The next morning i wake before the sun is even up. Rolling over i look at my phone and see its only 3:27am, but I was wide awake with no chance of falling back asleep. With an annoyed sigh i roll out of bed careful not to wake Matt, and make my way out of the bedroom. I slowly pad down the dark hallway, the only sound my bare feet along the cool tile floor. I reach the end of the hallway and notice a light coming from the kitchen downstairs.
I creep down the stairs and down the small hall trying to stick to the shadows as i peek into the kitchen to see Nick sitting at the table with a bottle of whiskey in front of him and his head in his hands. Slowly i walk into the kitchen trying not to scare him. "Nick?" i say softly walking up to him.
"Did you really think you could hide that from me? Something so huge, so life changing, something that will potentially destroy this pack." Nick says in a cold dead voice ive only ever heard my brother use once. Right after our parents died.
"I don't know what youre talking about." I say making sure to look at my yellow painted toe nails.
"I think you know exactly what the fuck I'm talking about. You aren't coming out of this fight alive. How the fuck could you think i wouldn't find out. I'm not only your brother, I'm your TWIN! Your best friend, and you want to fucking hide the fact that youre going to die from me!" Nick yells, standing up and getting in my face. "How could you be so stupid Ashton! How could you be so fucking selfish?"
Tears, the big fat kind that look like they are out of a cartoon well up in my eyes and roll down my face. "I'm so sorry Nick, Please, you have to understand. I couldn't tell you guys, i had to keep it a secret. Everyone needs to be focused on the fight, not worried about me. Please don't say anything to anyone, please." I beg looking up into the cold angry eyes of my twin brother.
He stared at me for a moment longer before i saw him break. I watched the strongest person i know crumble into a sobbing mess. He dropped to his knees and hugged me tightly around my waist and cried into his nieces or nephews. " I don't know what I'm going to do without you, we have never been seriously apart. When you moved out that about killed me but i could handle it because you were still around. You aren't going to be around anymore. Youre going to just be gone!" Nick sobs soaking my tee shirt with tears.
"Nick please, you have to be strong, they are going to need their uncle in their lives, they will need you to teach them how to fish, and hunt, in human and wolf form, and no one else could teach them about the earth and their heritage better than you could. You will be so important to these little pups." I say dropping to my knees, joining him on the floor and hugging him tightly.
Nick looks at me and i don't know what he sees in my eyes but he must see what hes looking for because he sniffles a little more, wipes his eyes and kisses the top of my head quickly. "I love you Ash, you are so much more to me than just a sister, or even a twin. You are my best friend, you are amazing and smart and funny as hell. The best one of any of us Clearwaters. I'm so proud of the woman you have become. I know you are going to have beautiful children and i will make sure that Matt is one hell of a dad. I would have to kill him if he wasn't. And you best belive your babies will know that you died a hero."
"I love you too Nikky. Thank you so much." I say hugging him tightly.
We both, stand, hugging one more time and smiling at one another. "I promise to keep this a secret, but you best believe I'm gong to also keep an eye on you and try to keep you safe. The efforts may be in vain but i will do what i can and nothing you say will be able to stop me." Nick says giving me his famous smirk. Well famous amongst the high school cheerleading team.
"I know no matter what i say you're going to do what you want, just please don't make me a priority."
"We shall see. Now, why in the hell are you awake so early. You need to be getting your sleep. In no time at all you're going to be having two amazing pups, plus we have to train twice as hard now that this war is coming so much sooner than we thought."
"I had a bad dream, and when i woke up from it i knew i wasn't going back to sleep so here i am. I'm thinking about going for a run. Would you like to join me?"
"You know I'm always down for a run. But you best believe I'm not going to go easy on you just because you're pregnant." Nick says ruffling my hair.
"Oh you're on Nicky boo." I laugh and head to the back door.
Nick and i walk out the back door silently, being greeted by a cold breeze. We share a quick glance, thinking about how soon this war is coming before we step behind some bushes to strip and shift. When we come out nicks huge rust colored wolf towers over me and for not the first time I'm amazed by how small i truly am in the Wolf community, yet I'm the most powerful one out there. Its like when you're in grade school and they are teaching you how to tell time. The little hand holds all the power so its the one to tell the hour.
We take off sprinting into the woods, weaving between trees and jumping over bushes. I don't know how long we were running but it wasn't long before the temperature dropped at least 20 degrees and Nyx, the moon goddess appears in front of Nick and I.
She is beautiful, and yet its so strange to look at her. When i spoke with her before she never showed herself. She just spoke, but now she's here, in front of us. She kind of looks like a ghost or a mirage, we can see right through her yet, she's solid and strong.
"Nick. Ashton. I have very important news. Please follow me." Nyx says floating away from us.
Nick and i share a glance before following her. "What's going on?" I ask panicked. Just like last time her and i spoke her voice is in my head and i can see the words in the beautiful lavender smoke, mine in the pale pink.
"Ash what the fuck is happening?" Nick ask and i hear the fear in his voice and see the waviness of his green smoke words. "Why can i see what youre saying? Who is she? Whats happening?"
"My name Nicholas is Nyx, I'm sorry to show up like this but its so important that i speak to both of you." Nyx's words float across our minds as she stops in a small clearing in the woods. She turns to look at us and despite the fact that she really has no facial expression, you can read the fear and worry radiating off of her. "I'm sure you are well aware that the date of the war has moved up. The snow will begin to stick on the 26th of January. And its going to be a lot worse than we had originally thought. Not only have the hunters teamed up with the vampires but they have created a new weapon."
"What kind of new weapon?" I ask looking at nick seeing the same terrified expression on his face that I'm sure is on mine.
"They have found a way to harvest Vampire venom. Sadly i cant tell you how they plan to use it but you need to be extremely careful." She says
"So you want us to freak out about this, but you cant tell us how to prepare for it. Awesome." Nick says Anger lacing his words.
"Nick, stop. We need to talk to Mal and hopefully she will be able to tell us more. Thank you Nyx." I say and nod at her.
Nick sighs and nods to the moon goddess as well before we turn on our heels and take off running back to the pack house.
