A/N Hi everyone. I'm very sorry that it's been awhile since I've updated. I do want to finish this story, as I have lots of good plans for it. So, please don't be mad at me and I hope you can get back into my fiction. Thanks.

My Other Half

Winter – Sophia had an appreciation for winter now that she no longer felt the sting of cold, icy air. Her skinwalker body allowed her so many freedoms, so many ways of experiencing the world that she never could when she was human.

Today on this crisp January day, she awoke with the urge to run. She wanted to kick up the snow in joy. She was so happy. She nudged Lucas as he slept next to her and he opened his eyes sleepily. "I'm going for a run," she said. "Do you want to come?"

"Too early," he mumbled, shutting his eyes again. They had stayed at the club late last night and Lucas wanted nothing more than to sleep half of Saturday away.

The club had now been open for a month, and it was a huge success. The elders of Wolf Lake, however, worried that the Den would become too popular, too visible. After all, they spent their lives trying to hide their existence, not advertise it.

"All right," Sophia said, giving him a kiss on the cheek. "I'll be back in a little while."

"Don't go too far," Lucas mumbled. He didn't like the feeling that she might be too far away if she should need him. He needed to keep her close, keep her safe.

"I won't," she promised. She used the bathroom before transforming into her wolf. Padding down the stairs, she slipped out the back doggy door and took off for the tree line.

It felt so good, so invigorating to be pumping every limb in her body, jumping over logs and rocks, the forest slowly waking up around her. She was young, she was in love and she felt so… powerful, unstoppable. On and on she ran, leaving a trail of her prints in the fresh snow. She wondered if anyone else was out and about and she did a quick scan of her surroundings. She sensed no one and that suited her just fine. She wanted the forest to herself this morning.

But the birds, they were awake, squawking loudly to one another, warning each other that a wolf was approaching. She listened to their warning cries; her keen hearing magnified the noise of bird chatter until she heard nothing else. She leapt onto the highway, intending to cross over to the other side.

It was too late when Sophia finally realized in that split second, that the bird noise had deafened her to the sound of the large semi-truck a few yards away. She tried to stop her momentum and throw herself sideways, out of harms way, but she had been running much to fast. The hard, metal bumper smacked into her head and that was the last thing she remembered before everything went black.

OOOOOOOO

Lucas sat up in bed. Sophia! he yelled in his mind, looking around desperately. He had been monitoring her in his mind while he rested, unable to fall back to sleep unless she was there next to him. He had felt her exhilaration as she ran, her happiness, and his heart had soared with hers. But suddenly, abruptly, he was cut off from her. Nothing! He couldn't feel her anymore, couldn't sense her at all.

He hurried to the window, throwing it open and sniffing the air. But the room was too full of her scent. He scanned the forest, concentrating with all of his might. Nothing! How could this be? It was as if she were…

"NO!" he yelled, quickly transforming into his wolf. He took off at full speed, leaving the house and following the scent and the tracks that she had left. He ran, his heart pounding in fear.

Lucas? He felt his mother's awareness in his mind. It was not surprising that she would sense his distress. Any skinwalker in the vicinity would be able to pick up on it easily.

Mom! Something's happened! I can't sense Sophia anymore! he answered in desperation, hoping against hope that his mother would have the answer. She had to know, hadn't she? She was the Alpha, after all.

Matt Donner must have been with her as his voice came pounding into Lucas' mind. What do you mean? Where is she?

She went for a run and then suddenly I couldn't sense her anymore. I'm following her trail right now.

I'll be right there. Matt answered, sounding panicked as well.

Lucas could tell what Matt was thinking. Sophia was either knocked out or … or…

NO! Lucas would not allow himself to believe that he could lose Sophia forever. That wasn't an option. He ran on, scanning and sniffing as he went. He could feel the others, waking up, sensing his distress, trying to politely question what was happening.

The howls could be heard in the distance as other wolves woke; calling to one another, knowing that one of their own may need help.

He reached the highway, the smell of blood assaulting his senses and he slowed himself, panting and circling, checking for tracks on the other side. He began to fear that she was struck by a car when he could no longer follow her signature. And the blood…

But where? Where was her body? Why wouldn't she be here?

He sniffed the air further, discerning the smell of diesel fuel. Oh God, she was hit! He frantically searched the area, running up and down the now deserted highway, afraid of what he might find.

Other wolves began coming out of the forest, padding around to help him search, sniffing for any clues.

Why would someone take her body? Most humans didn't bother with road kill other than kicking it to the side of the road. Unless… unless it wasn't a human.

Lucas could hear the thoughts and opinions of the others as they helped him. Some were thinking it was those fanatics, like the ones that had taken Ruby before, people who had suspected that they weren't ordinary wolves.

