Black Forest (boyxboy)

Zeke

Chapter 16

I was so glad that Erin took everything as well as could be expected, and he still wanted to date me even after the whole "I'm a werewolf" thing. It would've broken my heart and - literally - would have killed me.

When werewolves are rejected by their mates, they go through a sort of withdrawal almost. As their minds begin to cave into themselves, they begin neglecting the things around them like their packs, their loved ones, and even themselves before regressing into the final stage, where they inevitably die.

The only thing that can save the werewolf at that point is being accepted by their mates, though that does not always happen. This rejection may occur often when the wolf's mate is human. The shock and knowledge that their soul mate is a werewolf may stun and disgust them, and they would rather let their mate die than to "suffer" and copulate with a half wolf.

It's very saddening, and I shudder just thinking about it. I couldn't imagine how painful it would have felt if Erin had turned his back on me when he found out.

I wandered into the kitchen, stuffing my face with dry cereal. Being poisoned and knocked out must've taken a lot out of my system.

I heard a gasp and whirled around to see Genni and some of my other siblings, eyes wide.

"You're okay!" Genni shouted, sprinting towards me with the others right on her trail.

Lanie latched herself to my waist as the triplets bounced around my legs clapping, even though the three didn't know what was going on.

"What did I miss?" I asked, and watched as everyone slowly avoided eye contact.

Kida, always the bearer of bad news, stepped forward. "Something bad happened to Dad, Zeke. He's not doing so well."

My stomach dropped. That must explain why my mother was the only one who was in the room when I woke up; naturally, there should have been both of them.

"Where is he?" I asked. "Can I go to see him?"

Genni frowned. "Unfortunately, no. He doesn't want anyone to see him in this state except Mom. I'm sorry, but we all have to wait until he recovers. The pack is worried, but once they know you're out and about I'm sure that they'll be delighted!"

I nodded. "That makes sense, I guess. Is he in...critical condition?"

Kida shook her head. "No, not quite. But it's bad enough. Why don't you go visit Maren and Raven to ease their nerves? Raven has been distraught because of your injuries and the fact that her new friend was, oh I don't know, kidnapped?"

Was she being aggressive with me? I growled lowly, and she shrunk back.

Genni placed a gentle hand on my shoulder. "Relax, Zeke, she's just stressed. We all are."

After a quick exchange of hugs and kisses with the younger children, I left the room and sniffed for Raven's scent; I found nothing.

Hunting around I walked into Raven and Maren's room to find Maren Indian style on the bed, flipping through the pages of an old, worn, leather-bound book.

He jumped to a start as soon as I crossed through the doorway, and sprinted over to give me a tight hug. "Zeke, you're okay? Thank god."

"If it wasn't for you, I might not be." I pulled back to study his face. "Where is Raven?"

Maren nibbled on his lip. "She went for a run, I'm not sure where." I turned to leave, and Maren grabbed my wrist. "But Zeke, wait. I have to tell--"

"Can it wait?" I grimaced. "I don't want Raven to do something foolish, you know how she gets."

Maren looked down at the carpet, before sighing. "Sure, fine, whatever. But I really need to talk to you, okay?"

I nodded, then reached up to squeeze his shoulder. "Yeah, of course! I'll be right back once I find your sister."

Maren stepped back and returned to reading on the bed. "See you," he whispered.

Weird. I jogged out of the room and out the front door, looking for Raven's scent.

Following her smell, I crept forward slowly. I was in no rush, and I didn't want to spook her by running up behind her.

"Raven?" I called quietly. I didn't want to fight her, not in this weak state, so it was best to be cautious. When Raven becomes emotionally unstable she also becomes ridiculously dangerous.

"Zeke? Zeke, is that you?" Raven came out of the shadow of a tree, naked except for a coat that she clung to. She was covered in mud and dried leaves, and her eyes were wide and frightful. "Oh my god, Zeke!"

She sprinted forward and slung herself into my arms, shivering. "I'm okay, Raven. It's going to be okay."

"We sent Kai in, Zeke. It's our fault he won't be able to have a home and a family. He was so eager to prove himself, and he...he..."

"Shh, shh." I held her close as she shook with sobs.

"And then you were out for so long, everyone said you would be okay but werewolves are never okay after wolfsbane, oh Zeke, I was so scared! And then Uncle is in such a poor condition so the wolves are restless and--"

"Raven, hey, look at me." She shuffled and leaned back to look at my face. "Raven, it's going to be okay."

"How?" She breathed. "Zeke, you can't fix everything."

Frowning, I stated, "But I can try. Look, it's one of my top priorities to rescue Kai. I don't even want to think about what they might do to him, so it's important to get him back before he's irreparably damaged. He tried to help us, and I will return the favor in full.

"Dad is going to be fine, he just needs some time to recover, all right? Once his healing kicks in he'll be up and running in no time. You know how he is! He's not just any old wolf Raven, he's an Alpha."

Raven huffed. "And what about you? How are you still alive and healthy after wolfsbane poisoning? Are you immune?"

So Maren didn't tell her about Alain, huh? He must be just as confused as I am, and I'm still trying to understand why on earth Alain would even debate helping me after making such a big show about how glad he would be to have me dead.

I winked. "Must be from Dad's genes, right?"

Raven laughed dryly. "I'll let it go for now, even though you are lying to me. But I do expect an answer eventually, do you understand?"

"Don't talk to your alpha like that," I chastised teasingly.

"In this moment, Zeke," she said seriously. "You're not my alpha."

"You're my family."

Wow, short, sweet, and long overdue. Next chapter is the final official chapter, so if you have any questions or if there is anything I didn't answer throughout this book, drop some comments.
Sorry I haven't updated, I just haven't been in a very good mental state. I've been so busy and so stressed I can't even find the energy to read. However, light is shining once again in my cloudy skies so I've been able to watch the new episode of Teen Wolf (huehuehue) and update (yay!)
I hope you guys enjoy(ed) this book, and I promise to make one long ass chapter as the final one to make up for how short these past ones have been. Thank you so much for staying for the ride, hope you enjoyed it, and see you next time my loves!!! <3333
Xoxo.