3: Chased and Saved

Alpha Xerxes stared at his son, then at the dagger Jade showed him.

"Who?",he grounded out.

"Someone from the kingdom of Northville",Jade said. "It has the symbol of Northville"

"An arrow in the sky",Apollo noticed the symbol.

"A mere human had the guts to break into Hayden, kill my mate and steal the Gem?",Alpha Xerxes voiced out in an eerie cold voice. There was an underlying tone of rage in his voice.

"I don't think a human did this, father",Jade said in anger. "Yes, it has the symbol of the humans but I think someone used it to cover their tracks"

"What do you mean?",Apollo frowned.

"I mean, we have a traitor in our midst",Jade broke the news. "Only the shifters know of this powerful Gem and where to find it. The humans do not know of our existence, and they do not know of the Soul Gem"

"You are right",Apollo agreed, finally understanding what Jade was trying to explain. "Whoever committed this atrocity has a connection with Northville. We must find him and make him pay for his crimes"

"We must retrieve the Soul Gem, father",Jade addressed Alpha Xerxes. "We can't afford to let that Gem fall into the wrong hands"

Alpha Xerxes slowly rose, holding his mate gently in his arms. Without another word, he marched out of the cave, closely followed by Jade, Apollo and the guards.

He didn't stop until he got to his throne where the people of Hayden had gathered. A hushed silence fell on the crowd as they watched their Supreme Alpha walk in, holding the dead Luna in his arms.

He carefully placed Izabelle's body on the throne and he backed away from her. He turned and faced the crowd of lycans before him. His eyes remained red, a sign of his beast prowling about in his head, itching to be sef free.

"People of Hayden",he began in a powerful voice. "You all have heard the dreadful news. My mate, your Supreme Luna was murdered in cold blood, and the Soul Gem stolen"

The crowd gasped and murmured within themselves. They were shocked at the death of the queen, but what amazed them was the disappearance of the Soul Gem. The Gem was like a life force to Hayden. Without that Gem, the kingdom of the lycanthropes would be ruined.

"Therefore, I will set out from Hayden and journey to the land of the humans",Alpha Xerxes continued and his voice rose higher in anger. "I will find my mate's murderer, I will unleash my wrath, and I will bring back the Soul Gem..."

Jade suddenly stepped forward and went down on one knee before his father.

"Jade?",Alpha Xerxes was clearly confused. "What are you doing?"

"Father, I beg you",Jade pleaded. "It is unheard of, for the Alpha of a kingdom to leave his throne. It would send the wrong message out. Let me go instead"

He raised his head and stared into his father's eyes, eyes so identical to his own. "I swear on my life, I will return with the Soul Gem. I will avenge mother's death"

Alpha Xerxes stared at his son in silence for a long while. Even the crowd went silent as they awaited their Supreme Alpha's final verdict.

"Very well, Jade",Alpha Xerxes nodded finally. "Show no mercy when you find the murderers responsible, Jade. Make them pay for what they did"

...

A year later.

The human realm, Kingdom Of Northville.

...

The sun slowly rose from the eastern horizon and brightened the magnificent city of Northville, welcoming its citizens to a brand new day.

At the edge of the kingdom, hidden among the wild flowers and surrounded by the forest of the willows was a fancy cottage.

The front door of the cottage swung open and a white haired young woman stepped outside, holding a basket of grains.

"Kalista, don't forget to feed the chickens",a female voice called from within the cottage.

"Yes, mother",Kalista responded and twirled her way towards the metal cage behind the cottage. She hummed to herself along the way, holding up her dress and skipping lightly.

"Good morning, my little feathered friends",she smiled warmly as she got to the cage and crouched before it. She carefully tipped the basket she held and poured out the grains into the feeder.

"Don't rush, there's enough for everyone",she chuckled when the chickens all scrambled towards the feeder in a bid to peck at the grains.

Next she refilled the trolley of water with fresh water for the chickens.

Her morning chores done, she walked back to the cottage and hung the basket on a peg outside the window.

"I'm off to the dress shop, mother",she called from the front door.

"Be careful",her mother responded from somewhere inside the cottage. "And be home in time for lunch"

"I will",Kalista yelled back and hitched her dress up so she could walk freely.

The path to the town square was paved with brown bricks and it went through the forest of the willows.

Kalista breathed in deeply, savoring the sweet smell of the forest and wild flowers surrounding her. The forest was her second home.

As she walked at a brisk pace towards the market square at the other side of the forest, something caught her attention.

A glow from the left corner of her eyes.

She turned and true enough, there was a bright blue glow emitting from the side of the forest, where there was no path.

Suddenly curious, Kalista stepped away from the path and ventured deeper into the forest, keeping her eyes on the blue glow that seemed to call to her.

To her utmost surprise, it was a glowing blue gem. Kalista knelt carefully on the ground, scrutinizing the strange object before her.

Its blue glow was almost blinding. It was shaped like a pentagram and almost buried inside the earth. There was a certain coldness that radiated from it and it pulled Kalista in, the glow illuminating her gray eyes.

As if in a trance, Kalista reached out and gently picked up the gem, staring at it in wonder. Never had she seen something as strange and beautiful as it, and she wondered if someone had been trying to hide it by burying it in the ground.

Suddenly the glow from the gem brightened and Kalista had to shut her eyes against the harsh brightness. She gasped when she felt the gem pulse in her hands and became hot.

Before she could hastily drop it, the blue glow burst forth and struck her in the chest.

Kalista felt her body fly back through the air and crash on the ground a few meters away. With her beating heart lodged in her throat, she scrambled up to her feet and hastily pulled down the neckline of her dress, searching frantically for any wound.

Right above the beating of her heart, there was a blue mark shaped like a pentagram. It pulsed for a few seconds before slowly disappearing into her body.

"What?",Kalista whispered in shock and confusion. Did the glow from that strange gem just disappear into her body?

She didn't get the chance to answer her own question because the next thing she heard was the snap of a twig.

Her head jerked upwards and she saw a man emerge from the forest and make his way towards where the gem lay. He had on a long black cloak with his face hidden underneath the hood.

The man froze the moment he got to the spot where he had buried the gem. It was gone. He raised his head sharply and glared at the girl before him.

Kalista couldn't see his face, but she felt the fury of his gaze when he looked up at her.

"What have you done?",he asked in a raspy voice, taking slow steps towards her.

Kalista began to retreat as he approached her. His aura was both dangerous and her instincts screamed at her to run.

"Where is the Soul Gem?",the man snarled at her in a furious voice when she didn't give him the answer he needed.

Soul Gem?

It was then that Kalista understood what he meant. The strange gem belonged to him. She slowly looked down at the glowing pentagram in her hand. She couldn't let him know that the glow had disappeared into her body.

She came to the conclusion the same time the man roared at her.

"YOU WITCH! GIVE ME THE GEM! NOW!"

Momentarily shocked, Kalista dropped the gem, whirled around and broke into a run.

Her heart hammered in her ears as she tried her best to escape without tripping on the hem of her long dress. She could hear the heavy footsteps of the man chasing after her.

Why didn't he just take his gem and go away?

"HELP!",she screamed out shrilly, hoping someone close by would hear her.

"HELP ME!",she screamed out in fear again.

"I'll kill you, you witch",the man snarled and stretched out his gloved hand to grab her hair and yank her back.

Suddenly Kalista felt someone grab her and pull her away from the path of her chaser.

She held on for dear life as strong arms encircled her and sweep her off her feet, saving her momentarily from the mad man chasing her.

She looked up sharply at her savior and her eyes came in contact with the most mesmerizing brown eyes she had ever seen.