Chapter 15 - Take My Pain Away.

A Few Days Later....

Natalia's P.O.V.

Running.

The adrenaline running through your veins, the feel of crispy leaves and soggy mud under your trainers, the perspiration drenching your body, the fresh air hitting your skin and filling your lungs but most importantly, how clear your mind gets just from one single act, running.

I love to run because it's just me on my own, no family, no friends, no pack and best of all no mate, it's just me, a clear mind and the wide open forest.

Ever since I came home from the hospital, I've been taking any opportunity I can get to put on my runners and run until I can no longer feel my legs or until I can barely breathe, I love it and best of all it's taking my mind off thinking about all the bad things that are happening in my life at the moment.

But as always, all good things must come to an end and now I've gotta go home and face another day avoiding everyone, more importantly, Cole, the bastard is still here and refuses to leave until myself and Angelo go with him but the only way that's gonna happen is over my dead delicious body.

I run back to the packhouse and go up to my room, I take a nice long hot shower washing away all of the sweat, mud and grime, I then get out and get ready, I don't know why, it's not like I'll be going anywhere but I guess it's better to look good watching Netflix then look like some slob, I guess.

After getting ready, I head downstairs and was instantly annoyed when I heard the usual morning chit chat of the pack, as well as the sound of literally a pack of wolves acting like the worlds about to end and they're trying to stuff as much food into their fat gobs as they possibly can before it does meaning that I can't just get in and get out without the usual pity stares and constant questioning of how I'm doing? or how I'm coping?.

I know everyone means well and they're just offering their condolences to me after the tragic loss of my grandparents but still, it's just so annoying especially when you've got over a hundred wolves coming up to you on a daily basis either telling you how sorry they are or asking you if you're ok? which is why I've been hiding away from the pack so that I won't be pestered by anyone but that's all about to change.

I walk into the kitchen and almost instantly everything stops, the talking, the eating, the drinking, it all stops as everyone narrows their eyes at me giving me their sympathy stares, I walk over to the kettle and make myself the biggest cup of coffee imaginable, I've got a long day ahead of me binge watching box sets on Netflix and eating my body weight in snacks so I need as much coffee as I can to keep me awake, I didn't exactly sleep well last night.

"Hey Nat, how are you?"

Angelo asks as he stands next to me.

"I'm fine, Angelo"

"No you're not, Natalia, you're far from fine"

"He's right Nattie, you're being impassive"

"Why are you still here? haven't you got a pack to run? a Luna to screw?"

I take a sip of my coffee as I glare at my 'big brother'.

"I'm here for you, Natalia, I don't give a f**k about anyone else"

"Well, I'm awfully sorry to burst your little delusional bubble there big brother but I don't give a f**k about you, not any more so why don't you do us all a favour and go back to your pathetic excuse for a pack or you can make me the happiest girl on the planet and strap an anvil to your ankle and jump off the nearest f*****g bridge"

"You don't mean that"

"Don't I?...I hate you, Cole, I have done for the past twelve years ever since you turned your back on me and sided with that manipulative witch"

"You attacked her, Nat"

"HOW DO YOU KNOW? WHERE YOU THERE? no, you weren't Cole, nobody was except for me and her yet you all believed her over me, your own family"

"We're not...."

"Family? yer I know....I know I'm not your sister"

Cole looks at me shocked with annoyance in his eyes.

"You know? then why did you continue to call me your big brother?"

"Because it irks and disgusts you, you don't like it when I call you that because it reminds you of what we were and what we are and just the mere thought of being mated to your baby sister makes you feel physically sick to the stomach"

"You hate me that much? is that why you're here? is that why you're screwing every man who'll give you slightest bit of attention because you hate me?"

SLAP!!.

The air was thick with silence and tension as I glared at Coles reddening cheek, his head snapped to the side so fast that if he were human, it probably would've snapped his head off his shoulders.

"First of all jackass, unlike some people I know, I've only ever had sex with one person not that it's any of your business..."

"I'M YOUR MATE!!"

"EX-MATE, IDIOT, THE WORD I LOVE THE MOST ABOUT THAT STATEMENT IS THE WORD EX!!"

