THE BLAME GAME

SHAWN I was about to drive towards the Pack House to pick Valerie. She wanted to tell me something and I knew it was an important matter. I can still recall the way she was shaking like a leaf when I held her few minutes ago. She was really nervous and I could feel it. Opening the car door I sat inside when I heard Abed's voice. 'What?' I snapped annoyed. 'Sheila is missing!' he said nervously. 'What do you mean missing? She might have gone somewhere around.' I said and closed the driver's door. Valerie was very nervous how Sheila would react when they would meet but everything went well today morning because she had a huge grin on her face when she came back after picking Trudy. She told me that Trudy wasn't cold towards her. I was happy for her. Everything was going well in their family after a long time. Even after being separated by Amelia and Idris they somehow managed to get together. 'Don't worry. Valerie found her. She is in the beach.' Jasper said in my mind. Then that is where Valerie is, so I started my car and drove towards the beach. The sounds of waves were higher than they usually are. It was like roaring. What is wrong with the ocean nowadays? No, what is wrong with the water nowadays? I thought recalling the events when Valerie broke the kitchen tap where I managed to get fully wet. I was walking in the woods now, when Abed and Pamela joined me. I cocked an eyebrow at them questioningly and Abed replied, "Sheila is behaving strangely!" he said and I furrowed my brows. "Jasper called me," Pamela said. "I think to talk to Sheila." she added and I nodded. I stepped on the sand when I heard Valerie yelling. "I meant go home!" she said to Sheila. Something was seriously wrong. Valerie wasn't the one to yell like this. Sheila shook her head at Valerie and then looked at me. There was pity in Sheila's eyes when she saw me. "No wonder Shawn didn't mark you!" she said to Valerie. "Why would he?" she asked chuckling humorlessly and rubbed her cheeks with the back of her hands. "Who would like used pieces?" Sheila said and I growled murderously at her. How dare she accuse my mate of that? The very first day when I went to her room to hug her I had sniffed her innocence. Sheila's incorrect allegation on Valerie pissed me off. How could she talk to her sister like that? "Sheila," Templar snapped, "Watch it!" she warned. More and more wolves were coming towards the shore and I don't know who the hell called them here. Almost everyone from her pack where here. "What are you going to do?" Sheila challenged. "I am not in your stupid Pack and so your "Beta command" won't work on me." she said smirking and everyone form her Pack growled at Sheila. "I bet you made your way into his bed to get that position!" she spat at my mate. My wolf didn't like the way false accusation. I wanted Sheila to step back and hence I tried to step in front of her when Jasper, Abed and few other wolves held me. I growled ferociously at them. "Don't Alpha. Valerie needs to know to respect Valerie!" Jasper said and bowed his head respectfully. The look in his eyes told me he knew something. "Enough Sheila!" Evie yelled at her. "What do you know about Valerie to comment like that?" "Step back now!" Valerie growled. "You don't know who you are talking to!" she said and her eyes were already a darker shade of red. "Who are you?" Sheila asked disgustedly and there was a small chuckle from their so called father, Idris. That bastard! "You know Jasper said your wolf was different." Sheila continued and Valerie turned to look at the sea. I was shaking with anger. I never killed a she-wolf before but I wouldn't mind killing Sheila now. "I meant what I said Sheila, you wouldn't like it!" Jasper snapped at her but she ignored him. That was it, I was about to go for Sheila's throat when again a few wolves dared to stop me. I shoved them hardly so that some went crashing to the tree. "But I don't think so. I think your wolf is as repulsive and wretched as you are!" she said through gritted teeth to Valerie and I saw my mate's claws coming out. "Sheila!" I yelled using my Alpha tone and she panicked and turned to look at me. "Val," Evie whispered her name and I turned to look at my mate. Her whole body was shaking, the roars from the waves increased. Sheila must have sensed her anger because she took few steps back. Valerie looked up at the moon once and growled again. This time her growl was malicious. And then shaking with anger she turned to face Sheila. It was like a déjà vu. I had seen her like this when the rogues had attacked. Her blood red eyes had condescending look in them. Her wolf had taken control over her and I hoped she wouldn't kill Sheila because she will regret that later. She was shaking with anger. There were murmurs and most of the wolves looked at Valerie with fear. Through the corner of my eyes I could see Abed covering Pamela who looked horrified. "What is happening to