Overall, his treatment of Ren did improve and the rest of the team didn’t dare to comment on it. One time, when they turned to Polly with questioning gazes, she simply placed a finger on her lips, gesturing for them to be quiet about it. She told Jared when they went home, and his expression was a mix of horror and embarrassment.“I know Leo. He would have teased the two of you if he had the chance, and I thought you wouldn’t like to hear what he’ll come up with.”“Damn. Thanks for sparing me that experience.” He groaned, having been around Leo enough to know what kind of jokes he come up with.Polly tiptoed and planted a kiss on his cheek when they reached the front of their house. He raised an eyebrow. She didn’t even wait for them to get in?“What?”“One of these days, I’m going to kiss you in front of many people.”She actually considered it and has one request. “Just a peck.”He chuckled and was glad she’s becoming more comfortable with it. It’s such a normal thing between mates.
He raised an eyebrow when she finally aired her thoughts. She simply glanced at him before grabbing a pot and turning the stove on.“It’s the truth. If Alpha Clyde gave me authority over a few men, I fear I would treat them the way I did when I was in Blood Moon.”“But you could treat them differently. You know better now.”He shook his head. “I don’t think so. You might think I have loosened up because of how I treat my current trainees. They’re young, inexperienced and needing guidance. I don’t treat them the way I would actual warriors who are tasked to protect the pack. I’ll have higher expectations, and I’ll put them through harsher trainings.”“Can’t you just treat them like you treat young trainees, though?”He shook his head. “I can’t do that. That would be taking my tasks lightly and not seriously. It might lead to grievous consequences and that’s not something I want.”She sighed. Alright. She won’t push it. She understands him.“Sometimes, I wonder what your childhood is li
They continued to work together and they were given three new trainees.“How come? Only two of you completed it.” Jared wasn’t complaining, just curious.“There are more youngsters nowadays. Hana, Leo and Gareth are from the same batch. They would all complete the program next year.”“Alright. Introduce yourselves.”Her lip twitched and smiled at the newbies. Her mate looked intimidating, but the shock factor was helpful in the long run. She hoped they wouldn’t be too soft. She would prefer obedient trainees, who wouldn’t ask too many questions. Hmm. Okay, she’ll allow questions. She’d been there, so she understands. They had to learn. She suddenly remembered her first day of training. She was plenty stupid and doesn’t know much.“New trainees have a different schedule during their first year. You have classes to attend two days a week. The rest of the weekdays, you need to show up here and learn some basics.”“When do they join the others? To spar?” Jared asked her.“That would depen
“Going to the city, of course. Maybe we can stay at a hotel. I’ll ravage you, then.”“What else have we not done in the city?”“There’s still a lot of things you haven’t seen. You’ll be surprised. I promise to show you things you’ve never experienced before.”She took a deep breath as he enveloped her in his arms and started caressing her back. “Fine. I believe you.”Even before they left the territory, he already presented her with some sweets and a bouquet of fresh flowers. She was prepared this time, having bought several gifts for him, too. Heck, there’s not much they use their money on so gifting each other was the norm.They enjoyed themselves and Polly became somewhat wistful. When she found out that he’s her mate, she never had thought that they would live simpler lives. But here they are. She’s very thankful.More months passed and they had an incident one night. The men, including Jared, were called to their assigned positions. It wasn’t exactly an attack, but when the prowl
Jared frowned but bent down to accommodate his father’s request. He seemed to study his son’s face.“I can see it. You’re more at ease and there’s peace inside you. That’s a good thing.”Jared returned his smile. “It sure is.”“I wish the same for your brother. Help him out if you can.”Jared exchanged a look with James. “Not sure how, but I will.”“We’ll be fine, father.”“That’s good to hear. Be good to your mates. I’ll be seeing your mother and sister now.”Polly lightly gasped and covered her mouth. Damn. The former alpha closed his eyes and took deep breaths. Jared took her into his arms as they paid their respects.“He’s not . . . is he?” Polly couldn’t be sure. They waited a few minutes, but the brothers already knew even before James went to check.“He’s gone.” His pronouncement made Polly conflicted and uncomfortable.She looked up, observing her mate’s reaction. Jared let out a deep breath. He was frowning as he stared at his father’s serene face.James sat on a nearby chair
She found his statement to be odd but she didn’t think too much of it. She closed her eyes and fell asleep almost instantly. Jared played with her hair as he thought back to his brother’s question. Knowing James, he was probably serious. His lip twitched. Heck, it would seem like his brother didn’t want the burden. It certainly looked like he’s not enjoying it. It was absurd. His sense of responsibility was urging him to take the opportunity, but a part of him was satisfied with what he has now.Polly slept but it was a restless one. Her dreams were too bothersome, almost nightmarish. James’ words haunted her. Despite knowing more about Jared, she couldn’t be sure what he’ll decide to do.When she woke up in the morning, she was alone in the room. There’s a note on the bedside table and a tray of food. He said he’s out with his brother. Ugh. What should she do? She didn’t have the appetite so she flopped back on the bed.Jared. She can’t help but sigh as she thought of him. He has cha