Cole looks pained but I didn't give a f**k, the pain I'm causing him now is just a mere scratch compared to everything he's caused me.

"Now, where was I? oh yes, secondly, you've got no room to talk about my sex life when yours is enough to put a f*****g hardcore porn star to shame"

The room erupts in giggles which wasn't my intention but I'll take it.

"And thirdly, I'm not here because I hate you, I'm here because I couldn't take any more pain and abuse from those who are supposed to love, care and protect me, I'm here because you caused me and my wolf the worst pain imaginable and I couldn't handle it so I ran and that's why I'm here because a group of strangers took me and Emily in and showed us more love and affection in the first five minutes of meeting us than you or anyone at your pack ever did"

Cole looked at me with eyes that were filled with so many mixed emotions as they filled with tears.

"I'm here because in less than four months, a pack of strangers have treated me with more love and respect than you, your parents or anyone at The Dark Shadows pack ever have, I mean how's that possible? how do strangers treat people better than those who raised you? I guess everyone at Dark Shadows missed the basic training in how to give someone compassion and affection"

"Don't insult my pack, Nattie"

"Why? what are you gonna do? hit me? try it alpha, I dare you"

Cole glared at me, he was close to losing it over being spoken to in a disrespectful way but I didn't give a f**k, in just one sentence he proved to me what I've always known which is that he cares a hell of a lot more for his pack of morons than he ever will for me.

"Alright you two knock it off, it's too early for this"

Angelo steps in between us and gently pushes me back a few steps.

"You're right, Angelo, it is"

I go to leave the kitchen but stop in the doorway, I turn around and look at Cole.

"Thanks, Cole"

He looks at me confused.

"Thanks?...f..for what?"

"For proving to me what I've known my whole life, that you care more about your pack members than you ever will for me"

I turn around and briskly head upstairs to my room.

Angelo's P.O.V.

"I'm gonna go and see if she's ok"

"Oh no you don't"

"And who the hell are you to stop me, huh?"

"I'm her mate and I'm not having her f**k buddy go and do the job I should be doing"

"How did you know it's him?"

I ask feeling confused, how did he find out that Brody is the one Natalia's been having sex with all this time.

"Do you really think I'm that stupid, little brother? ever since I arrived here I've only had two goals, find my mate and bring her home and find the asshole she's been screwing for the past three months and kill him"

"But how do you know it's Brody?"

Cole rolls his eyes looking annoyed.

"Well, it's not rocket science Angelo, the very first time I see my beautiful mate again she's dressed up like some little vixen coming through the front door with him, it doesn't take Albert Einstein to put two and two together now does it? oh and don't forget the fact that he was acting like some jealous, over-protective boyfriend when he saw me and realised who and what I am to her"

"You're nothing to her, Cole unless you wanna count being an abusive torturing asshole to her then yer, you mean a hell of a lot...AAHHH!!"

"COLE!!"

I grab my brother and push him away.

"WHAT THE f**k, ANGELO?"

"Look Cole, I know you're mad, trust me I would be too but if you hurt Brody then Natalia will hate you even more than she already does"

"Why because she loves him?"

"Yes"

Shit, Cole looks away but I didn't miss seeing the hurt on his face.

"I mean she loves him because he's her best friend, they're not in love with each other Cole, he's been her rock these past three months and has made her the woman she is today"

"Oh he made her a woman alright"

Cole looked like he was about to go after Brody again but a series of smashes and bangs stopped him.

SMASH!!, SMASH!!, SMASH!!, SMASH!!, SMASH!!.

"What the f**k is that?"

I look between my brother and Brody who looked just as confused as I do.

A pained scream was heard and we all immediately knew what was going on.

"Natalia"

Cole whispers before rushing upstairs, we follow after him all the way up to my sister's room where we were met by a horrifying sight, my sister was smashing up her room, she looked like a madwoman.

"NATALIA, STOP!!"

"WHY? I THOUGHT YOU LOVED DESTRUCTION, COLE!!"

"What's going on? oh my god, Natalia...."

"Babe don't"

Emily pushes my hand away.

"She needs me, Angelo"

"Not right now she doesn't, have you seen her?"

