Runt (Completed & Editing)

Awkward Situations

Shane's POV

"Do you see what you've done?" I growled at Arnell, watching Nova run into the woods. Unease settling into my stomach as I realized she had no idea where she was going. My wolf whimpered slightly, afraid of what could happen to her while she was unprotected.

"She'll come back." He said smugly. I grabbed the collar of his shirt and lifting him off the ground, pinned him roughly against the wall. I had had enough of his shit. He was the punk kid in town that thought so highly of himself, but wasn't going anywhere in life. I resisted the urge to punch him square in the face, remembering how Nova had looked at him. I hated that she had looked at him with such admiration and love. It didn't sit well with me.

"You don't know that." I argued, fighting with my wolf. If this man wasn't human I wouldn't have stopped my shift from taking place, but I couldn't risk anything. He was only making matters worse.

"I know her better than you do Shane, leave her alone." He retorted. I pulled him back and slammed him into the wall again. My canines growing longer as I wrestled for control from my wolf.

"Don't ever, tell me what to do." I said lowly, so only he could hear. I knew it was a weak argument and a lame comeback, but he was right. I hardly knew Nova, but she was my mate. I vowed to myself in that moment to learn everything about her. I dropped Arnell to his feet and turned to Eric. "Bring her car to the house, I'll track her myself." I said, placing her keys in his hand. He nodded silently and I turned away. I could still feel the shame he was feeling from earlier, as he trudged outside into the rain. I ran out the same door she had, trying to catch her scent. Vanilla and something else that I couldn't quite identify. Once I hit the tree line I started sprinting. Desperate to find her before the rain washed away her scent. I jumped through the air, shifting into my large black wolf, my clothes shredding to pieces as they fell around me. I landed gracefully and continued running.

I caught her scent immediately, following the trail. It lead me deep into the forest, far away from the town. My stomach knotted uncomfortably as I realized how deep into the woods we were. She must be a great runner. I slowed my run as the scent became stronger. I knew I was close, I could feel it. My wolf could sense it, but it wasn't as strong of a feeling it should've been, which worried me. I moved forward, my nose to the ground. I sniffed along the forest floor, her scent getting lost in the rain. My wolf started to get anxious, once her scent disappeared it would be much harder to find her. Not far off I heard a small noise. I froze where I was, picking my head up and tilting my ears. It happened again, but this time it sounded more like a whimper. I moved forward through the trees, and saw her. She was sitting on the ground leaning up against a large maple tree. Her eyes were closed, and her chest moved up and down with her steady breathing. Her clothes clung to her small frame, heavy with rain water. Her arms were wrapped around her torso in a feeble attempt to keep herself warm. I moved to her side and nudged her lightly with my nose. My fur brushing against her soft sun kissed skin. She whimpered lightly and moved her head to face me. Her eyes were squeezed tightly shut, and eyebrows were furrowed together. Her lips were a pale blue color and curled into a frown. She moved slightly, obviously having a nightmare.

My heart clenched painfully, wishing I could help her. I looked around us, instantly recognizing the area. She had moved quite a way into the forest and had she gone just a few paces further she would've stepped into the clearing where my house was hidden. I shifted back, my bones cracking and moving to human form. I stood above Nova, admiring her small figure. Her blond hair stuck to her shoulders and I resisted the urge to run my fingers through it, just to feel if it was as soft as it looked. I shivered as the rain continued to fall. I needed to get her inside as soon as possible. I leaned down and pulled Nova into my arms, my wolf relaxing, finally having our mate in my arms. She curled into my chest, pressing her face against my bare skin. I carried her the short distance out of the forest into the clearing where my house stood. To the outside eye it looked completely out of place, the tall modern home sitting alone in the middle of nowhere. I walked across the yard to the front door, noticing Nova's car parked outside of the garage. I pushed the doorknob down with my elbow and opened the door with my foot. Warm air welcoming us in from the cold. Nova whimpered again, and I knew that I needed to get warmed up as soon as I could. I carried her through the foyer and up the stairs to my bedroom. I closed the door behind me with a kick of my foot and laid her gently onto the soft white comforter. I stepped back and moved to the connected master bathroom, grabbing two large fluffy white bath towels and carrying them back to the bed. I wrapped them around her but I knew that wouldn't be enough.