Darkness.

Darkness is the only thing that keeps me company at this moment. I can feel that somewhere, my whole physical body is breaking. But right now, I can just cry and scream in my hollow shadowy mind. Where the hell am I? Why is there anything but me in this empty void? Darkness is sinking me. I'm slipping into the deep end.

Liv, what is happening. Is the house attacked? Are you safe?

I can hear Eli, but he sounds so far away. I open my mouth, but no word comes out. Always some moanings.

Liv! Fucking answer me!

His Alpha command brings me back to the woods. The damp floor almost alleviates my body as I feel like I'm burning alive. Everything is too painful: I feel like my body is torn in two. The ache is excruciating: I want to be back inside the house, in the room, protected. Instead, I'm going to die in the middle of the forest, covered with blood from an unbeknownst cause.

"That's fine, Liv. Everything is going to be just fine. I'm here." Her voice is so calm, so peaceful. It does not ease how terrible I feel, but at least I know she is here. It's better than emptiness.

I can feel Julie's hand on my face. She slowly caresses it. I attempt to look at Alec, but my vision is so blurred, everything is tainted... red. The warm liquid flows from my eyes and mouth: I can taste it. The iron taste. Cold liquid drops on my forehead.

As I hear Julie sob, I suppose she is currently crying. Do I look that bad?

Eli, you need to come. Alec is fighting but Olivia. Something is wrong with her. I don't...

And then, the world falls underneath me: I am swallowed by some crazy mental swirl.

My body still aches, but I'm not cold or hot anymore. The ground is comfortable, like a cozy mattress. As I open my eyes, I can see that I'm no mattress but laying on fluffy grass. My vision is not blurred anymore, and there is nothing but peacefulness all around me.

I sit cross-legged and scrutinize the place. I recognize it after a few seconds: the meadow in my dreams. The willow, the pond, the bushes and trees, some magnificent flowers with exquisite smells: all the little details are here.

I get up and realize that I'm totally naked. What happened to my clothes? At that thought, a deep, uncomfortable strike crosses my body.

I remember: my mind is here, but my body is somewhere, fighting to release from pain.

I walk to the small pond as I have nothing else to do. I'm stuck in my own fantasy, for I don't know what reason. I suppose I can wait and see what's going on. I sit on the bank and put my feet in the clear water: it's the perfect temperature, and the transparency makes the surface reflect my face like a mirror would.

Damn, I look awful. My face has never been so pale: I look like I've not been out for years, lacking sun. I have shadows under my puffy eyes that are injected with blood. Crap.

Suddenly, a face appears above me, in the watery reflection. The shapes are not precise, but I recognize the piercing green where their eyes should be. I quickly get and turn over, jumping on my visitor.

"Alec..." I feel so relieved, he found me. As I hug him, he tenderly surrounds my miserable shape. His scent is fantastic: his aroma is the exact same as in reality.

"I miss your embrace. You feel so real".

As I pronounce those words, he lets go of me and sits on the ground, tapping his hand slowly next to him to indicate I have to sit beside him. So I just do and look at him.

"Little pup, you have to listen to me carefully. Your body is trying to shift, but your wolf needs some help. She is stuck as you run from pain, and she is not robust enough to face it alone." Alec sounds so... scared.

"I don't understand what you say. I have no wolf, Alec. I can't shift." My eyes fill with tears. Why does he say that? Why does my dream make me live that? I look around me and try to find somewhere to run. I don't want to dream about a wolf that does not exist.

"Liv, focus on me. That's okay." Alex cups my head and kisses me. It feels so authentic. This fantasized figure tastes like... Alec.

"It appears this is your wolf little haven. You have a wolf, Princess. Ares knew it from the start." Alec smiles with the sweetest smile he's ever worn on his face.

"You know Ares?" I stop sobbing and wipe my tears.

"How can you know about my dream?"

"Ares is my wolf, Liv. So, yes, I know Ares." Alec's eyes are piercing green.

"How? How did he..? Where is he? Can I see him?" A flow of questions storms on my brain as everything connects.