Valerie?" she asked in a shaky voice. The wolves around me stepped back when they all saw Valerie. She tilted her head a little and scanned Sheila with those murderous eyes. "You will learn your place wolf!" she thundered at her sister. Sheila's voice was condescending. By now Sheila had strode back a lot because everyone could sense the upsurge of anger radiating from Valerie. The waves rose higher when she said that. Valerie spread her arms and looked up at the sky. The moon was right above her and seemed to be stimulating her. Tearing her gaze away from the moon she looked back at her sister. She started running towards Sheila and after four strides leapt in the air and started twirling. Her clothes were ripping and she was going to shift. She twirled in the air twice before landing on the ground with her front paws first and then her back paws. It was then I saw my mate's wolf for the first time! She stood in her fours growling at her sister. There were loud gasps from everyone. I stood there staring at her. "You don't believe in white wolf?" I recalled her asking me. I never did. But here standing in front of me in all her glory was a pure white wolf. There wasn't a single other color in her body. My mate is a white wolf! There were murmurs from everyone. Her Pack members were all glaring at Sheila who looked terrified of her. Valerie shook her head once and started running to attack on Sheila who was still in a state of shock. Believe me her state matched mine. "Valerie don't!" Jasper yelled but she ignored him. She lunged and sent Sheila flying to crash against a tree. Sheila fell on the ground and yelped in pain, but that wasn't enough for Valerie because she went at Sheila again. "You have got to stop her!" Evie said to me but I was just staring at the wolf in front of me who was set on killing Sheila. Just when Valerie was about to attack Sheila, she shoved the white wolf. It was a weak shove because the white wolf just took few steps back which only gave time for Sheila to shift into her tanned wolf. She went at Sheila again and this time using her head she knocked her to the tree. Sheila's wolf wasn't that strong in fighting with Valerie's because all her attempts in protecting herself were in vain. "Valerie!" Evie screamed but the white wolf didn't even respond to it. It was like she didn't even recognise her own name. "She has lost control!" Evie said sobbing and I turned to look at her. "Stop her!" They all knew about this. They knew about Valerie. Even Jasper knew about her wolf! How could I have been so stupid? I have never ever asked her to shift for me. She lied to me all this time. Everyone except me knew, and I was her mate that too. It made me livid. I looked at the white wolf and saw her holding Sheila's wolf in between her jaws and dragging her to the middle. Everyone made way for her. Sheila's wolf almost looked dead. She threw her sister's wolf to the ground and placed her front paws over it. I knew what she was about to do. She was about to howl first and then kill Sheila. It was an age old werewolf tradition. Even though Sheila said those harsh words to Valerie, I knew Valerie would forgive her in a heartbeat. If she killed Sheila now then she would never forgive herself. She would hate herself and so I stepped forward to stop my mate. Suddenly, I froze on my tracks. I stopped not because Valerie howled loudly looking at the moon but because everyone in her Pack shifted in the process. Evie, Donald, Ivan, Cherry, Bella, and Veronica, everyone in her pack started shifting. Every fucking wolf. Jasper was staring at his mate in shock. Only one wolf has the power to control everyone in the pack like this. Only one wolf's howl command will be responded by other wolves with respect. All the wolves from her pack lowered their heads and placed it in their paws. I remember when the first time the title was handed to me I howled loudly and made every single wolf in my Pack to howl with me. Only an Alpha can do that. Valerie is their Alpha! She howled again and everyone in her Pack howled with her. Her howl was a command which they obeyed. Immediately all the wolves from her Pack were standing in front of us. They were preventing us from going after Valerie. I saw two wolves in front of me stopping me from going at Valerie. I growled at the wolf that dared to snarl at me and he immediately stepped back because I was their Alpha's mate. Valerie's wolf then looked down at Sheila's tanned wolf that lay limp on the ground. I doubt Sheila would make out of this. She raised her head and bent it down again so that she could kill her sister, but before her jaws could connect to Sheila, I went and shoved her hard, off Sheila. She went rolling sideways but got up and stood again in her fours snarling at me. I stood in front of Sheila's body protectively. I was doing this for Valerie because she would hate herself forever if she killed Sheila now. She lunged at me again and