onyx

I watch as the warriors train with Moses. I want to be out there; I want to help.

"Take a break!" Moses yells and I quickly stand up before making my way to him.

I had been working on walking better so there was no reason why I couldn't go. Other than the fact that I couldn't shift.

"Moses!" I call out to him.

Moses turns to me and a frown forms of his face. He already knew what I was going to ask since we have been having the same argument for days now.

"I want to train," I tell him with pleading eyes.

Moses sighs and shakes his head. "Ony-"

"Please," I beg.

"Look, I have no issue with you training but the alpha's forbid it. If you want to train, you need to talk to Alpha Gray."

My jaw clenches at that. No matter how hard I tried to convince Gray, he refused to let me.

With a nod, I turn and go to find Gray. The possibility of him letting me train was slim, but I had to try.

As I walk around the pack, I find Gray sitting inside the pack house. The moment he sees me, annoyance clouds over his face and he stands up and walks up the stairs. I hurry to follow him, ignoring his scowl.

Can't get rid of me that easily.

"Alpha!" I call out. The word still felt foreign on my tongue.

With the mixture of a sigh and a growl, Gray turns around and looks at me with a raised eyebrow.

"What, Onyx?" He questions, even though I'm sure we both know what I want.

"I want to train- I want to help," I told him pleadingly.

Gray frowns at me before shaking his head. "Onyx-"

"-It's my mate, I want to be there," I interrupt him.

Gray gives me a disapproving look before continuing.

"You're right he's your mate-" I open my mouth but his glare has me closing it. "-but that's exactly why I can't let you go. Gaius was worried about making sure you got back safe, sending you out there would ruin that. Besides, you heard the council, Onyx, you need to stay out of trouble."

I frown but don't say anything. Gray moves past me before placing a hand on my shoulder.

"You need to worry about yourself too, Onyx- not just Gaius. If you won't do it for yourself then do it for him."

With that, Gray leaves and I stare after him.

If you won't do it for yourself then do it for him.

...

A day's passed since my run-in with Gray and I'm getting the feeling he doesn't trust me to not try anything.

"Why?" I glare with my arms crossed over my chest.

Gray had called me to his office early in the morning. Already annoyed with having to get up, my mood didn't lighten when he told me he was assigning a guard to me.

Gray rolls his eyes at me. "One reason is you aren't trustworthy; you'd run after Gaius the first chance you got. The second is to protect you- someone could be waiting for a moment to snatch you. We aren't going to give them that chance."

"I don't need a babysitter," I frown at him.

"Could've fooled me with all your whining."

I scowled at that and moved my gaze from Gray and to the man standing beside him. I recognized him but couldn't remember from where.

"You know Everest," Gray told me.

Oh, he was the one Gaius left me with when he went to visit someone with Gray. The guy eyed me skeptically as if he wasn't sure if I'd try and attack him again.

"I don't like this," I tell Gray.

"Too bad," Gray deadpans. "Both of you get out, I have work to do."

I stare at him for a minute and he raises an eyebrow before waving his hand in a dismissing manner. My jaw clenched as I turned around and left the office with Everest in tow.

"It's only temporary," Everest tells me. "I'm sure he'll let up on you once Beta Gaius is back."

"Hush," I snap. "You don't know what you're talking about."

I was mad and while I knew taking my anger out on Everest wasn't the best, or right, thing to do, he just happened to be here.

Everest let out a dry laugh. "Believe it or not, I have some idea. I was in a very similar position to you a while back."

My brows furrow and I turn to him. "What do you mean?"

Everest tilts his head up. "I'm twenty-three, I met my mate when I was eighteen. At first he wanted nothing to do with me and we never managed to form a bond, then a few months later he was kidnapped. It took three years to find him and get him back and even longer for him to heal."

Silence fell over us and I felt bad for snapping at him.

"I'm sor-" I started to say, but a intense burning sensation had me stopping and gasping.

"Onyx?!" Everest calls out as I fall to the floor. I want to speak but the pain throughout my body prevents words from forming. "Hold on!"

His eyes cloud over as he links someone and hear him yelling just as I pass out.

...

"...Onyx?"

"...Onyx!"

"...ONYX!"

My eyes snap open and I jump up only to wince and grip my head. Everest, Gray, and an unfamiliar person surround the bed i'm laying on.

"Calm down," the unfamiliar person says.

"What happened?" I groan out.

"We're not really sure," Everest says. "One minute you were fine, next minute you were on the floor in pain."

My brows furrowed at that. Why would I be in pain if nothing is wrong with me? It didn't make any sense, unless...

"I don't think it came from me," I whisper quietly. "I think it had to be Gaius."

A tense silence fills the room.

"Is that possible? You guys haven't even finished the mating bond," Everest questions.

"It is," Gray finally speaks up. "It's possible if it's a strong pain; it's the same with all things connected to the mate bond. If it's strong enough, you'll feel it even if you aren't completely bonded."

The idea of Gaius being in pain has me biting my lip and my body begins to shake slightly. A hand is placed on my shoulder and I look up at Gray.

"We'll find him," he promises before turning to Everest. "Take him home."

Everest nods and Gray leaves the room. Everest slowly helps me out of the bed before talking to the doctor. I zone out as the two of them talk and on the way home. The only thing on my mind is Gaius.

How can they expect me to sit around when I can literally feel my mate's pain? I knew that no mate would sit around while their mate was being tortured and I wasn't going to be the exception.

"Are you okay?" Everest asked as we walked into the house.

I nodded. "I'm okay."

Everest eyed me for a minute but said nothing else. I took a seat on the couch and let my head rest against the back before closing my eyes. When I reopened them, there was a look of determination shining within.

I was going to help Gaius even if everyone else told me not to.