Oh my... The plot thickens my lovelies ^^ Thoughts? Much love, Larose Semsem
Alex’s pov: Camelia had agreed to help the pack, and had settled yesterday in a cabin near the lake. The fridge was full, and she would lack for nothing while she stayed at the pack. When I met her in the morning, after exchanging greetings, she said in passing, “I am not doing this for the pack, Xander.” Her words, which should have shaken me up a little, only brought a smile to my face. This was Camelia we were talking about. She used to be a dear friend, up till the moment she awakened her powers as a witch – which we hadn’t even known she possessed at the time. Indeed, upon losing her parents at the age of 2, she had been adopted by a human couple, and had lived as such till the age of 17 when she came into her powers. “Don’t be like that, Cami,” I told her with an easy smile, shaking my head gently in mild disapproval. The pack members wouldn’t like her words, and neither would Jade. A faint smile appeared on her face before she said softly, “I met your mate yesterday.” “
Jade’s pov:Meet me at the training grounds at 8 pm.I reread Eli’s text as I headed there. I didn’t bother telling Alex, or anyone for that matter, since I would still be on pack land technically… Even though they were rather adamant about their need to know everything about my whereabouts.But then again, Alex and the witch were busy trying to understand what happened exactly… And facing the woman wasn’t on my agenda if I were to be honest. I was far too jealous and far too reckless at times. I didn’t trust myself around her… She seemed to bring out the worst in me.I reached the training grounds at 7:55, and seeing no one around, I naturally began to train. Over half an hour passed, and still Eli was a no-show. I decided to text him at that, “Calling it a night. You should have told me you would be running late.”I was about ready to head back to the packhouse when a twig snapped from behind me, before everything came to a still.I knew at once that this couldn’t be Eli as he never
Alex’s pov: My mate was what would no doubt get me gray hairs. Indeed, my sweet, beloved luna seemingly went out of her way to get in trouble… or could it be that it was trouble which found her each time? She and Eli returned just as I was about to send Trevor and Luc after her, and go out to find her myself. But she didn’t return empty-handed. On the contrary, Eli was holding an unconscious Sasha like one would a sack of potatoes. I raised an eyebrow at the sight, my disbelief breaking through my poker face, even as Luc repressed a chuckle. I shot my beta a look and mind-linked him briefly, “Don’t encourage her.” “I would never,” he retorted but I could sense the sarcasm behind his words. “Did you get my voicemail, Alex?” Jade, the only one who basically called me Alex, let out in a sweetly triumphant tone of voice. “I didn’t check my phone,” I shook my head negatively. She sighed a little bit dramatically, and muttered something under her breath, “Not only are you too busy fo
Jade’s pov: Leave it to the damned witch to interrupt just as Alex and I were ready to reconcile. My wolf began to grow angsty, pacing in my head, making me itch for a fight – as if Sasha hadn’t been enough. Hell, I even had to bite on the inside of my cheek, so as to keep myself from growling in displeasure at the mere sight of her. Admittedly, her scent too wasn’t one I liked – and not just because I didn’t care for her. It was actually too rich in jasmine, and a little bit overwhelming if the shoe fit. Alex sat on his chair. And I, being too petty to go down without a fight, and way too stubborn to actually leave, sat on his lap. As to be expected, Alex didn’t object. On the contrary he trapped my waist between his arms, and I felt like I belonged there. For a split-second, the woman showed her true colors – through the narrowing of her eyes and the purse of her lips – but I blinked, and it was gone. I might be slightly obsessed when it came to my mate, but I wasn’t one to s
Alex’s pov: It was close to 6 pm when Alpha Kade arrived. He came with his third-in-command and a couple of warriors. And he was the first one out of the two allies. Jade was slightly stiff, as she stood next to me, while we welcomed him onto our land. His hazel eyes weren’t guarded, as I would have expected them to be. On the contrary, he sported an easy smile and gave me a sideways hug. “Always been a hugger,” I let out teasingly. “It is good to see you, alpha Alexander,” he began in a nostalgic tone of voice, before focusing his gaze on my beautiful mate, “You must be his Luna.” “I am indeed,” she offered him a little bit of an awkward smile. “Welcome to the pack.” “Thank you,” he said, observing her for a moment longer than I appreciated, before telling me, “You’re in quite the situation, Xander.” “Let’s take this to my office,” I said at once with a small smile. His third-in-command followed us to the office whereas Jade, Eli and Tyler spoke to the warriors, who were han