Lucas' mind was a jumble of grief and desperation, he couldn't take it anymore. Where was she? Where was his mate? He sat down in the middle of the highway and let out a long, heart wrenching howl, crying to the heavens, to whoever was listening. Soon the others were joining in, sharing his grief, his great sorrow.

But they feared, feared what this event would mean for the pack, for their future. Lucas, their strong and powerful future Alpha, the one they had counted on to keep them all safe, was now broken, his other half wrenched from him. What would this all mean?

OOOOOOOOOOO

"Hey, doc, I've got something for you," the trucker announced as he stepped into the veterinarian's office. In his arms he carried a beautiful, light grey wolf, setting it gently on the front counter.

The doctor looked at the wolf in surprise. No one had ever brought one to him before. He didn't normally deal with wild animals. He placed his hand on her chest, feeling her heart still beating within. "What happened?" the doctor asked.

"She ran out into the road and I didn't see her on time," he explained. He pointed at the matted fur on her head, dried blood covering half of it. "Luckily I only hit her head. The rest of her seems to be all right. I felt real bad. I didn't want to just leave her lying there to die slowly. So I put her in the back of my truck and came here. You think you can fix her back up?"

"Where'd this happen?" the vet asked, examining her head wound.

"Bout two hours up the highway, near a little town called Wolf Lake," he said. "I didn't know the area very well. You're the only vet I remembered, so I came here."

"All right, I'll take it from here," the vet said, calling one of his assistants to help him find a place for her. He knew they'd have to keep her separate from the other animals in one of the larger cages, just in case she woke up.

"Are you going to have to put her to sleep?" the trucker asked.

"Depends," the vet replied. "If she becomes conscious again and able to function normally, then we'll return her to the wild. Only time will tell."

OOOOOOOOOOO

Lucas sat slumped on his mother's sofa at the mansion, eyes rimmed red and a haggard, beaten look on his face. He stared out of the window while listening to Matthew Donner on the phone in the next room, calling every animal control agency he knew to be on the look out for an injured wolf. Matthew's voice was cracking as well, weary with worry and grief. But as long as there was no body, there was still hope. And at this moment, hope was all they had.

Vivian stood in the doorway of her office, watching Matt. "Maybe she flipped back to human form, Matt. Maybe we should try the hospitals as well."

Matthew looked up at her wearily, running his hand through his hair. "She would have had to be conscious to flip back. Lucas said it happened too suddenly."

"It's worth a try anyway," Vivian answered. Doing something was better than this… this wondering and waiting. They felt so helpless. Even the long shots seemed worth pursuing. Vivian glanced back over her shoulder at Lucas. He was still sitting in the same lifeless position, staring out of the same window. She turned and went to the sofa, sitting down next to him. "Lucas?"

She received no response. He didn't even flinch. What was she going to do? How would Lucas ever survive the loss of his mate? She knew what it was like to lose her mate, but she also knew that her former husband had not been her true mate. He had chosen her out of need after his true mate, Ruby's mother, had died. At the time, Vivian had been broken hearted that Matt rejected her, thinking he was in love with that human woman. She accepted his proposal, her consolation, his consolation.

Now things had finally been set right. Matt was hers now. She glanced up at her lover in the next room, wondering how she'd feel if she lost him. A shiver of fear traveled down her spine. She looked at her son again. What should she say? What should she do? It had been two days since the accident. Two whole, very long and agonizing days, watching her son fall to pieces, his will and zest for life dying within him.

The whole town was getting anxious. She could feel their worry. What if Lucas never recovered from this? What would it mean for the future of the pack?

The doorbell rung and Vivian jumped up. She had invited Lucas' friends over in hopes that he'd break out of his stupor and speak. She opened the door and saw the reluctant boys standing there. "Hi, Mrs. Cates," Sean said.

"Hello, boys, please come in," she said, opening the door wide.

Sean and Randy did not bring their mates with them, feeling that it would remind Lucas of what he had lost. They had tried contacting him on their mental pathways many times, but never received a response. They weren't very hopeful that coming over was going to help any.

They sat down in chairs, facing him. "Hey, Lucas," Randy said in greeting.

Lucas did not move or show any sign of recognition.

Randy and Sean exchanged worried looks. They'd rather be anywhere than here, seeing their friend, their leader look so… gone. That's what it seemed like to them, as if Lucas was no long in his own body.

Sean cleared his throat and said, "We wanted you to know that we… and I mean all of the teens… have been taking turns, searching even on the outskirts of our borders for any sign."

Still, no response, as if Lucas was a just a shell, empty of anything else.

"We've even crossed over onto Silver Lake territory, thinking that maybe they were exacting revenge for what happened last year," Randy added.

It almost made them jump at how fast Lucas' face whipped towards Randy. Randy suddenly lost his train of thought. Lucas looked dangerous… deadly, and Randy feared that he had somehow pushed Lucas over the edge of sanity.

