined hands had entered the truck and was now piercing the seat. The shawl stuck in between.

My eyes fell on Natalie's auburn hair. She had fallen on the little space ahead of the seat.

My heartbeats were so fast when I recalled that Natalie could have died in the worst way possible. I mumbled a prayer, thanking the God.

Slowly moving myself, I groaned in pain. Raising my dress, I pulled the skirt up to my thighs and winced at sight. Blood and blood.

Pulling the handle, I pushed open the door and tried to shift on my seat. But my knees were hurting so much. 

Tears slid down my cheeks as I gritted my teeth hard and let out a cry. I moved my feet slowly out of the truck. But I couldn't straighten my legs. The skin was bruised on the knees and it was paining a lot.

Suddenly, the door of the driver's seat opened. Axel moved out of the truck and clutched his forehead. He winced and cracked his neck while coming towards me.

He snaked his arms under thighs and my back, carrying me out of the truck.

I noticed how his forehead was bleeding. The trails were thick.

"Stay there," he said while making me sit on a grassy patch of the muddy forest, almost ten steps away from the truck.

I let out a cry as my legs straightened on the ground. I bent them again by raising my knees.

Axel walked around the back of the orange truck and opened Natalie's door. While he did that, my eyes moved towards the front. I couldn't see Thomas.

Fearfully, I crawled towards the right and let out a loud scream. "Oh my God! He is hurt!" I cried while cupping my cheeks. "Help! Help!" I screamed loudly, at seeing the circumstances.

The sudden hit had pushed Thomas so hard and the glass broke by the branch. His upper body was totally lying on the bonnet with his face facing me. He had passed out or was he. . . I didn't even want to think anymore.

Loud sobs escaped me as I stared at him from the far.

Axel returned with Natalie's weak form in his arms. She was very much awake with tears in her eyes. She was looking at his face. Her own forehead was bleeding. Even her nose had blood trails leaking. Her hands were hanging as if she had lost all the energy.

"Why did you do it?" She choked out while I heard loud growls approaching.

Axel gulped hard and flared his nostrils. His eyes were bloodshot. Wiping the blood coming out from her left nostril, he gulped again. "I was helpless, Natalie."

The growls turned so loud and I shook my head in disbelief.

The wolves arrived within seconds.

Some of them were shifted and some were not. My eyes fell on Nirvan in the front.

His eyes widened when he stopped right behind us and observed everything.

"Thomas!" He growled while running towards the truck. He ran around the tree and opened the door. Pulling Thomas back, he growled loudly. I squeezed my eyes shut when I caught glass shards pierced in my brother's stomach and he was bleeding non-stop.

Nirvan pulled him out and looked horrified. "Dylan!" He growled desperately.

A wolf ran towards him while Nirvan laid Thomas' body on him, wincing when he groaned in pain at getting laid at his wounds only.

Axel growled possessively at the wolf who had came for Natalie. "I will carry her!"

Natalie let out a faint sniffle and shook as if crying to herself. "I hate you," she choked out.

Axel ignored her and started running towards the way from where the wolves had came.

My eyes moved up at seeing Blake coming towards me. Alpha Rudy's son, my cousin.

He gave me a sad smile before carrying me up effortlessly. "Keep your legs stiff so your knees won't hurt," he said while running after Axel. "Hold the dress or it will hurt more."

"Do they all know?" I cried softly.

He nodded, making me let out a sob.

"And they are furious."

* * * *

Same chair of hospital section of Stephen's home, same heat of the burnt coal in an earthen tray and same Nirvan.

My dress was raised to the thighs while he was cleaning the blood coming off the scratches and cuts I got on the knees.

Natalie was sitting on the couch with the blood from cut on the forehead being cleaned by Gina.

"I am sorry," said Axel, raising his tone as Natalie had been ignoring his apologies from past half an hour.

We were brought to Stephen's house. Neither had we seen any elder, nor Stephen himself. But I knew that he was taking care of injured Thomas like Nirvan had told.

He also informed that Eva was there inside Leo's room. But Pete had woke up two hours ago and left the house immediately.

"I did what any loyal wolf would do! You guys were running away! It was my duty to bring you back!" Axel said loudly.

Natalie blinked while staring at the floor blankly. "You don't have to give explanations. You did what your true nature would tell you to do."

Nirvan wiped the blood and started bandaging my knees, listening to their conversation too.

"Of course, I will give explanations to you. I am your mate! I know that I have hurt you. But I was helpless—"

"You are not my mate," said Natalie with dead eyes on the floor. "Had you truly been, you would have cared about my choices. I don't believe your lie anymore. I hope, you are satisfied. Because you got successful in making me a fool. You broke my heart for real."

A tear escaped her eye and slid down to her nose. She wiped it slowly and Axel watched with an angry face.

He let out a growl. "Don't say that! I didn't break your heart! I did what was right! You both were doing something wrong."

"My brother is hurt there inside," she said brokenly. "Not just physically. He tried to trust you. He gave you the chance. You betrayed us."

Axel flared his nostrils and spoke, "You can't stop what's meant to be. No one can."

Natalie looked at him with dead emerald eyes. "I hope, that will make you sleep peacefully in the upcoming nights."

Nirvan was done with my bandages and got up. He was talking but not looking at us. He was very upset and angry with what happened. But with Axel, he was being warm for the loyalty he showed to the pack.

"First, you'll have the lunch and then, the whiplashes by the Alphas and Lunas." He sneered while glancing at Natalie and walking out of the room. "

I could only shudder in extreme horror.

______

"What do you think?"

Please vote and comment.

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While writing I realized that this 'last chapter' was longer than I thought it would be. I could only write this much tonight. Will update the rest tomorrow (maybe).