~~Light Editing~~

I just sat there in shock. "What?"

"You're a royal! That necklace is a sacred royal necklace!" Mathew repeated.

"But the king has no known family!" Someone else argued. I was too shaken up to really focus.

"No known family. I guess he had or has a family."

"How do we know this is family?" I couldn't tell who was saying what but I could faintly make out words. My mind was swirling around one thing.

They know of my scars and that I'm a royal...

"Who else would get a royal necklace?"

They know. They know!!

"Why didn't you tell us that our Luna is a royal?!" One of the men snapped at Nathan.

"Because that's not my secret to tell!" He snapped back.

"But your secrets are her secrets! You're mates!"

"I know that!"

"So you didn't want to tell your pack, frick, your best friend and gamma that you might be the king?!" The other guy growled.

"No! I didn't!" I felt a wave of power pour off of Nathan and around the room. I snapped out of my trance and saw everyone with their head down except for Matthew and Nathan who were glaring at each other.

"So you're lying to your pack now? What kind of Alpha does that? Oh wait, an alpha doesn't lie to his pack!" Mathew sneered, and Nathan snarled and shot off of the couch. Mathew did the same. Now they were face to face, eye to eye.

"Stop!" I shouted, but they were either too stupid or too caught up in glaring at each other to hear me.

"You dare disrespect your alpha?" Nathan growled lowly.

"An alpha doesn't lie to his pack! That's exactly what you did!! You haven't even introduced our luna to the pack yet! They don't know who she is! For all the pack knows, she is just some random girl you are hooking up with! What kind of reputation are you giving yourself? So far, not very alpha like, Alpha." Mathew spat the last word.

The power in the room that was coming off these two was so overpowering it scared me. I could feel through the mate bond Nathan's rage for being disrespected like that. I looked over at everyone else and saw them all looking fearful with their heads bowed. I knew something was going to happen unless someone stopped them.

"ENOUGH!!" I shouted loudly while shooting  up from the couch. Instantly everyone in the room snapped their gaze to me. "Stop fighting!!! I wasn't ready for you all to know, ok? So stop fighting like little children!!" Everyone dropped their heads and avoided my gaze. I jumped back at my own voice. 

Where did that come from?!

"Sorry Luna." Mathew apologized.

"What just happened to me?" I asked everyone in the room.

"You used either your Luna voice, or your royal voice, to command us to stop. Your wolf must've not liked us fighting so she took control." Nathan replied, sounding surprised and... proud?

"What wolf?" I tilted my head to the side.

"Your inner wolf? The one that talks to you in your mind?" I shook my head slowly.

"There is no voice in my head. No one 'took control' of me or whatever you said."

"Wait, you don't hear your inner wolf?" Kyle questioned. I shook my head.

"Titan, my wolf, hasn't been in contact with your wolf either." Nathan explained. "Can any of your guys' wolves reach her?" Nathan asked everyone. They all froze for a few seconds and their eyes seemed distant. They all shook their heads.

"Nope." A few of them replied.

"Bailey, in your head, call out to her." Nathan said seriously.

"Ok?...." I closed my eyes.

'Hello? Is anyone there? Inner wolf?'

I waited a few seconds and tried again. When I heard no reply, I opened my eyes.

"Nope, I don't feel or here anyone."

"That can't be right. Something is wrong." Megan said quickly.

"Kyle, mind link Daniel. Ask him quick." Nathan told Kyle. He nodded his head and his eyes went foggy. After a little while, he blinked and his eyes were normal again.

"Bailey, he is wondering if you have ever felt or heard her before? And if you have ever had weird feelings that you knew weren't your own." I paused and thought back the past week.

"Umm, I don't believe so besides just now. I've never, and would never, shout like that." he nodded his head and his eyes went foggy again.

"Daniel said to take her in immediately, there could be something wrong with her wolf." Kyle finished. Nathan nodded his head.

"Come on, let's go now."

***** at the hospital *****

"Hello again, Alpha, Luna. I heard Luna is having trouble connecting to her wolf?" We both nodded our heads as we sat in Daniel's office. Nathan and I were sitting in a couple of comfortable chairs while Daniel was sitting on a spinning stool on wheels.

"Have you ever connected to her before?" I shook my head. "Has she ever growled, whimpered, anything like that in your head?" I paused.

"Actually, yeah. Once. I just remembered now. When Nathan tried to get me into the truck on the first day we met and I ran. I heard a growl in my head and then I shifted easily."

"Hmm, so she is there, she just isn't active." Daniel then went to examining me, looking at my eyes, hearing my heart, and other random things.

"I don't think there is anything physically wrong, I think it is mentally. You see, when you are first connected to your wolf on your 16 birthday, your entire life, your memories, your feelings, everything that has happened to you, is all dropped into your wolf at once." I tilted my head to the side.

"Meaning?" I asked, confused.