"Lucas?" Vivian said from the doorway of her office. She grew hopeful that perhaps his friends had helped after all.

Randy swallowed nervously. Never had Lucas looked so deranged. "Luke?" he said, tentatively.

Lucas' face scrunched up, fangs growing as a loud growl issued forth from deep within him. It was anger – red, hot, extreme anger and Randy and Sean had never felt so afraid in their lives. They pressed themselves back against their chairs when Lucas sprang to his feet, snarling and tearing at his clothes. Matt came into the room at the ruckus and stood near Vivian as they all watched Lucas' descent into madness.

"Lucas!" Vivian screamed, trying to get through to him.

But Lucas was too far gone to listen. He flipped into his wolf and took off running, out the back door and into the forest.

The four of them stood at the back door, watching Lucas disappear. Vivian turned an angry face towards the boys. "What did you say to him?"

They bowed their heads in submission. Randy then said, "I mentioned the Silver Lake wolves. That's when he responded."

"What about the Silver Lake wolves?" Matt asked.

"Well, some of us thought that maybe they took Sophia for revenge," Randy mumbled.

Vivian sighed heavily. "He's headed for Silver Lake then," she said. She looked at Matt and they both knew that whatever would happen in Silver Lake would not be pretty. Lucas would slake his blood lust on them until they took matters in their own hands and killed him. "Oh God, Matt," Vivian said, feeling like she was going to swoon. "We've got to get to Silver Lake quickly. We've got to tranquilize him and bring him home before anything bad happens to him."

OOOOOOOOOO

The large grey wolf bounded into the village of Silver Lake, surprising the skin walkers who lived there. They came out of their cabins when the grey slowed to a stop, panting heavily, looking about at all their dwellings.

Someone stepped forward. "Lucas?" they asked, recognizing the powerful wolf. "Why are you here?"

Lucas sniffed the air, but Sophia's scent was nowhere even remotely near. This made him angrier. Now she was lost again, lost where he couldn't find her.

Lucas snarled and looked around the village, growling at anyone near. Parents backed their children away, holding their arms out to protect them. Something was not right with that wolf.

Silver Lake's elderly Alpha came out of his cabin, throwing his shoulders back and looking sharply at Lucas. Lucas had killed his son, his heir, last year.

Lucas looked at their Alpha, snarling at him, defying him to do something, to save his village. What business would he have being Alpha if he couldn't even do that?

"Leave or suffer the consequences," the old man bellowed. Already, on all sides of Lucas, skinwalkers were flipping into wolf form, getting ready for their leader's signal.

Then the unexpected happened. Lucas sprinted straight at the Alpha, knocking him down and clamping onto his neck, squeezing the life out of him. Then he gnawed and gnawed until the old man's head came off. The others stared in shocked indecision.

Lucas flipped back into his human form, taking the old man's head by the hair and holding it up, showing the others what he had done so easily. He held the head up high above him while the blood rolled down his arm. He walked naked through the middle of the village in this manner, defying them to attack. It was as if he wanted to die. He wanted them to end all his suffering.

But Lucas didn't count on the different values that Silver Lake wolves had. They were wilder, more bound by the old ways and old traditions. It was clear to them that Lucas was an Alpha of tremendous power, one deserving to be leader. In an overall wave of subtle communication, a decision was made amongst them. They stepped out of their homes and fell to their knees, bowing in submission to Lucas.

Lucas' bloody arm slowly lowered when he realized that they wouldn't attack him. He dropped the old Alpha's head at his feet and look around. The sound of Mathew Donner's truck could be heard rushing up the dirt road. But the villagers remained on their knees, not daring to look Lucas in the face.

Matt pulled to a stop when he reached the village and grabbed the tranquilizer gun. Vivian had hopped out of the truck and motioned for him to follow. When they came in view of the village, they saw Lucas standing there amongst the bowing villagers and they stopped moving, looking at the scene in confusion.

Lucas turned about slowly, looking at the people, and said, "I am your Alpha. You obey me now. Silver Lake Territory is now part of Wolf Lake Territory. You will obey my laws or perish."

Vivian and Matt exchanged glances before walking cautiously towards Lucas. Lucas now focused on them and waited, giving no clue as to his sanity or lack of it.

"Lucas?" Vivian said, softly. She knew that Silver Lake wolves did not see her as Alpha. They would never accept a female Alpha. To them, Lucas had become Alpha the moment his father died.

"Mother," he said, calmly.

Vivian sighed in relief at that small word.

"Let's go home, dear," she coaxed. "You've had a long day."

Lucas nodded slightly and stalked off towards the truck. Matt embraced Vivian, feeling relieved that at least one of their children was safe.

OOOOOOOOO

A/N So there you have it. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I hope I still have some readers left. LOL Please make some noise and leave a review. I'd love to hear from you!