Chapter 17 Accident

Chapter 17 Accident
~ AXEL’S POV

I saw her tearing up and I hated it. Nyla may not be perfect, but she’s mine, and no one has the right to look down on her like that.

I’ve never yelled at Gina and Maggie before, but today I couldn’t stop myself. Nyla has a way of controlling my emotions. I can’t help but defend her, even when my voice shakes with anger.

When she walked out of the bathroom, I walked up to her. "It’s time to say goodbye, Nyla. We are leaving," I said.

She looked at me, slightly shocked but relieved. Then, quietly she said, "Goodbye Gina and Maggie."

"You can say goodbye to Aunt Carol and Uncle Mark on our behalf, and sorry we can’t stay over for dinner," I said.

Maggie’s face twisted in anger as she asked, "Are you seriously leaving?"

I hesitated for a moment, then replied, "My mate doesn’t feel comfortable around here anymore, and if there is one thing I’ve learned from all of you, it’s that you need to treat your mate in the same way you want to be treated."

I grabbed Nyla’s hand and walked out of the house. I already knew I’d screwed up. I’m not supposed to upset an elder, especially with my condition, but I just couldn’t help it. It’s Nyla we’re talking about. For some reason, my wolf just couldn’t hold back. And I’m sure that if Gina and Maggie had escalated the issue, it would have been worse.

I can’t even imagine what would have happened.

We got into the car and drove out of the palace. The ride started smoothly but was painfully silent. I could easily tell that Nyla was thinking about everything and probably still feeling bad about the plate.

I thought about apologizing to her on their behalf but I didn’t know how. Instead, I reached for her hand, hoping she’d sense my sincerity.

She didn’t react at all, she was completely lost in her thoughts. I knew I had to say something now—anything.

Not knowing what to say, I said the first thing that came to my mind. "It wasn’t your fault," I said quietly.

She hummed in confusion. I quickly added, "It wasn’t your fault. It could have happened to anyone."

"Anyone but not a Luna," She said quietly, her eyes dropping as she added, "Maybe I’m not fit to be a Luna."

"You are," I replied.

"You don’t have to say that Axel."

"I’m not just saying it. I mean it."

"No, you don’t." She shook her head. "They all know. Everyone knows that I’m not fit to be a Luna. I am an omega, I am weak. I’m just not the best person for you or for this pack." Her eyes started to fill with tears.

A part of me sank. Her tears have a way of breaking my heart. I quickly leaned closer and wiped one away. She looked at me, slightly hopeless.

I was about to speak when suddenly the car stopped with a sharp shriek. My eyes snapped to the road. The driver looked at me, and before I knew it, we got hit by another car and we spun around violently.

Nyla screamed out loud. I grabbed her hand but it slipped away instantly.

I panicked and, before I could react, something slammed into us again. This time, I lost it. My head started bleeding and I turned around, trying to find an exit out of the car.

Looking even more, I noticed Nyla wasn’t in the car anymore. 

"Nyla," I called out. She didn’t respond, and because of the blood, I couldn’t sense her. I looked around. "Nyla," I called again.

I continued calling her name but the sound of metal collapsing and engines roaring made everything confusing. I limped forward, trying to ignore the sting in my side.

"Nyla!"

I forced myself through the broken car door, stumbling into the road. Glass crunched under my shoes, my leg was bleeding but I didn’t care about it. The only thing I could think about was her.

Then I heard movement. Not hers—male voices. Before I could reach where the voices came from, someone grabbed the back of my shirt and yanked me backward.

"What the—"

Fists landed on my ribs. A kick slammed into my stomach, forcing air out of me. I hit the ground, tasting iron.

"Where is she?" I growled, struggling up.

One of them laughed. "Worry about yourself first."

He punched me again. Something snapped inside me—not a bone, something deeper. I hit back, hard. Their surprise lasted only a second before more of them came at me. I fought with everything I had, and when they stumbled back, breathless, I pushed myself up and ran toward where I heard her scream.

My heart stopped.

Two men were dragging her toward the trees. She was barely conscious, trying to push them away as tears poured down her cheeks.

"Nyla!"

The rage that slammed through me made my heart stop. My pulse grew louder, my bones shook, and I felt my control slipping. No—this wasn’t slipping. This was breaking.

They touched her. That was enough.

A deep growl ripped out of my chest before I even realized it came from me. The world blurred. My vision burned gold, my skin tore, and my wolf surged forward faster than I could stop him.

One of the men turned just in time to see me change. His face went pale before I slammed him into the ground. The other tried to run but I caught him and threw him in the air. 

When I turned back, Nyla was staring at me. Her eyes were wide, her body shaking.

She didn’t know it was me.

"Nyla…" I tried to speak but all that came out was another growl.

She took one step back, terrified. Her lips parted like she wanted to scream but instead, her eyes rolled back and she collapsed.

I rushed toward her, heart torn apart in panic.

“Please be fine. Please be alright.”

In that moment, I wasn’t just scared of what would happen to me if I lost my mate, I was more scared of losing her.