"He's a little busy battling the other wolves. That's why I need you to concentrate. You need to shift so I can focus on the fight with him. Can you do that for me, little wolf?" Alec's voice is still very quiet, even if he left his wolf out, somewhere, to help me. I nod, but one question flashes in my mind: how the fuck am I supposed to shift.

"Don't worry, I'll stay with you. Come here, Liv." He opens his arms, and I instinctively sit between his legs, my bare back against his necked torso.

"And no, you have to bear the pain, Olivia. I will be with you. So even if you feel like you won't make it, you don't quit. I'll be here. We'll make it. You'll make it, my wonderful mate." He kisses my forehead, and I close my eyes.

The pain. I need to find the pain.

Needles. It feels like thousands and thousands of sharp needles transpierce my skin.

Once again, I choke, my lungs struggling for air. My ribs seem to extend, and I feel like someone grabs my ribcage and tries to open it like they would with some Christmas gift paper: I will never tear gift paper ever again.

Tears start to tumble down my face. I've never experienced such misery: it's excruciating. How is it possible to endure that? How can people possibly shift again after such a nightmare?

Please, make it end, Alec.

I need to fucking stop this. But, how do I stop this? There must be some emergency red button somewhere.

My legs break to grow longer. Howls of pain escape my chest as the horrible sounds of cracking bones echo in my once peaceful meadow.

"You're perfect, Liv. You're almost done. Just hold on a few more seconds." Alec says, cuddling my hair. His hand is so fresh on my fevered body.

Seconds? They seem to last for hours. So how can it take only a few more seconds?

I feel my nails extending, turning into claws. I'm sure my fingers smash. I'm no more but a pile of screaming bloody bones.

My skin shatters, and some light brown fur grows on my arms. I close my eyes, and I drift away from Alec's soothing embrace. It is replaced with a delicate mild touch.

I can discern Julie's gentle hand on my head.

"This is okay, Liv. You're almost done. I'm here. Alec is here." Her voice is calm and relaxing. She is nestling my head. As she speaks Alec's name, I open my eyes, and here he is, fighting the four wolves.

My vision changes: I see better, catching every tiny detail, every piece of soil, every drop of water on the leaves. Everything is so clear to me.

I can see wolves' arteries pulsating with excitement as they wish to kill Alec. I can hear their heartbeats so loud that they resonate in my head. I shake it: it is so heavy and so... large. That's definitely not my human head.

I watch my muscular furry legs, ending with giant paws gemmed with long black claws. My body is entirely covered with light brown hair.

I don't understand what just happened. I know that I just shifted - I felt that horrendous pain long enough. But how the fuck could I shift? Doctors affirmed I would never turn, and now... Here I am, in an emphatic wolf's form.

There's another reason why I know it's real: I can perceive a new presence in me. She seems to be so benign. And yet, terribly fierce. The pang is finally gone, and the wolf sharing my body stretches like she just wakes up after a long nap - a twenty-one years-long nap.

Undoubtedly, I have a wolf growling inside me. And she is also roaring outside as I realize I make loud growls.

Growls of anger as wolves attack my mate: incandescent sparks change into flames inside my body.

Growls of pride as a revived resilience overpowers my muscles, making me feel invincible.

Liv, just wait for us. Don't attack. You just shifted. Stay calm. We're almost here.

Jackson is in my head this time. I hear him, but the strength inside me wants to act. I don't need to wait.

I've never felt so strong, so powerful. The world seems to be ours - my wolf and I- and like nothing can stop us from protecting our mates. Alec was there with us while Ares fought: we need to do the same for them.

I want to tear apart every single one of these four wolves right now. I want to make them pay for all the pain they inflict on my mates. Rage boils inside my body, feeding my body with stamina.

I move closer to the wolves, my ears up-right on my head. I show them my fangs with a warning snarl. I'm just polite: I'll go after them no matter how they react. They dared to touch what's mine. What's ours.

I see that one of the wolves attacking Alec glimpses at me, and as my angry eyes stare back at him, he decides to run away. I must look terribly enraged: still, he is just a coward that doesn't merit to be let alive. As the other three seem to disregard me, I decide I won't give them a chance. Our runner may be lucky in the end.