I pushed her back again which sent her a few steps back. The white wolf growled at me but stood glancing at me for a few seconds. It was like she was trying to recognise me or the bond between us. "Enough!" I growled at her. The white wolf bared its teeth to me and I growled louder. She was about to lunge again but stopped when she heard a voice. "Alpha don't!" Oscar screamed and I saw him panting near Sheila who was now in her human form. "Please don't!" he said again and bent his head. "She is mine!" he said and fell on the ground in his knees. "My mate!" he said and brought Sheila closer to his chest. Sheila's breathing was slow. She had lost a lot of blood. There was an emotion that passed through the white wolf's eyes. She slowly walked and stood in front of Oscar who was holding Sheila in his arms. She tilted her head a little and took a step back before running into the woods. "Take her to the doctor now!" Pamela said and Oscar carried Sheila to the Pack House. I removed my t-shirt and followed her. She stood behind a tree and shifted back. I could hear her heavy breathing. "Take it." I growled at her and handed her my t-shirt. I looked at Valerie and gulped because she was naked in front of me. My wolf raised his lustful head. He didn't care about anything, he just wanted his mate. The mate who lied all this time. She yanked the shirt from me and I growled at her to which she growled back. My gaze met hers and her eyes were still the blood red color. She wasn't fully back. Her wolf was still in the rim. I looked away when she wore the shirt so that I would not do something stupid. She walked past me, more like stormed past me towards the Pack House while I followed her. I had to be careful because her wolf hasn't calmed yet. She was seeking for blood which she didn't get. With one force she shoved the front door separating it from its hinges in the process. Everyone from her Pack had shifted back and I saw Oscar sitting on the couch besides Veronica looking completely lost. I would have been in the same state if anything would have happened to Valerie. "Edith is operating on Sheila." Jasper told me and I growled at him. Bastard had lied to me too. He seemed to get the message because he stepped back. Nathan was also here sitting beside Evie. I was disturbed from my thoughts when I saw Valerie storming towards Oscar and holding the collars of his shirt forcefully making him get up from the couch. She pushed him against a nearby wall and he didn't even try to fight back. He just fell on the ground limp. "You dared to reject your mate?" Valerie yelled with so much power in her voice that it had the windows vibrating. Oscar raised his head to look at her. Before he could speak Valerie punched him and he fell back. So, that is what she was angry about. I thought she is going to kill Oscar because he stopped her. Still I wasn't prepared to take any risk that is why I went and caught her arms so that her back was crashed against my chest. "Stop!" I said through gritted teeth. She can't just lose control and hurt people she cares for. She tried wriggling out of my hold but it only made me tighten my hold on her and my claws started digging the soft skin of her arms. "Let me go!" she snarled at me. Like hell I would listen to her. "She got it all wrong about you and Valerie." Evie told Oscar. "I didn't reject her Alpha. I swear on goddess, I didn't!" Oscar said dejectedly and his eyes were all watery. What was his rank in the Pack if she was their Alpha? "I was happy to find her." he continued and Veronica wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "I went to Jasper's house and that's when her scent hit me." he said and small tear escaped his eyes. "I wanted to inform you first that I found my mate because I knew you prayed for me. I wanted to thank you." he said and swallowed "So, I kissed her and ran away from the house to meet you. I don't know what went wrong after that!" he said and Veronica hugged him. Valerie growled at him and took a step back. There was blood on her arms where my claws had dug her skin, so I loosened my hold on her. I caught her shoulders and began leading her out of the house. I wanted to calm her wolf first because her eyes were still red. 