He reported everything to Alpha Clyde and the alpha willingly shared what they already know about the matter.“That’s what’s frustrating about them. They come out and cause trouble, but they make sure no information about them, their plans or their locations will be divulged to others. No one knows where they reside. All we can do is be vigilant against them.”Both men sighed as they realized the depth of their problems.“You’re staying?” Alpha Clyde asked after a while.Jared raised an eyebrow. “I am. What? You don’t want me here?”The other man smirked, “I thought you’ll go back and reclaim your status.”“James offered. He said I could challenge him, but I refused. Blood Moon is no longer my pack.”“Ever thought of starting your own pack? You’re capable enough to do that.”His lip twitched. He didn’t expect the alpha to think highly of him.“I’m enjoying what I currently have, so maybe not anytime soon. I have to consider Polly’s opinion.”“True. I’ll keep you posted when we get mor
“Did you steal it?” Polly couldn’t help asking.He was speechless by her accusation. “Would I steal a baby? It’s Mikael’s baby. His wife died in childbirth this afternoon.”Polly gasped as her eyes widened. “Oh, no! Helena?”“Yeah. I offered to take care of the baby for a few days. I thought you might want to experience taking care of one 24/7 and see if you would still want a baby of your own. Frankly, I don’t want one if I would lose you to childbirth. I don’t know how I’ve forgotten about such a risk, when my mother died the same way.”His statements left her confused. He said a mouthful, but she took the baby from him when it started crying.“Mikael agreed to let you take him?” The baby quickly quieted in her arms, much to her surprise. She’s a hit and miss when it comes to babies. Some continued to cry when she tried to make them stop.“Only when I mentioned you’ll take care of it, not me.”She rolled her eyes at him before absorbing the loss of a friend. She’d seen Helena in the
The alpha king audibly sighed in exasperation. These kids! Why don’t they listen?Thankfully, Jordan didn’t react negatively. In a way, he felt relieved that he could tolerate her proximity now. He managed a smile, which she promptly returned. He looked more handsome when he smiles!When the guy Alex called showed up, Jordan tensed up again.“Just stay there for now. We’re doing an experiment.” Alex instructed.“Alright.”“You’re not looking at him.” Alex noted, wondering why the boy would display aggression.Jordan grunted, “I could very well imagine him looking this way. At her.”Alex sighed. So, the potion worked for his possessive tendencies, but not for aggression.Through the mind-link, Alex asked the other boy to move closer. Jordan growled in warning and Alex told the boy to go, thanking him for his participation.“Were you like this yesterday? It’s a wonder you haven’t brawled with anyone yet.”“The training helped in distracting me. Right now, there’s nothing to distract me.”
She sheepishly told her parents what happened and she didn’t like the look her father was giving her.“He already told you that he’s having difficulty controlling himself and you still went to corner him? What were you thinking?”She pouted as she explained, “I just wanted to see for myself what exactly he’s going through.”Alex sighed. “What would you have done if he lost control? You should be thankful he managed to stop.”“Why is it my fault? It’s his responsibility to control himself.”“But you went to him, triggering the bond further. In that sense, it was your fault.”“Still, nothing really happened. I’m fine. Why is it that he’s strongly affected by the bond? The others I’ve seen weren’t.”This time, it was her mom who replied. “It’s different for everyone. You should be glad you’re not as affected as he was.”Xandra took a deep breath. “Fine. I understand.” She’d seen it for herself, so what else can she say? She also became curious. Why is it that he’s feeling more compared t
Xandra sat on her bed. She took a deep breath before closing her eyes and doing her best to locate him within the castle. She can’t mess up and link to a random person. She’d done that before and it was mortifying.She pictured his face in her mind and called for his name. Jordan. She called him three times before receiving a reply.He frowned when he heard someone calling him, but he’s currently alone in his room. He thought maybe someone was calling from outside the door. Also, it was a girl’s voice. What’s a girl doing in the men’s dormitory?“Who is it?” Frowning, he got up and went to open the door. He saw a couple of guys further down the hallway but that was it.As he closed the door, he heard her voice again.“It’s me, Xandra. You know who I am, don’t you?”“Xandra?” He gulped, unsure if he’s hallucinating or not. They’re not mated, so how can they have a link?“Hmm, you know who I am, right?” She badly wanted his answer to that.“The younger princess.”“And?”Jordan took a de
