Or So I Thought.

I love You Now and Forever.

I just sat there unable to move 'adopted' that one word keep ringing in my head. "What?!" I heard Bella yell and 'mom' respond. "Eighteen years ago when Matt and I first moved here one night a man and woman showed up on our door step. They said they had a little girl but couldn't keep her because they were special werewolves and if she stayed with them she would be endangered. They tried to pay us to take Nicole but we didn't want the money just Nicole because I couldn't conceive after your brother's birth complications. You are a werewolf Nicole but a very special one called a blue-fang. Most living creatures when endangered go into fight or flight mode and run off adrenaline doing things they would never be able to do before, but a blue-fang when endangered go into win or die syndrome. That is when the blue-fang shuts down the fear gene in their brain enabling them to process a plan to win, and survive, in the situation their in or..."

"Or what?" I ask still in a shocked state. "Or, they win or die. If there is no way to switch off the flow of the syndrome it will kill the werewolf, and the only way stop the flow it to get out of the situation causing the need to go in that state. If there is no escape there is no life."

That's why it all came crashing down on me. I'm not human, my parents are not my parents, I'm a werewolf, I'm a special werewolf, I have never talked to my wolf, my parents gave me up to protect me, I'm the real life Peter Parker and syndrome means series of symptoms related to a bigger factor or in other words a major cause and effect, I really should have paid attention to those lessons in school although the name pretty much sums it up.

After that little train thought I stand up so fast my chair crashes to the floor and I start doing all four telltale signs that I'm nervous. One, I start pacing. Two, I scratch the back of my head even if it doesn't itch. Three, the floor is so intriguing I think about proposing to it. Four, I start rambling like a child high off sugar and coffee.

"So if I'm a werewolf that would mean I have a wolf that I have never talked to in the last eighteen years, so why haven't I heard her or shifted?" "Nicole." Dad says but I'm not done rambling like a fool.

"If I go into win or die syndrome why didn't it kick in when Ryden shifted? Why didn't the syndrome kill me? Also syndrome means a series of symptoms set off because of a big event, so what are the symptoms? What were my birth parents protecting me from when they gave me up? Why-"

"Nicole!" Ryden screamed. "Sorry." Picking up my chair I sat back down and listened to 'dad' talk. "Okay to answer your first question, the reason you have never shifted or spoken to your wolf is because when your birth parents gave you to us they also gave us a chemical solution that would mute your wolf and keep you from shifting so you would not be hunted and this," he paused as he took out a blue-grayish liquid in a tube and handed it to me.

"is what they told us to give you when you were ready. The reason win or die didn't activate is because your wolf recognized Ryden and sent small amounts of calm and trust enough for you to let him get close. You are right about the meaning of syndrome and when you use the blue-fang gene there are symptoms after you use it. How long you used your gift will also be how long your curse lasts. Right after you cut the flow you will black out and that will only happen once, but you will have very painful headaches, constant nose bleeds, extreme anxiety to the point of possibly hurting yourself and the only one who can make you feel safe during that will be your mate."

"What about my last question? Who is hunting me why did my parents need to give me up?" "That is something you will have to ask them. They gave us one last thing before they left." I looked over to see the woman I thought was my mom had tears in her eyes and so did the man giving me a sealed envelope. Taking it I stood up and faced everyone.

"Mom, Dad you two will always be my parents and I love you both. Ryden we've been through a lot together and I will always remember you and I will always be your mate but I can't live like this all of you have lied to me and before you try to say it was too protect me it still hurt I deserved to know and you all keep something very important from me. I have enough money I can go where ever I want and buy a cheap place and get another job so that's exactly what I'm going to do." Then I walked out grabbing the keys to my truck and growing my clothes in a messy order in a bag I walked out to my pickup truck and right before I got there I felt Ryden come behind me wrapping his arms around my waist and whispered. "Don't go, I screwed up I know, don't punish me for it." "If you love me and want me to be happy let me go." "Is this what you want?" I nodded and he let go.

...

It's been one day since I drove as far as I could away from there and one day since I broke. How did I break? I drove back where my heart belongs and found Ryden kneeling where I left him. "Ryden!" I called out making him look at me surprised. I ran into his open arms and kissed him on the lips for the first time and I felt little tingles run up and down my skin and fireworks in my mouth. It was then I heard a voice in my head shouting. 'Nicole, mate, mate' 'yes mate' I agree wholeheartedly. 'Protect, mate, bad, coming, mate' I knew it was true I could feel something bad about to happen but for now I'll focus on Ryden. Finally pulling away for air and gasping Ryden looked me dead in the eyes. "I thought you left."  "I love you too much to leave." I swear on my life I have never seen a bigger smile. "I love you, now and forever."