'Any news from the doctor should be reported to me!' I said using my Alpha tone on Jasper and he bowed his head. She was walking with me when there was a slight breeze that came in. It brought a lot of scent with it and like I guessed it brought Sheila's scent to us with it. Valerie turned to look at the stairs. Before I could try and stop her she ran upstairs where Sheila was being operated. Her wolf still wanted Sheila's blood. "No!" "Damn it!" "Stop her!" I could hear everyone screaming while I ran after Valerie. She broke through the door where they were operating on Sheila. Edith and my Pack doctor along with few other girls where staring at her in shock. Valerie growled once and took a step towards Sheila. Before I could catch her she shoved me and walked towards her sister. Oscar came and shoved her away to the nearby wall and stood before Sheila growling at his Alpha. "Mine!" he said growling at his Alpha. I could already see Valerie was ready to attack and that is why I pushed her against the wall next to the window pressing my body against hers. I caught her upper arms and placed my left leg in between her legs. We were pressed in the most intimate ways. Chest to chest, thighs to thighs. My wolf was having passionate thoughts running in his head but I tried ignoring it. He wanted to take her. She rumbled once and that made me angry. I pressed her to the wall that had her head banging hardly against the wall. Her eyes closed shut from the pain. I bent my head and nestled it against her neck inhaling her scent to calm my horny wolf. She tried shoving me but I pressed myself closer against her and felt her hands near my waist. It was completely turning me on. I was trying to calm her wolf by being this close to her but that only made my wolf lose control. I hauled her closer to me and nestled my nose again in the base of her neck. "Mine!" I whispered and kissed the area while she huffed a little. I then sunk my teeth there marking her and making her mine. She cried out in pain, but I didn't pull away instead I bit deep into her neck. I wanted my mark to be known by every other wolf. I then pulled out my canines and licked the area where I had marked her wiping her blood in the process. "Mine!" I said again and wiped her blood from my lips with the knuckles of my index finger. There were loud gasps coming from behind. I pulled away and looked at Valerie. She was exhausted I could tell that. I loosened my hold on her arms and pulled away completely from her. Her eyes were half closed and she was still leaning against the wall for support. After few minutes she tried taking a step but her legs gave away. Before she could fall on the ground I placed my hands below her thighs and carried her in my arms. I walked out of the door to our house ignoring all the faces that were staring at me and my mate who was already asleep in my arms but still groaning softly. So what if I marked her? She is mine. My mate! I placed her gently on our room bed and saw Sheila's blood in her hands. I went inside the bathroom to get a towel to clean it. Picking a towel from the handle I went into our room and stood frozen in my spot. My shirt was ripped and pieces of it were around her. Lying on the bed was Valerie's white wolf. She had shifted in her sleep. Her wolf was asleep and I could hear her soft breathing. I took that time to check her wolf. Pure white. There wasn't any color in her body other than her nose which was black. I traced my fingers on her fur and felt the electricity spreading. Just like her, her wolf was beautiful. Very beautiful. But then I pulled my hand away because she lied to me. She lied to me all this time. She lied to me about being an Alpha, she lied to me about being a sole white shifter and I don't know what else she lied about? But I still didn't get it, why was Oscar known as the Alpha of the Riverside Moon Pack if Valerie was their Alpha. I wanted to threaten everyone in her Pack and beat the truth out of them but right now they had to worry about Sheila and I was too mad to talk properly. I always knew she was hiding something but I never guessed it to be this. So, the story wasn't a myth. She was the daughter of moon goddess. I felt proud to have her as my mate but also hurt that she didn't trust me enough to confide the truth with me. I sat on the couch and stared at her wolf that was sleeping in the bed. I don't know why she lied. But given the time all unwanted thoughts were running in my mind. Maybe she lied because she didn't think I could protect her or maybe because she thought I wasn't worth being her mate. The latter one hurt a lot. It was like a slap in the face. I wanted her all this time and she kept me away from her. Maybe she really didn't want me as her mate after all I bullied her all those years. If only I had gathered enough courage and told her the truth rather than bullying her. I tried sleeping on the small couch but I couldn't close my eye because all I could think about was Valerie's wolf. Neither a glass of water, a shower nor pacing helped me. It was three in the morning. I knew everyone in her Pack knew the truth about her, but I wanted my answers from one particular person whom Valerie is very close to. So I shut the room door after looking at Valerie's sleeping wolf in my bed and then walked out of the house. I wanted complete truth and I doubt Valerie would give me the privilege of having that. "Evie!" I yelled her name as soon as I was in the Pack house. She was sleeping in Jasper's lap and immediately stood up when she heard me yelling. "I want to know everything from the start!" I said my voice very lethal. She gulped and nodded.