Chapter 66

Xaden’s POV

My phone was ringing, and I frowned when I saw Penny’s name flash across the screen. Penny was Anila’s roommate and she never called me. My heart sank into my stomach and panic soon consumed me as I answered the phone.

“Hello?”

“Hi, Xaden?” Penny’s voice sounded on the other end.

“Yes,” I replied, trying not to sound as panicked as I was.

She had to be calling me because of Anila; had something happened?

“It’s Penny,” she continued. “I’m calling because Anila isn’t really doing well. I know she’s supposed to shift tonight, but she’s looking incredibly weak and very sick.”

My heart shattered hearing this, but I knew Penny was right. The first shift was the worst and took a huge toll on the human body. Her spirit animal is basically being born and a lot of the time that’ll make the human very sick.

His bones were probably aching too. That was why I was desperate for her to strengthen her powers and her body. I knew I needed to get her into the forest. She needed to be surrounded by the earth.

“I’m on my way,” I told Penny. I hung up before she was able to say another word.

I was already close to the dormitory, so, it didn’t take me long to get to Anila’s section and to her dorm room. I knocked and then tried to wait as patiently as I could until Penny opened the door. I was seconds away from busting the door down if she didn’t answer the door right now….

“You got here fast,” Penny said as soon as she saw me.

I ran past her and into the dorm. Anila was lying on the couch. She was pale and looked very sick. From the smell, I knew she had thrown up recently and Penny tried to make her some soup. It was left on the table untouched. I didn’t think Anila would be able to stomach food even if she wanted to eat.

She groaned and I knew I was right, her bones were aching, which meant she was close to her first shift.

“Hey,” I said bending down to her level. Her eyes were closed, but I knew she wasn’t sleeping. It was impossible to sleep when in this much pain. I shuddered at the memory of my first shift. I wrapped Anila in my arms, and she seemed to have relaxed as she rested her head on my chest. “I’m going to take you to the forest,” I whispered.

She nodded, though she didn’t say anything.

I thanked Penny for calling me and for taking care of her. Then, I left with Anila still cradled in my arms bridal style.

When we got outside, I held her even more tightly. She groaned miserably and I hated how much pain she was in.

I only paused for a second when I saw Harley walking across campus. He froze when he saw Anila and then his eyes widened. He looked up at the moon and then back at Anila. I nodded, confirming the unspoken question, and then motioned with my head for him to follow.

He looked surprised by my request, but I knew he wasn’t going to deny me or Anila. I continued to walk toward the forest without checking to see if Harley would follow; I knew he would.

“What happened?” Someone asked, making me pause again.

I looked to see Damien running toward us; there was obvious worry in his expression.

“It’s her first shift,” I explained. “It really takes a toll on the human body.”

“Where are you taking her?”

“To the forest; it’ll make the shift a little easier to be surrounded by the earth,” I explained.

I tried not to sound annoyed by him; I was used to Harley having eyes for my girl, but not Damien. He was a prick and thought he was better than everybody. But I also knew that he might be one of Anila’s mates and that she needed all her mates. Or so the Moon Queen told me, assuming the dream I had was real.

“Come if you’d like,” I offered, I turned away and walked toward the forest once again, not checking to see if he was following.

I knew he was.

“Shit,” I heard someone mutter from the other side of me.

I looked up and saw Zach’s eyes narrow as he looked at Anila. He didn’t bother to give me a look and I knew I didn’t have to tell him to follow us for him to follow us. I still didn’t like the fact that Anila was mated to this asshole, but I wanted what was best for her, so I didn’t stop him when he followed us.

By the time we reached the forest, and we were submerged by the trees, I kissed the top of her head and placed her on the ground.

She groaned miserably while she rolled around on the ground and my heart broke to watch her like this. Tears stained her features, and I watched her body tremble as more groans of agony escaped her lips.

“I hate watching this,” Harley whispered, his eyes glued on her.

“How long does this usually take?” Damien asked.

“And here I thought you knew everything,” Zach muttered.

“It could take hours,” I answered. “It’s not midnight yet and a first shift will rarely happen before then.”

“It’s only 10,” Damien said, shaking his head with dismay written all over his face. “She’s in so much pain already. You’re saying it’ll take another couple of hours.”

“It could take most of the night,” I answered.

“There has to be something we can do to help her.”

“The first shift is a bitch,” Zach said, leaning his body against a tree and folding his arms across his chest while he glared at Damien. “No one ever said it was a joyride. Why are you even here, West?”

