Hey! Sorry for the wait. …Enjoy!

Chapter 7:

Sometime later, Kai walked out of the kitchen,

"Hey who's turn is it to do the shopping today?" Kai asked,

"It is your turn this week." Zane explained,

"Right. I'm off then." Kai announced as he walked outside and summoned his dragon and flew to the bottom where the under ground garage was where he hoped into his car and drove to the store. When he returned, he walked into a distressed Nya,

"Whoa Nya. What's wrong?" Kai asked,

"Maria's gone." Nya explained,

"What do you mean gone?" Kai asked,

"We can't find her anywhere." Nya explained,

"Have you tried tracking her? I saw Maria with Cole's phone earlier." Kai explained,

"Of course. How I did not think of that?" Zane stated as she scanned for Cole's phone when his face filled with concern and worry,

"Where is she?" Jay asked as he walked in with Lloyd,

"The woods where Nya got attacked last month but I can't get a clear reading so she could be anywhere there." Zane replied and before immediately, Nya was running outside and summoning her dragon and flying off.

Nya landed on the edge of the woods and ran in, keeping her eyes peeled for the 4 year old,

"Maria! Maria!" Nya shouted when she heard rustling near by but it was too big to be Maria, "Cole. Is that you?" Nya asked, preparing herself in case it wasn't. Nya watched has a pair of familiar eyes glowed in the dark, "Cole thank goodness it's you." Nya breathed,

"What are you doing here?" Cole asked,

"Why aren't you coming into the light?" Nya asked,

"The others are too close." Cole explained,

"Anyway. Maria's missing and Zane tracked your phone in these woods but he couldn't get an exact location." Nya explained as she saw as Cole's eyes widened,

"Get out off here while I find her!" Cole shouted as he ran off,

"I'm coming!" Nya shouted after Cole when an arm grabbed her shoulder,

"Nya what's going on? You aren't allowed to come here!" Kai stated,

"Do you want that thing that attacked me, attacking Maria cos that what's going to happen if we don't find her before it finds her!" Nya replied,

"Who were you talking to?" Kai asked,

"It doesn't matter we have to find Maria!" Nya stated,

"Kai, Nya and Jay will search the left side and Zane and I will search the right." Lloyd instructed, putting more with Nya for she was still healing.

Maria wandered around the woods,

"Cole! Cole are you here? I don't know where else you'd be! Cole!" Maria called when she heard rustling, "Cole?" Maria asked. Maria crept towards it slowly when the Alpha jumped out. Maria screamed as she began to run but soon she tripped. The Alpha was about to attack when a katana almost hit its face. Maria looked up to see Nya running over with Kai and Jay hot on her heels. The Alpha broke the katana as Nya scooped Maria up and the 2 men stood in front of them. The Alpha was about to hit them when something jumped on it. The others stared in disbelief except for Nya, who instantly knew who it was, Cole in his wolf form. Cole slashed at the Alpha, ripping it's flesh to shreds as the Alpha tried to shake him off. The 2 fought violently, with Nya making Maria look the other way so she wouldn't be too scared. Soon Cole was on his back, gashes everywhere, as Maria looked at her cousin,

"Cole!" Maria cried,

"Maria." Cole whispered. Although it caused him more pain than water hitting a ghost, Cole stood up and attacked the Alpha again. The Alpha was soon forced to retreat, even though Cole wanted it dead, he didn't have the energy. Cole stood where he was for a moment before collapsing. Nya rushed over to Cole,

"Guys help him!" Nya stated,

"Jay sent a lightning blot into the sky to let the others know that they needed help before rushing over to Cole while Kai…Kai was trying to comprehend what just happened.

Cole laid on the medical room bed, shirtless so it would be easier to fix him up like he was while Maria sat on the windowsill seat, staring at him. This was not the Cole she knew. The Cole she knew looked nothing like the Cole that laid before her, but, she had this pang of guilt in her heart, like it was her fault. Nya and Zane walked in,

"Are you ok?" Nya asked,

"Is Cole hurt because of me?" Maria asked as her eyes followed the bandages that were wrapped around Cole's waist where the patches weren't big enough to cover,

"No. Cole is hurt because of the Alpha." Nya explained,

"I thought you did not know that attacked you?" Zane questioned,

"I didn't and I still technically don't know what it was, just the name." Nya explained,

"Why does Cole look like that?" Maria asked,

"It's his job to explain." Nya stated as Cole began to moan and he slowly sat up, ears pointed behind him,

"Cole?" Maria mumbled. Cole's eyes nearly popped out of his head before he slowly pointed them towards her. Maria was use to seeing warm brown eyes but this time, they were glowing wolf eyes. Maria grabbed Nya's shirt but inched herself towards Cole. Cole went to grab his hood but he soon realised it wasn't there so he pressed his arms over his head as he buried his face in his legs as he curled his tail in so it wouldn't be as noticed able.

"Cole, is it you?" Maria asked so quietly that Nya didn't hear so both girls were surprised when,

"Do you think it's me?" Cole mumbled but made sure Maria could hear it,

"You look different. Why?" Maria asked,

"I'm not like other people." Cole stated,

"That's all you're going to say?" Kai questioned as he walked in,

"Do you want me to say something or do you want to hear something?" Cole questioned, not wanting to look up at his teammate,

"How about you stop answering me with questions and answer me with answers." Kai snapped,

"Kai!" Nya snapped. Kai looked over to the girls where Maria had buried herself into Nya, arms wrapped around her waist as Nya carefully stroked Maria's hair. Cole grabbed his hoodie that was sitting on the chair next to the bed as he stood up,

"Cole. I do not advice you to be standing with your injures." Zane warned,

"It's fine Zane. I can handle it." Cole replied,

"And where do you think you're going?" Kai asked,

"Where I always go Kai. This is why I never told anyone." Cole stated, furry in his eyes until his saw Maria,

"Why are you going?" Maria asked,

"Cos I can't stay." Cole replied as gently as he could, but it was still rage filled. As Cole walked out the door, Maria got up to follow but Kai held her back,

"It's dangerous." Kai stated,

"Cole's not dangerous. The thing is." Maria snapped as she pushed Kai's arm off her and ran after Cole but by the time she was outside, Cole was gone.