I once again try to grab her hand but she dodges me and looks at me with a look that I can't decipher but I can tell that she's definitely worried and afraid.

"Don't you see what's going on here, Angelo? she's been shutting off her emotions for days now, she hasn't cried a single tear or laughed or even got angry since she came home from the hospital, she's been like an emotionless robot for the past few days and now it's all boiled over, this is her breaking point"

Oh my god, she's right.

I look at my little sister and I feel like such a failure, how did I not notice how broken she is? I thought she was just putting on her strong facade until Cole went home but now that I think about it, she was just shutting herself off from everything and everyone.

I look over at Natalia who is pounding her tiny fists into the wall, everyone wants to save her but are too scared to go near her because of the state she's in.

"Natalia....Nat"

"LEAVE ME ALONE, ANGELO!!"

"I can't, baby girl now come on"

I use all of my strength to pull her into my embrace which wasn't easy seeing as she used all of hers to pull away from me.

"No, Angelo, please....leave me"

"I can't Nat, you're my baby sister, I can't let you self-destruct like this"

Natalia stops struggling in my arms and I was grateful that she'd finally stopped but then I heard her whimpering and felt her tears on my arm.

"Why, Angelo? why me? why am I hated so much? why does nobody want me?"

"What are you talking about, Nat? you are wanted"

She rapidly shakes her head as I feel more tears soak my arm.

"No I'm not, my birth family don't want me, my adoptive family don't want me, my mate doesn't want me, am I that unlikable?"

"No, no, no don't think like that baby girl, you're loved we all love you"

"Like nanny and grandpa? they said they loved me too and they died"

"It was their time, Natalia, don't be upset, please"

"H..how c..can't I..I? they're gone, they're gone, they're gone, they're gone"

"I know, sshhh!!"

I cradle my sister to my chest letting her get everything out, if Emily is right then she's bottled everything up in a very unhealthy way and the only way she's gonna heal and move on is if she gets everything out of her system.

A Few Hours Later....

For the past few hours, all I've been thinking about is Natalia's breakdown and my failure as a big brother to see that she's been struggling, I feel so guilty that my poor little sister has been torturing herself and I didn't even notice, how could I have been so stupid not to notice that she wasn't coping?.

After her emotional breakdown, Natalia passed out in my arms, her room is now unlivable so I brought her to my room and I planned to place her on my bed and leave her so she can sleep in peace but she clutched my shirt in her hands really tight preventing me from leaving her so now we're here laying on my bed with her in my arms, she's safe or at least I think she is, her grip on my shirt hasn't loosened and she keeps whimpering, it saddens me that even when she's sleeping she's not at peace.

"How is she?"

I look up at the doorway and see my brother standing there staring at Natalia with so many different emotions on his face, normally Cole's very stoic and never shows emotions but I guess he's changing for his mate.

"She's fine, I hope"

I kiss my sister's forehead and stroke her hair, Cole comes over to the bed and sits next to Natalia, he looks down at her with so much love which I didn't think was possible considering everything that he's put her through but I know that it is, as much as I hate to admit it, I actually believe that Cole loves my sister but I also believe that he's ruined all of his chances with her.

"She's so beautiful"

"Yer she is"

Cole strokes Natalia's face and I smiled seeing her relax into his touch.

"You know we have to go back home in a couple of days right, the funeral's taking place and we can't miss it"

"I know"

I let out a sigh.

"I just don't know how I'm gonna convince her to come with us"

"She'll come, I promise"

"I hope so"

I really, really do, Nattie would never forgive herself if she didn't attend the last goodbye of our beloved grandparents.

"Can I ask you a question, Angelo?"

"Sure"

"Why do you still refer to her as your sister? you know she's not a true Vasquez...she's not our sister, so why?"

I sigh feeling annoyed that I even have to explain this to him or to anyone for that matter.

"Blood or not, Cole, Natalia IS my sister, she always has been and always will be, it may be easy for you and our parents to admit that she's not our family because she's your mate and our parents hate her...."

"They don't..."

"But I love her....she's my sister Cole, I'm her only family and I'm gonna do everything in my power to keep her safe and protected from all of the evils in this world even if one of those evils is you"