A few years later, in the middle of the night . . .Xandra gasped as she woke up, her surroundings still shrouded in darkness. What is it? She asked in her head. She sniffed as she caught a faint scent in the air. It was faint but something she immediately recognized. Her mate! He’s here!She grinned as she hurried from her bed and went to her older sister’s room.“Kaia!” She shouted with much excitement.The older woman bolted from her bed and even managed to take out the knife she kept strapped on her thigh. Her expression was one of confusion, even so, she was ready to fight. “What?”“Do you still sleep with that thing? You’re inside the palace.”Kaia frowned, looked outside the window, and stepped off the bed. “What did you yell for?! The sun’s not even out yet!”Xandra jumped up and down in front of her. “My mate! He’s here!”“What?”“I can sense him! I think he just arrived!”Kaia grimaced. “Why are you excited? He might not even be someone you’ll like. Calm down!”Yeah, that se
The thing is . . . the guy she likes is a year younger than her. She was nervous when her eighteenth birthday came, hoping she won’t feel a mate bond towards someone else. She was both relieved and disappointed when she felt nothing, though. If he was her mate, they’ll only know when he turns eighteen. And so, they continued their training.As his birthday loomed, she couldn’t help the trepidation she’s feeling. Still, they remained close and for his part, he was somewhat excited. He already told her when his exact birthday was, as if it was important that she needed to know.“What’s this about?” Janelle accepted his invitation to hang out. The Royal Pack has a dormitory for all visiting trainees, but this guy was a nephew of the reigning royals. He has a room of his own, which was twice as big as a regular room in Red Rogues.“Your room is nice.” She commented after looking around.Austin cleared his throat. “Tomorrow’s my birthday. I’m wondering if you would care to celebrate it wit
“You fucked up.”Polly stated from behind Jared as they watched their son walking away.He sighed before facing her. “What do you think I should’ve done?”“You could’ve told him much earlier.”“It’s not as if it was a secret. Everyone knew we meant for Janelle to take over as alpha.”“He’s still young. He might have heard but he might not have taken it seriously. Still, you haven’t properly discussed this with Janelle either, have you?”“I’m waiting until she’s of age.”“Shouldn’t you do it sooner? What if she declines? You would’ve made your son upset for no reason.”Jared grunted before sighing. “Would she?”“From my observation, I don’t think she’s quite interested.”He sighed again as Polly stood next to him.“He’s as mature as his sister. And I think she understands that as they grow older, she’ll be physically weaker than him.”His lip twitched. It’s true that he initially planned it that way because he wanted to be unconventional. He wanted to show that he doesn’t care if his h
Jared was worried. He left his mate and their daughter home. Polly was sick and couldn’t come with him to the celebration. The Alpha King and Luna Queen will be officially recognized. He was reluctant to go but she convinced him that he must.“You’re an alpha now. Your presence is required.”When he didn’t look convinced, she added, “We’ll be fine here. Nothing would happen. Alex already confirmed that there are no more Lycans. No one would attack us while you’re gone. Besides, don’t you remember Luna’s words? We’ll have a son soon.”Her eyes twinkled, looking forward to having another child. She has waited for so long before they were blessed with one. The prospect of having another made her excited. She wanted to be a mother. She wanted them to have an actual family, complete with children.He sighed as he relented, “Fine. I’ll come back as soon as I can.”“I know. Try to have a little fun, Jared. The war is over. When you return, we’ll be able to focus on our own lives. I’d like to
He sighed, holding her tighter, “I’m not. I’m sorry I made you worried.”“I thought you were upset that I finally got pregnant and that you didn’t really want to have a child.” She finally aired her complaint, wanting to hear his reassurance.He seemed surprise by her assumption, “How could that be? I want this child. I want to give you everything you want, anything that would make you happy.”He bent down and gave her a long kiss, which was exceptional.“I want you to name her.” She implored him after recovering her wits.“Me?”“Yes. Please?”Damn. He’s feeling more pressure from this task than the possibility of becoming an alpha.“Wait. Her? How do you know it’s a girl?” He raised an eyebrow and looked down at her stomach. That’s a pity. He wanted to have a boy, an heir.She grinned at his reaction and knew what he must be thinking. “Luna told me. Didn’t she tell you we’ll have another child after you become an alpha? That one will be a boy so you don’t need to worry about an heir.
“It’s not about the baby. He loves you and he wants the baby as much as you do because he knew it would make you happy. I told him one other thing. Just like you, he probably didn’t believe me at first, but now that you’re pregnant, he must be thinking the other matter will also come to pass. It’s something he has already given up on, so he’s probably having a hard time accepting it again. He’ll come around. Just give him time and continue to support him. You two are made for each other. He needs you.”Polly was relieved to hear it, but she became curious, too. “What else did you tell him?”Luna pursed her lips. “It’s not my matter to say. You should hear it from him. I’m sure he would eventually tell you. Just wait a bit more. Don’t be hurt by his actions. He’s already struggling so just show him your support. You’ve done it before, right?”She gave Polly an encouraging smile and the woman was reminded by her words. Yes, she has done it before. Years ago, she told him to open up to h