ATLAS“What? Still touchy about daddy’s lack of approval?” I breathed in slowly, reminding myself there was a reason I was here.Jade is bigger than this. Ore important than this. I can be patient and listen to him for a few minutes. It won’t take long for him to slip and tell me where she is.So, I zoned out of his taunts about my father.My phone rang in that instance. I saw it was Andrew, I thought of ignoring it but changed my mind. The call ended just as I was about to answer it. But a text came in immediately.A: Where the fuck are you? I DON’T CARE. WHEREVER YOU ARE, GET THE HELL OUT OF THERE. FORD HAS PUT A PRICE ON YOUR HEAD AND PROMISED A REWARD TO WHOEVER BRINGS YOUR HEAD.You have got to be fucking kidding me.I’m going to fucking kill my father in law. I’ll ask for Jade’s forgiveness after he is dead. The sneaky little bastard.I looked up and my eyes met with Brandon. He fucking knew about this?I glanced behind me and there were a lot of people standing there. Looking m
JADEBefore we left, I asked Ray if there was anything she wanted to do. At first’s eh said no she just wanted to leave eh place but then she liked around the room and I saw something flash in her eyes. So, I stood aside and let her trash the room until she felt better. When she was sure everything was destroyed to her satisfaction, she came and stood beside me, breathing heavily.“Do you feel better?” I asked, stroking a hand down her back. She looked up and at me and nodded.“Yeah, a little bit.” She said through heavy breaths. I nodded, that was all I wanted to hear.I had no idea where Atlas was, which I was grateful for. I’ not sure what I’ll do if I had to see him right now.No one tried to stop us as we got out of the house. Which was in their best interest if you asked me. Dad sent a car but because of the tension between him and Atlas, he said it’ll be best if they park outside and we go to meet them there.Donald was standing outside when we headed out. I thought he was goin
ATLASOne important thing I learnt after becoming the leader of the council is you always need an apartment that can be traced back to you. Some people use it to keep their mistresses. Others like to perform all their illegal activities there. I got one, but didn’t plan on using it.Actually, I did plan on using it. But I wanted it to be a small downtown apartment that Jade and I could escape to some weekends. I had a busy schedule and she did too. Wit the baby, things would get crazy and I didn’t want us to lose ourselves in that. So, I got this, hoping it’ll be our little escape form the real world.And now, the real world is crashing into it. I was fucking annoyed about that fact. Must be why I throw Brandon on the bed rougher than needed. He squirms but doesn’t wake up. Not that I ended.Thankfully, there was leftover rope from when they move in company brought things up. I tied him up to the bed then walked out and I fished out my phone and called Andrew back. He has left a coupl
JADEI thought I heard a car but I told myself it was just from the TV and the movie that I wasn’t watching. It tuned it on because everywhere was too quite, but if you asked me what was happening, I couldn’t tell you one thing.But I noticed movement when I was in the kitchen making a sandwich. I still didn’t have an appetite but I knew to eat for my baby. I paused, my hand on the butter knife as I peeked out of the window. The blinds move, I was sure of that.Was there anyone there? Dad made no indication of someone else living close to us. He said it was safe. That was actually all he said. Somehow the idea of a neighbour didn’t read;;your make me fee relaxed. Was that weird?I finished making my sandwich and went back to the living room. The same time Ray walked in, looking groggy with her mess hair and sleeping eyes that she was rubbing, probably in an attempt to open them.“Do you feel better?” I asked when she plopped on the couch beside me. She made an incoherent sound which I
ATLASI thought I was hallucinating when I heard Jade’s voice. I wouldn’t have been surprised if I found out it was actually that, because it was too good to be true. She? Here?This sound like she you see in your dreams and then you wake only to be thrown into a deep out of depression because it was nothing but your imagination all along.Then I had the knock, I was already by the door, about to open it, when they knocked. And I was sure I was dreaming just then. Because there was no way it was real. I whispered her name and she reacted. It was all the confrontation I needed.Ray was the one in the front, she couldn’t meet my eyes. Because she knows what she did. I was surprised to find that I didn’t hold any grudges against her. It would he stupid seeing as she was just a child. But I could be angry. Still, my anger wasn’t direct at her bit her sister. Him, I’m sure is the one after all of this.After they left, I stood on the porch, still trying to accept the fact that that just ha
JADEI had started dozing off when I heard the phone ring. After finding Atlas watching me, which was’t really surprising if I was being honest. I thought he would come knocking, and a deep sense of disappointment filled me when I didn’t hear the doorbell ring.Ray had taken the other bedroom. The one she took a nap in earlier because she liked the view better. Wonder what my view was? Atlas’s apartment. Rubbly his bedroom too.I didn’t know how I hated floor to ceiling windows until then. Because I could see almost everything, of course he had his blinds pulled up.My hand reached for the telephone, thinning it was dad. But it was late and I doubted he would call by this time. But many things were going on and it was probably an emergency.“Hello?” I spoke groggily into the phone. Annoyed that I was woken up from sleep.One of the things I liked about pregnancy was definitely the ability to fall asleep everywhere and anywhere. The only person that was able to slip through that and st