"All the pain you have experienced in your life, all your scars, all the mental pain, she experienced it all at once." My eyes widened.

"Y-You mean what I went through the past 11 years, she went through in seconds?" I whispered tracing a scar on my arm. Daniel nodded his head gravely.

"So how can we help her?" Nathan asked.

"That's the tricky part, I don't think we can Alpha. Luna needs to help her wolf. She needs to be the one to help her wolf through all that trauma."

"How?" I whispered again, staring off into space trying not to imagine experiencing what my poor wolf went through.

"Talk to her like you wanted someone to talk to you when you were experiencing those things. All your wolf knows is your pain." Daniel told me. "And, Alpha, you and Titan should stay near Bailey as often as possible. Her wolf will be able to feel the mate bond and it should help some. I think it would be best if only Luna tries reaching out to her, it will be less stress on her."

"Ok, thank you Daniel." Nathan held my hand, sending fireworks up my arms.

"Anytime Alpha. Come back in a few days and we can check up again. Any questions?"

"What about shifting?" I bravely asked.

"I don't see why not. It may help from time to time. It usual relaxes our wolves when we run in their form." Nathan nodded in agreement. "I have a few other patients so if you both don't need anything else, I better be on my way."

"I believe that's it, thank you again Daniel." Nathan replied.

"No problem at all Alpha and Luna, it was my honor." Then he left the room, calling for the next patient.

"Are you ready to go back? I bet the others are really worried." I nodded and stood up with Nathan. "Want to head back by foot, paw, truck?"

"Could we just walk for a while?"

"Sure!" We walked out of the hospital and out in the forest hand in hand. I breathed in the fresh air and sighed. "Are you ok?"

"I don't know. Just over a week ago I thought I would never be free, I lost all hope. But now that I am, life has gotten a lot more complicated and wild."

"I know Baby, but we will get through the wild and crazy together."

"Together," I smiled. "I like that."

"Me too." Nathan kissed the top of my head, I blushed and looked away. He chuckled. "You're adorable." I smiled like an idiot and tried to hide my face until it cooled off. We walked in comfortable silence for a while, enjoying the nature and each other's company. My thoughts drifted back to Nathan's friends.

What did Mathew mean, 'An alpha doesn't lie to his pack?' Does that mean I'm hurting Nathan and the pack, wanting to keep my secret a secret? Am I selfish?

"The pack doesn't know I'm your mate?" I asked, Nathan sighed.

"They're confused. I haven't introduced you or even told the pack about you. They just don't know who you are. Don't mind Mathew, he was just being protective of this pack like he should be."

"Am I hurting you and the pack because I don't want to share my secret yet?"

"What? No! You aren't ready for them to know, and that's perfectly ok, alright Angel?"

"Ok... maybe you could at least let them know that I am your mate? Just so they don't think that I am just some random girl?"

"Alright, as long as that is what you want." I nodded my head. He smiled softly. "I'll let them know a little later, right now, we should work on connecting to your wolf."

"Ok, what should I do first?"

"Try thinking of what you wanted to hear while you were over there."

What I wanted to hear while I was with Aaron... what did I want to hear? What would have helped me?

'Inner wolf? My name is Bailey, as you know. Instead of thinking of all the pain, think of Nathan, our mate. Think of the sunshine that we saw through the window. Think of the sound of the leaves rustling through the trees as they swayed in the breeze. I know it hurts. It feels like the world is crushing in on you, it feels like you will never stop feeling this pain and hurt, but think of something that makes you happy.'

"Ok, I talked to her for a little bit, do you think we should go for a run? Do you think that would help calm her?"

"Maybe. We can give it a try."

"Before we do that, did you give Titan his name?" I asked.

"No I did not, their name is the only thing the wolves know before they join us. Why?"

"I just feel bad calling her 'Inner wolf.'"

"Ah, well else give her a name for right now then when she comes she can give you her real name."

"Do you have an idea for a name?"

"Well your wolf is white, what about Frost? Or Snow?"

"Hmm, I kinda like Frost actually. Thanks Nathan." I smiled.

'Since I don't want to keep calling you Inner Wolf, is it alright if I call you Frost? Well Frost, it's just you and me. I'm going to go on a run, just close your eyes and feel the wind whip through our fur. Smell the fresh clean air from the forest. Ok? Can you do that for me? You don't have to respond right now, I can wait till you are ready.'

I talked to Frost as calmly and soothingly as possible, just like Nathan did for me when he saved me. "I'm ready for the run."

"Alright, you remember how to shift?" I nodded my head and went behind a large tree nearby, so did Nathan. I looked around to make sure I was alone before taking off my clothes and tying them loosely around my ankle.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath in, imagining my white wolf with black dipped tail. I imagined running through the forest with my paws digging into the dirt. A few seconds later, I felt the familiar painless shifting. When I opened my eyes, I smiled, I was a wolf again.

