Xo Novel
Chapter 44
Chapter 44
I wake up in the nurse’s office with a throbbing headache and look around the room,
Flint is with me
What happened?
Mons decided dodgeball woon’t over yet he ran up behind you and threw the ball at her head with all
his strength and knooked you out. He is currently being scolded in the principal’s office’
Nina runs into the nurse station and takes my hand,
‘I heard what happened. He should not have done that I’m so sorry, I will talk 10 Moss and make sure
he does nothing stupid again.’
‘Nina, it’s not your fault. You don’t need to apologise’
“He just doesn’t like we are friends again, but he will have 10 acceptin.’
Claire runs in, lakes my hand from Nina’s grip, ‘Boo-boo, are you pkay?’
“Yeah, every minute that goes by, the pain subsides.’
The nurse walks in, ‘That’s because you have your wolf now you will heal quickly,’She smiles, ‘Do you
feel okay to return to class?’
‘Yes, I think I’ll be fine.’ I say and get up from the bed,
*Thanks for checking on me Nina, I appreciate it.’ I say, waving.
Claire glares at me for a moment, ‘You know Boo-boo,’ she says ps we walk away, ‘I think you’re
spending too much time with Nina I’m feeling very neglected, you know.’
‘I think you might be over-exaggerating, Claire; I only have science with her and wave to her when we
cross paths at school. Although we both live in the Packhouse, we don’t see each other there often
other than meal times and even then, her seat is at the other end of the table. I have more subjects
with you than I do, Nirla.’
She perks up a bit. ‘Well, when you put it that way.’ She smiles.
My wolf is restless and wants to go for a run. I want to shift and race through the woods, but I push it to
the back of my mind, remembering the witch had advised me to avoid shifting.
I’m happy it’s the end of the school day. Claire kisses me goodbye and I catch up with Zak, Flint, Josie,
May, and Nina.
“Wanna climb some trees?’ I say.
‘All of us?’ Nina asks. I nod.
Last one there is a rotten egg.’ Josie yells.
We all race each other through the woods on the way home to our favourite tree climbing spot near the
lake. Nina is the first to arrive, then me, Flint, Josie, and Zak,
*Zak’s the rotten egg? Josie laughs
We climb the tees, burning my excess energy was helping to keep my wolf at bay.
We reach the top and sit together, silently watching the village of Shadow Crest for a while.
The restlessness was returning. We climb hallway down the tree and i take my shirt and pants off and
jump from the branch into the deep lake Droplets of water from the splash reach the others
‘Magnusthey all laugh Once they climb down, they hopped into the lake
“You boys have to turn around so you don’t see our bra and knickers. Josie vells. Zak, Flint, and I roll
our eyes and face the other way in the water
May, Josie, and Nina strip down. Josie yells out once they are shoulder–deep in the water,
You can look now.’
We tum back around and splash the girls, They squeal and splash us back,
let’s see who can hold their breath the longest, two at a time. The winner goes on’ Joale saya,
Flint and Josie go first, Josie wins, It’s Zak’s lum to go against hel Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.
This time, Zak wins and goes against May, Zak wing and goes against Nina and Nina wina li’s my turn
to go against her
On the count of three, we both sink deep down into the lake together. We are a good two melrea
underWe come closer to each other, trying not to laugh as we will lose air.
Suddenly, our eyes connect, and we relax in the water. My hand slowly reaches to her face and holds
her cheek My thumb caresses her skin, and she turns her face closer in my hand, closing her eyes
When she opens her eyes, I’m closer. I want to taste her lips. We inch closer and closer until our lips
almost brush each other. A sudden force pulls Nina up out of the water. Confused, I swim straight up
after her
May is pulling Nina’s hair and trying to scratch her face
‘You know I like him. How could you?’ she screams. ‘It’s bad enough I have to see him with that skank
Claire, but you Nina? And you always wonder why I never see you as my sister!’ she screams. Flint
and Zak pull May away from Nina, who is now crying,
‘Nothing happened May.’ She yells back.
‘That’s only because I stopped you,’She storms out of the lake and grabs her clothes. I quickly pull
Nina towards me and she fiinches
“Are you okay?’
‘No, I’m not okay. She cries,
‘We will go find May and bring her home’ Zak says. Flint goes with him.
“Magnus, we can’t do this. That was too close, wo almost, and you’re with Claire and I’m with Moss. It
isn’t right.’
‘I know, but it feels right.’
‘You will be Eighteen next week Magnus, you already have your wall, which means you can find your
mate now, and in case you haven’t noticed we aren’t mates as you would have felt the mate bond. I
also assume Claire isn’t your mate because if she was, the mate bond would keep you by her side
My heart sinks. I hadn’t even thought about the mate bond. The warm tingle, the electricity that runs
through your body when you touch each other, wasn’t there. I had made eye contact with Nina and
Claire and my wolf never submerged and declared either of them as my mate ‘Claire is going to be hurt
when you tell her she isn’t your mate, but it will hurt her more if you stay with her and find your mate in
the meantime,’
Again, she is right I look down into her eyes for a moment I try to memorise this moment. Her beautiful
doe-like eyes always get my heart racing Magnus, I’m sorry, we can be friends, but from a distance. I
think it’s better if we stay apart as much as possible for the sake of the future Luna and your mate and
the for the sake of us getting hurt. I’ll be eighteen only a couple of months after you and nu have my
wolf and be able to tell if Moss is not my mate, then I will have to end the relationship and pursue my
fated mate, just like you have to do
Before I can say anything, she gives me an empathetic look and swims out of the lake away from me,
and returns to the Packhouse 1 stay an the lake, frozen in place for what feels like an hour. As I leave
the lake, I look at my pruned fingers and collect my clothing from the ground I return to the Packhouse,
now dry and dressed. Nina isn’t anywhere to be seen.
She is to her room, in case you are wondering?’ Flint says.
She said she wants to be left alone and will have dinner in her room tonighi’ Josie frowns,
May comes storming her way across the hall towards me As she opens her mouth to yell at me, I
quickly speak first.
“May, can I talk to you privately for a moment?’
Her feet come to a stop and she gives me a look of confusion, which turns into a look of hope.
“Yes, I think we are definitely overdue for a private moment. She siniles
We go outside into the courtyard, away from prying eyes and ears.
“May, you should be the first to know that Nina nor Claire are my mate.’
“What? How’d you know that?’
“Remember, my wolf arrived early, which means I can sense my mate now.’
‘Oh! But wait, that means I’m not your mate either, am I?’
I’m sorry May, I never meant to hurt you and I never meant to hurt Nina and now I have to break up
with Claire tomorrow at school, who is also going to be hurt by it. Today in the lake, that was me. That
wasn’t Nina’s fault, and it was unfair of you to attack her like that. Just as I owe you an apology, you
also owe Nina one as well.”
She sighs and looks away, thinking about it.
‘You’re right, jealousy got the better of me. She probably wishes I was dead; I’ve always been so nasty
to her because I had seen the way she looks at you.’
‘Nina loves you, May, she would never wish that upon you. She even tried to protect you against Claire
that day you got into a fight.’
“You’re right, I don’t deserve her forgiveness.’
I place my hand on her shoulder ‘Leave that for Nina to decide.’
May wipes the tears from her eyes.
‘Thanks, Magnus.’