ATLASStaying out of the public eye as you would expect wasn’t all that fun. Not that I liked being out there most of the time, but knifing I had the choice to do it was definitely than knowing I should’t. Not I couldn’t. I could say fuck it and march into Ford’s territory tight now. But for peace to reign, I didn’t.Although, there was a best part to if. Seeing glimpses of Jade as she went about her day was the highlight of mine. Ninety percent of the time I just sit by my window and watch her. It made me feel like a weird stalker. Though, that one glimpse that I get of hr makes everything better.By a week, I thought the novelty would wear off and I’ll feel too trapped and want to get out. Alpha wolves didn’t like being contained. I found that I didn’t actually mind, as long as Jade was next to me. So close. Even if she never left the house, or even came outside much anymore.All was going well, until on the eight day, I looked out of my kitchen window in the morning at the time I k
ATLASShe looked up and opened her mouth like she wanted to say something, then she pressed her lips into a thin line and walked away. But I wasn’t going to let her leave.“Jade.” I called out, reaching for her hand. Before I could hold her, she stepped to the side.“What?” She sounded tired.That made me look at her with more scrutiny. I noticed how her eyes were looking a bit bleak. Her skin looked pale too, like someone who hasn’t been in the sun for a while. It didn’t make sense although I knew she was indoors. I don’t know exactly to explain it, but she looked a bit sickly. Almost like she did when I saw her on that hospital bed. Lips looking blue, and her eyes sunken.My feet carried me before I could stop myself and I was standing in her front. Towering over her and reaching for her hand. She didn’t move fast enough now and I take both of her hands in mine.When she relaxes and doesn’t look like she would bolt. I let go of one hand and caressed her cheeks. Her body was hot.“Yo
JADE“i needed to come see him.”“Why?” He collected the baby from me “I told you that there's no need to. Why do you feel the need to come here even after I told you not to?!”“Because it's not just your victory! It's not just your life that he was after! It's mine too! And it's Ray's too! So yes, I needed to come down here to get closure.”He needed to understand that this meant something to me too, just as it did him.“Closure? Is that why you put the baby at risk? How much more closure do you need?”What on earth was he talking about?“Risk? Incase you didn't notice, I was there with him! I was at risk too! I needed him to look me in the eye and tell me why he did what he did to my family.”“Or maybe it's because you're too hung up on the past and you just can't let go. Incase you havent noticed, you're so stuck in the past and you are obsessing over it. Move on!”Well, I'm glad he finally got to say what he wanted to. Now I know how he feels about me trying to find answers. I w
JADEI didn't think it was worth it at first. Going to see the man that had made me grow up without parents and without the concept of what a true family felt like.But after much thought, he needed to know that all his plans failed and I was going to rub it in his face..I'd gotten all three pieces of the stone together and wore it around my locket.It would hurt him so bad to see that in the end, I won.Iniko decided that that was the right moment to start crying and everytime I dropped him back in his cot, he cried even louder.“Young man, what is it that you want? You've been fed and burped and I just changed your diaper so there's no way you could have soiled it again -”I stopped and remembered what happened yesterday so I took a peak for myself. There was nothing im his diaper.“So what exactly do you want?”I wish babies could talk.I guess I didn't have any other choice than to take him with me then. Atlas would blow a fuse if he found out that I took his son to see Ford.Whe
ATLAS“By wasting any more time, we are not doing ourselves any good! Sixth Circle pack is vacant. We have their leader in our custody and I've taken down every opposition in our way, do you think it would be long before we get more interests?”Sometimes, having a cabinet infuriates me so much. It was like I was speaking to brick walls. I didn't see any reason why they couldn't just agree to me taking over the Sixth Circle.It would even be better for us because it would improve our army base, it would make our pack bigger and in general, it would be a plus for us.But they weren't seeing it that way. All they were seeing was the fact that Ford had committed something against the pack and they weren't going to take it.I mean, what better way to teach him a lesson by taking over his pack?“Alpha, we're not disputing the fact that you've gone a long way-”“But you're diminishing my efforts. What's the whole point of defeating him and taking him into custody when I can't even go ahead a