I padded out from behind the tree with a goofy wolfy smile. Nathan was waiting and when he saw me, he returned the smile and licked my muzzle.

Ready beautiful?

Nathan mind linked me. I nodded my wolf head. Nathan started at a slow pace so I could get used to running as a wolf again. Not long after, I was dashing full speed along side my mate, the world around us a blur.

I loved the feeling of being free, of running so fast that it felt like your were flying.

'Frost, are you feeling this? We're flying! We're free! No worries, no pain, no hurt, just the wind in our fur and our mate by our side.'

After a while, we slowed down to a steady lope. Time flew by and before I knew it, the sun was starting to head down.

Nathan changed direction a little bit and we continued towards the pack house. As we neared, Nathan stopped and motioned for me to go behind a tree. Then he went behind one and I heard shifting. I did the same and shifted back then quickly slipped on the clothes that were still tied around my ankle.

"What do you want to do now?" He asked. I shrugged my shoulders.

"What ever you want to do." He smiled.

"Well do you just want to relax and talk in our room? We've been really busy lately and I think you deserve and break from all the new news."

"Ok, that's sounds really nice." We started to walk back to the pack house which was surprisingly near. I decided I better try to talk to Frost again.

'Frost,' I said softly. 'I'm here for you, ok? If you ever want to talk about it, or if you need me, Nathan, or Titan, we are here for you. Just remember that ok? We are always here for you. Take it slow, one step at a time.'

"You talking to Frost again?" He asked as we walked up to the doors. I nodded.

"Yeah, I'm hoping the more I talk to her, the more comfortable she will get around us."

"Makes sense." Once we made it to his room in the pack house, we both collapsed on the couch and sighed in unison.

"What did you want to talk about?" I relaxed finally, enjoying being alone with Nathan again. When I'm with him, I don't have to worry about being strong and brave, I don't have to worry about being accepted. I can just be myself.

"Well, what did you think of my friends?" I smiled.

"I like them, they seem really nice... but very protective." I pictured Mathew and Nathan when they had their... argument. Nathan chuckled.

"Yeah, Mathew is very protective and likes everything a certain way. He does not like change at all. But we are close friends. I trust him."

"What do they think of me?" I asked nervously, scared for the answer.

"They love you. When we were on the run they kept asking if everything was ok, how you were doing, and telling me how special you are." I smiled and looked down, feeling all giddy and happy inside after hearing that they like me.

'Did you hear that Frost? The leaders along side our mate like us!' I smiled, trying to feed some of my happiness into her.

"Really?"

"Really. But what is there not to like? You are amazing Bailey, I knew they would love you, just like I do." I blushed and hid my face. He reached out and gently moved my hands away from my face. His face was down near mine and tilted to the side a ways, a cute smile on his lips and his eyes sparkled.

"You know you are super cute when you blush." He whispered, his breath tickling my face. I blushed harder and looked away. He put his index and middle finger under my chin and turned it back to him softly. "I mean, you are adorable all the time but you're even cuter when you blush." I don't think my smile could be any larger than it was right now.

My mate wrapped his arms around me and pulled me to his side. I curled up next to him and sighed, the smile never leaving my lips.

"What did I do to deserve you?" I whispered softly. Nathan chuckled.

"I was going to say the exact same thing." He whispered back. I giggled. "You know, you've come a long ways in just a week. To think that it was only a week ago that I found you in the forest... and it has been the happiest week of my life."

"I'm getting there. It is still hard, but with your help it won't be long I don't think. And just so you know, it has easily been the happiest week of my life as well."

I thought about everything that has happened this past week. All the times I've laughed, smiled, all the food I got to eat! All the bruises on my body were fading and were nearly non existent and it was amazing. I've been able to sleep peacefully. I hadn't had to worry about getting beaten if I said the wrong thing, or did the wrong thing. I was free. I yawned and snuggled closer, if that was possible.

"Come on, let's head to bed early tonight. You deserve it." Nathan whispered. I nodded my head but didn't move. He picked me up brindle style and I smiled yet again today. I was set down on his bed and put under the covers. Not long after I felt the bed dip beside me.

I turned to face Nathan and snuggled up against his chest, sleep creeping up on me. Nathan wrapped his arm around me.

"Good night Angel."

"Good night Nathan."

'Good night Frost.'

I smiled and let myself drift off to sleep thinking about how amazing my mate was.

"For once, stop and thank yourself for how far you've come.
You've been trying to make a change in your life and all your effort counts!"
-T ❤️

Thank you everyone for reading this far! I've changed my mind with this chapter so many times I bet with everything I wrote, it could have made like 5 chapters... and I still don't know if this is the way I want it to go but I wanted to get a chapter out today for you guys! ❤️

have a good rest of your day!

Gonna hit the road, spotted toad. 👋
-LunarWolf