Damien lifted his gaze and glared back at Zach.

“Because she’s my friend,” Damien muttered.

“Oh, right. I’m sure she’s your friend,” Zach said, rolling his eyes.

Damien was about to retort, but I held up my hand, not wanting to listen to them fighting anymore.

“Can you guys not do this right now?” I asked through my teeth. “We are here for Anila and Anila alone. If you can’t be here for her, then leave.”

Harley bent down and sat beside Anila; he moved a damp piece of hair out of her face. I hadn’t even realized she was sweating. She looked so sick, and it tore a piece of my heart right out of my chest.

“It’s going to be okay,” he whispered to her. “You can get through this.”

I knew he was right; she was strong. But I still hated to watch this happen to her. It tore a piece of my heart right out of my chest, and I thought I was going to be sick.

“Everything hurts,” she whispered. “I want it to stop.”

“Soon,” I said softly, sitting down on the other side of her. ‘It’ll be over soon.”

There was no concept of time as we sat around Anila, waiting and watching for her shift to take place. We were sitting in the forest for hours and once the moon was at the highest point in the sky, the pain only got worse.

She was screaming out for mercy, and I winced from the distraught tone in her voice. I wanted to pull her into my arms, but I knew better than to move her. I wouldn’t dare touch her and risk hurting her. Especially while her bones were about to be rearranged.

Then… I heard it.

A snap.

She screamed loudly as her arm twisted on its own accord and snapped. The next was her leg; it snapped backward, and tears escaped her eyes at a quick pace as she continued to scream in pain.

This was it… her first shift. The moment we have been training for since the second she arrived at this school.

“You are in control, Anila,” I told her softly, hoping that she could hear me through her screams of pain. “Don’t let your wolf control you. Stay strong and in charge.”

She took a shaky deep breath and her body relaxed for only a second before her spine snapped. She screamed again, digging her nails into the ground.

I knew from experience that you cannot show fear while shifting because your wolf will think of you as weak, and it will try to take over. She could lose her humanity.

“Use your strength, Anila,” Harley coached. “Remember how strong you are.”

She gritted her teeth as another bone snapped. She looked up at Harley and then at me; her eyes shifted to Damien, and then to Zach. I could see the wheels turning in her mind as she saw us all standing around her, watching, waiting, and supporting. I knew this was what she needed most of all; her mates all in one area, coming together for her and her alone.

With a shaky breath, she lifted her head, trying to get on top of the pain; trying to conquer the agony.

Her face started to transform as the canines grew large. I heard some snapping from her facial muscles, but she didn’t scream this time. Instead, she let out a growl. White fur began to sprout from her flesh, and we all took a step back.

Her first shift was almost complete. She looked as if she was in severe pain because all her bones were basically broken, but she didn’t scream and whimper anymore. Instead, I could see the determination in her bright purple eyes.

I was amazed that nobody made mention of her eyes; it was unusual for them to be purple instead of yellow. It made me nervous, but I didn’t express that concern.

Within the next couple of minutes, Anila’s body had completely shifted, and she was the most beautiful pure white wolf I had ever seen. White wolves were a rarity, but Anila was one and she was gorgeous. She was also huge, not as big as my wolf, but bigger than an average female.

Her eyes were glowing purple, and she lifted her gaze up to the full moon and let out a loud howl that echoed through the entire night.

“Holy shit,” Zach murmured as he took her in.

I didn’t miss the disappointed look on Harley’s face; up until now, we didn’t know what she was. She could have been a bear, or she could have been a wolf.

She looked amongst each of us and for a second, I worried that her wolf had taken complete control like mine had during my first shift. But when her eyes met mine, I saw recognition flash through them.

“Anila…” I whispered.

Just as she was about to take her first step toward me, she froze and watched as the wolf’s body began to ripple again.

“What’s going on?” Zach asked, walking toward us.

“I’m not sure,” I said, my brows furrowed as I watched Anila drop to the ground and another agonizing yelp escaped from the mouth of her wolf.

Her bones started to crack again and to rearrange.

“Is she shifting back already?” Damien asked.

“No, it wouldn’t be as painful to shift back,” I answered, unable to take my eyes off Anila who was now rolling around on the ground in her wolf form as her bones started to break and rearrange once more.

Then, new fur started to sprout; this time, it was completely black.

Before I knew what was happening, she was shifting into a completely new animal.

“No way,” Harley whispered, staring at her with his mouth hanging open.

Standing before us was a giant black bear.