Episode 2

*Gabriella’s POV* I don't remember falling asleep last night, but I remember the sharp pain in my head. I roll over, thinking about what happened and meeting my birth parents. Could I be a Lycian/ wolf? I ask myself. “Lycian” I hear in my head. I sit up and look around my room; I am sure I asked myself the question in my head. Never did I imagine I would get a reply. So I get out of bed and walk to the bathroom to have a shower; maybe all the excitement from last night has me losing the plot. I look in the mirror and notice my hair has more blue streaks through it with a mixture of royal red at the sides. I move my hair around and like how each style suits the new colours; then, I turn and put the shower on. Then look in the mirror while I wait for the water to heat up. “Will you stop ignoring me?” I pause when I hear the voice again. “Who’s there?” I ask, looking around the bathroom. “Technically, I am you, but if you must know, I am in your head. I am Roxy, your Lycian.” I sit on the side of the bath and take in what the voice in my head told me and consider if I'm being schizophrenic because I hear voices. “You do not have schizophrenia, Gabriella. You are a Lycian. And I am your other half, your buddy, your pal.” Roxy sings songs in my head, and that makes me chuckle. “And also I comedian I see.” I say back to her, and she chuckles in my head. I continue to get undressed and then get in the shower and wash myself down, making sure I clean everywhere; then I get out and wrap my towel around me and toss my hair up in a towel to dry off, then walk back to my bedroom to get dressed. I pick out a pair of Jeans and cropped tee shirts add my converse shoes to the pile on my bed. Then start to get dressed. I assess how I look in the mirror, then work on my hair. I put it in a half ponytail so you can see the reds in my hair and the blue, then I add some light make-up and go downstairs to see my adoptive mum standing in the kitchen wiping her eyes. “You look beautiful, Gabriella.” My mum says as she places a plate of pancakes in front of me. “Thanks, Mum,” I say as I begin adding fruit and some whipped cream and maple syrup to my pancakes. My mum leaves the kitchen then comes back with my school bag and mobile phone and sits next to me. “Are you picking up Sara today?” she asks me while stealing a strawberry off my plate. I swat her hand away and Nod. “Yeah, I am.” Then I look at the time “s**t”, and I say while I begin to eat as quickly as possible. I kiss my mum's cheek then run out the door to my car, so I can go pick up Sara. I put my car in reverse then wind down my window. It is a beautiful spring day, perfect for driving with the windows down. I catch the scent of coffee beans and chocolate. “Mate,” Roxy says in my head. “Mate, what do you mean.” Roxy sighs. “You know the missing piece, our partner for life, the perfect another half he is around here.” I sigh. There is a lot I have to learn about who I am but having a mate that is insane. I have a boyfriend; wouldn't that be considered cheating if I went off following a smell to find my true wolfy loves.? I chuckle at the thought, would we howel at the moon together and smell each other's butts.? “You are weird, Gabriella,” Roxy says in my head. “Hey, I am you, so that makes you weird.” I continue to drive to Sara's house, and when I get there, I see Sara waiting for me. “Roxy, I can't tell Sara about you just yet.” I say. “You don't have to, but your mate is still close.” “We will speak about this mate business later Rox right now; we are running late for school.” Sara gets in the car, and I notice she smells like sunflowers. She leans in and kisses my cheek. “Good morning Gab, you added more dye to your hair.?” I chuckle. “Yeah, mum said I could do it. I think it looks cool.” Sara assesses my hair, then Nods. “Yeah, it suits you what happened last night you had me, and Ashton worried when you didn't reply.” I begin to drive then look over at Sara. “I had a headache, and some family come from out of town come and visit sorry I worried you. “ I say, smiling at her. Sara’s eyes light up. “Oh wow, family night, that is awesome. Did you get a chance to study.?” I frown “no, can I borrow your notes?” Sara chuckles. “Sure, Gab, but this is the last time you have to stop daydreaming and drawing in that book of yours and study.” I lift my hand from the steering wheel and salute her “yes, ma'am, I say.” Sara rolls