I run to my mate, jump on the wolf assailing Alec's back. I catch him by his tail, and I toss him against a tree remorseless. I hear his chin cracking as he hits the tree. He moans and stops breathing, his body shifting instantly to his human form: without a doubt, I killed this man. My move was more violent than expected: I didn't mean to kill him. But he was aiming for Alec, and I can't let that happen.

I need Alec more than anything in my life: I've got to get rid of all perils that can threaten his life. So I try to warn them that I won't let them touch Alec, but they don't seem to understand - or at least, they don't want to understand.

Liv, take it easy. You have to calm down.

I can discern Alec's worries. However, I won't lose control: my wolf and I are just highly protective of him, and I have to have my mate's back.

We both turn to face our two left enemies. They refuse to give up. We don't have a choice but to fight together against the intruders. Now the game is fair.

Alec jumps on the largest and grabs him by the back. The wolf is thrown away against a trunk. He moans as Alec bites his neck: large holes start to let blood paint the wolf's coat. It is not long before he expires his final breath, and his body turns into his human shape.

The most petite one pounds on me. After a few moves, I catch the wolf by the neck. I can feel her blood in my mouth as the warm liquid tastes bitter on my extraordinarily sensible tongue. I free her, ready to grab her again, but she steps back. Finally, after a few seconds of quick thinking, she decides to fly away.

I bark in victory and howl. My little wolf is so satisfied: we were assertive enough to back our mates.

Alec comes closer to me and curls his head in my neck. I realize I'm almost as big as Alec. How is that possible? This is unrealistic. Alec looks at me.

You could have been killed. You need to be careful during your first shift, especially after your wolf had a hard time turning today.

His voice is edgy and relieved at the same time. He licks my cheek lovingly.

I could not take the risk of losing you, Alec. We could not risk losing both of you.

I brush my head against his'. Then, he gets away to check around that no other wolf is coming. He does not seem irate. Instead, pride gleams in his eyes as he looks at my new form.

After a few moments, he looks at Julie: she is weaker and weaker because of her injuries and blood loss.

You need to take her home, Liv. We have to protect her as they really seem to be looking for the Luna.

She must be carried to the safe room and see a doctor as soon as possible. Can you take her in?

Alex asks me that with a kind but purposeful tone.

Yes, of course.

I get close to Julie and lie down so she can climb on my back. She clings to my hair. I can feel her heart, which starts to slow down. I moan to comfort her. I'm going to take care of her.

I've got to go. Just try to be safe on your way back home. I'll try to get Elijah to tell him, Julie, and you are okay.

Alec growls, ready to go after the wolves who attacked the pack.

Be careful, Alec.

I have to tell him. I don't want him to go out there without revealing how much I love him.

He comes closer to me, and his face just brushes mine with a sweet movement.

I love you, Liv.

He is the first one to say it.

I love you, Alec. Come back safe, please.

He groans with love. His majesty shines as he starts to run back to the fight.

Are you okay, Julie? Just hang on well. I'm not used to this body.

I can feel she grabs me firmly. And we run to the house, just like Alec asked me.

My heart melts with happiness: he loves me. I love him. Despite the tensions, Amber's arrivals, and the fights, he does love me.

The battle around me seems so sluggish. No wolf tries to get us: it is more like they just try to avoid us.

Finally, after everlasting minutes, I see the house.

We arrive at the porch, and I lie down so Julie can get off my back. She walks into the house, and I shift back to my human form as I enter the hall.

"We need to go to the safe room. Come on, I'm gonna help you." I put my left arm around her abdomen to assist Julie in walking to the safe place. I uphold her in the stairs as she seems about to fall.

We finally arrive in front of the secure door. I sigh in relief.

"Alice, open the door." As she opens the door, I hear some howling outside.

They're running back. Catch runners if you can, but don't chase them.

Elijah's voice means the end of this battle. Finally, it's over. I made it.

"We've done it, Julie. You are safe." I feel Alice takes her inside as I say that. Kate's hands grab me as my vision turns blurry.

"Liv, Are you okay?" Her voice is asking me. I would like to answer but I can't. I feel so tired.

"Liv, I need you to answer me. You are wounded. Do you hear me?" Her voice seems to fade away. There is just one person I can think about.

"Alec..."

Then I black out, drained of all my energy.

Darkness.