JADERay and I weren't speaking for now.How could she hide something like that from me?“Where is she?”“I have no idea. All I know is that she ran away when we were little. She knew that he would come after her and she didn't want to put you in danger. So she ran away and left your nanny to take care of you. I don't know where she is.”How could she do this?“Before I lost my memory, did I know?”“No, you never knew.”I couldn't believe this. I lost my appetite for the rest of that day and I just stayed in Iniko's room because I couldn't even speak to anyone right now.I'd spent my life thinking my mother was dead only to hear that she was alive and she ran away because of that beast.“It’s not her fault, you know. Your mother ran away to protect you and Ray didn't tell you because she wanted to keep you safe. You have to forgive her.”I didn't blame her. It wasn't her fault things turned out like this. I was just hurt that I didn't know.Later that day, I took Iniko on a walk so h
JADEI was just realizing that this baby has Atlas's eyes and hair and everything!“This baby is rigged.”He turned around in shock.“What are you talking about?”“You did something to make the baby look like you.”He laughed and shook his head.“No, I didn't. It's just a coincidence.”“Coincidence? Look at this baby and look at you. It seems like I didn't even have anything to do with his birth.”“Don’t worry, you can have the second baby.”I scoffed.“You think I'm going to let you have another chance to have photocopies? Big joke.”Iniko was so small and he seemed so fragile.Ray brought my food and she took him while I ate.“I wish my grandmother was here to see him.”She gave me a sad smile.“Me too. She would be so proud of you.I'm proud of you.”I'm so happy my sister was here with me. She was the one who had been by my side throughout and if the child had been a girl, I would have named her after Raya.“Thank you for everything you did. If not for you, I don't know how I would
JADE“I'm going to need your blood as well. Atlas, I promise it won't hurt her. Just a little nick.”He nodded and she dragged the knife across my finger.“Place your finger over the stone and let the blood cover it entirely. Do not take your hand away from the fire.”It was a simple instruction but it seemed so intense.It was almost over. My legs were beginning to feel well and it was getting harder to quiet my screams.“What do we have here?”That voice. He was here.“What are you doing here?”All I had to do was keep my hand over the fire until the stone bled.Ray helped me stand up straight while Atlas and Andrew faced my uncle.“So this was why I came here. How did you do that? How did you call the other stones?”I eventually removed my hand from the fire since we had found them.“I always knew it was with one of you. That stupid old hag told me she couldn't find the other piece but I guess she gave it to you. “Why were all the worst things happening tonight?I was in labor and
JADEAtlas returned later that evening.I was right with what I'd thought.“What have you been up to?”I knew he knew I'd been eating because of the smirk on his face.“You know you don't have to hide from me when you eat right?”Oh, I did.“If you see how much I eat and the way I eat, I don't think you'd want to be married to me anymore.”He burst out laughing.“What makes you think I care about the way you eat? As long as you're healthy and our baby is fine, I don't care.”“But then, what if I get fat? I'll be so big that I won't be able to eat. I don't know why I eat so much.”This was actually a worry of mine. Normally, I ate but my appetite was not this big.“Blame it on the baby. I figure when you give birth, the cravings will stop and even though you do get fat, you're still my wife. It doesn't change anything.”I was really married to the best man ever, wasn't I?“You’re the best.”“I know. Ray says that we have to get there before midnight so that she can prepare everything.
JADEAt this point, I was realizing that the earlier we did things, the better.“I’ll arrange for the sacrifice to happen tomorrow. We need to move as fast as we can before he gets Intel that were here.”I didn't want to have to run with this big belly of mine.“What are you going to need?”“Don’t worry, I'll take care of it. Just bring the stone.”We went to bed that night because we were all completely exhausted.“Hey, are you okay?” Atlas asked when we were in bed.“Yes, I am. Why do you ask?”“You didn't cry when you found out that he killed your father. You didn't cry when you found out that she was not your grandmother. I'm worried.”Now that I think about it, it's true. But it was because I didn't feel like crying.“I don't know. Maybe my body just hasn't proceses it yet. Maybe its because I hate him so I'm not bothered that he's not my father and I never really knew my father so i can't cry for him. I've already mourned for my grandmother.”I just didn't feel the need to cry b
JADE“Jade, step away from that.”I walked back towards them and stared at the pile.“What kind of animal would do this?”I had no idea but I think I was beginning to understand why she wanted us to find this place.This place held secrets.I went back to the wall to look at the drawings and try to understand them.I used my fingers to trace them again and this time around, I heard the voice clearer.“Look at the bigger picture.”I stepped away from the wall so I could see the entire thing. There were more drawings to the side and when I walked up, I noticed that there was a sign at the bottom of it.That sign…looked all too familiar but I couldn't just place my finger.“Ray, come see this. I've seen this before but I don't know where it's from.”She crouched beside me and stared at it for a moment.“I know it's familiar but I don't know where it's from, either.”Andrew and Atlas joined us and just within seconds, they knew.“We know.”They shared a look and it made me scared.“Jade,