her eyes “you are the biggest dork I know, Gabs.” She says as we pull into the school driveway. I park my car and get out, stretching as my back begins to ache. I must have slept weird last night. Ashton comes over to us, and he goes to hug me but stops. He lifts his nose in the air and sniffs like Marco did last night. “Wolf”, Roxy says. And my eyes widen as Ashton takes a step back from me. “Sara, we will meet you inside,”, Action says as he watches her walk away. Then Ashton moves closer to me. “We need to talk, Gab.” I move so I can look at him. “What's up, Ash.?” I ask, knowing something is wrong. “Wolf”, Roxy repeats. “I don't know how to tell you this, Gab, but we have to break up.” Ashton sniffs the air again then focuses on my hair. Then his eyes widen. “Why are we breaking up.? Ash.?” I ask as I take in his appearance, noticing a bite mark on his neck. Ashton sighs. “I have met someone else, but I want to be your friend still. I haven't told you the entire truth about myself, and it isn't straightforward to explain, as I'm assuming you already know.” I tilt my head. “You are a wolf”, I blurt out, then cover my mouth “sorry.” I quickly say, and Ashton chuckles. “Yes, and I found my destined mate,” he says, and I smile. “I’m new to all of this, so you will have to explain it to me.” I say, looking at the ground, “tell him”, Roxy says. I look back up at Ashton. “I found out last night I am a Lycian, so it is all new to me, and my Lycian told me you were a wolf.” Ashton chuckles, then nod. “That explains the hair, but I thought only Royals had the Red.” I look up at him. “Do you know Cosimo?” I ask, hoping that would magically explain everything. Ashton’s face lights up. “Yes, he is the king of the Lycians and my dad's friend.” I rub the back of my neck because it is beginning to hurt. “Well, Cosimo is my birth father. That is all I can tell you.” Ashton pauses, then nods. “Are you okay, Gab?” he says as he notices me rubbing my Neck. I smile “yeah, I slept weird.” I say as we walk into the school building and to my locker. I begin to do the combination to my lock. When I get hit with blinding pain, I drop to the floor and start to paint, and Ashton drops to his knees beside me. “Nic, control it. You can't shift here,” he says, and I look over at him. “I can't control what I don't know”, I growl.” Ashton helps me to my feet, but it's too late. I feel my bones break and my face elongate, then my vision goes blurry, and before I know it, I'm on four paws, getting frightened looks from all the students. I notice Sara in the crowd looking scared; then, I catch the scent of coffee beans and chocolate. I look behind me and See Marco. I look at Ashton, then turn around and run Towards Marco, hoping he knows how to get me out of here without making more of a scene. *Marco’s POV* I could sense the shift would happen, but the wolf was blocking her scent. I growl when the wolf begins to follow Gabriella. I wait for her to get closer to me, then as we exit the doors, I shift mid-jump and Guide her to the nearby woods. I should have approached her in the carpark. My Lycian was getting anxious because we were not close to our mate. When I am sure we are out of human view, I slow down, and Gabriella stops close to me. “We have to get you home, Princess. It isn't safe here,” I say through my telepathy. Gabriella tilts her head then begins to bark. I chuckle “speak with your mind, Gabriella. Let your Lycian guide you” she closes her eyes, and when she opens them, I hear her voice “thank you for getting me out of there,” she says as she sniffs the air then steps closer and sniffs me “Mate,” she says, and I lick her face as she nuzzled into me. I look over at the school, and I see the wolf walking towards us in human form. He holds up his hands. “I don't want to harm her. My pack is on the Lycian side, prince Marco, but you need to get her home. I will meet you there with her best friend, Sara. We have to explain what is happening, he says, and I step away from Gabriella and to the wolf and sniff him to see if he is telling lies. When I am satisfied he is telling the truth, I bow my head, and he runs back towards the school. “Let's Get you home. Gabriella and I will guide you on how to get back to human form, and we will talk about what we have to do next.” She nods her big head, and we begin running back to her house. I hope I can send my men to cover what happened to Gabriella.