Jade’s pov: The alphas and their convoy stayed for a couple of days, during which Alex barely had time to breathe. Naturally, Luc had a lot on his plate as well. And since Trevor wasn’t around, Eli and Tyler had been given the task to look after me. I truly felt like a precious doll made of the finest porcelain. And though I liked being cherished by Alex, I didn’t feel comfortable having so many people look after me… But it was what it was, especially considering I was a late bloomer – when it came to getting a wolf at least. “How stubborn can you be, J?” Eli clicked his tongue in disapproval as he caught sight of me in the training grounds, alone, when it was barely past sunset. Tyler’s comment was more understanding, “Even if you need time alone to think, you could have us around, not too far away?” “I didn’t want to trouble you,” I said on a sigh before hitting the dummy one last time. “Jade,” Eli began in earnest, and I looked in his direction at once, “I know that you might
Jade’s pov: There was nothing quite as disheartening as having an argument with one’s significant other. Though if I were to be honest, I wasn’t even sure how it escalated that quickly. The visiting alphas had left while I was on the training grounds, and for that I was glad… I felt like I could breathe more easily without being the main attraction. I could be myself around the pack, no matter if I trusted everyone or not. I knew that my dad was on patrol duty tonight but mom wasn’t. I mind-linked her at once, “Where are you, mom?” “Your father’s out on patrol duty but I am in our room,” she told me without delay, almost as if sensing my urgency. “I am coming,” I told her in a soft tone. The moment I caught sight of her, sitting on the bed, waiting for me, tears fell down my eyes. “Oh, Jade, sweetheart, what’s wrong?” She cooed as she rose to her feet, and hugged me at once. I shook my head negatively and merely nuzzled her, needing the comfort only she could give me. When I
Alex’s pov: The way Jade stiffened in my lap for a moment, before she burst out in tears was worrying me. She appeared to be in shock – though it was understandable. “You don’t mean that, Luc. That can’t be. It has to be a mistake,” she was telling him frantically in between tears. She then shot out of my lap before I could hold her, and went to Luc, “This isn’t a good joke, Luc…” She shook him and he allowed her to do as she pleased. Her sorrow was almost suffocating me, and yet there was nothing I could do but simply be around for her – for as long as she would need me. “It’s not a joke, Jade,” he said in a hushed bleak tone of voice. “I am so sorry for your loss.” She was startled back and let his hand go as if the very small skin contact burnt her deeply. “But dad was such a strong warrior,” she objected. “How could it be? How did it happen?” “The patrollers were outnumbered, but had the attack covered efficiently for a moment. Then, one of the rogues went for Silas, and
Alex’s pov:Soon, I was holding Jade in my arms, bridal style, while following a servant to the hallway where her room was located. Paulina had said she would probably come to on her own, and there was therefore no need to panic. Lucille, Jade’s mother, was led to the clinic, almost against her will, but I naturally sent Cole with her. I couldn’t bring myself to relax around them now that I knew they tried to hurt my mate.Paulina’s little replica, whose name I believed to be Anna, was adamant about staying with Jade, and Paulina had trouble convincing her to go to their room.“It’s okay,” I soon told Paulina. “She’s just a kid.”“Are you sure?” She asked, tilting her head to the side.“Positive.” I assured her with a small smile.“I will be in the room across from this one then,” she declared with a nod.I placed Jade on the bed softly, and seeing the sereine look on her face, I reasoned that she wasn’t in any pain.Anna stayed by the end of the bed, her eyes locked onto Jade’s face,
Alex’s pov:My worry became my fuel as I fought off the guards with barely contained anger. I couldn’t allow myself to be consumed with fury, as I feared I would lose control, which would prove lethal.My wolf could tell that the danger was real, and recognized the witch and her daughter as people who needed our protection, in addition to Jade and Lucille – Jade’s mother – naturally.There was no doubt in my mind that there would be consequences to today’s chaos, but chances were that the Alpha King would not condemn his mother. The queen had naturally retreated along with her servants, and I was left to fend off the attackers.The guards were strong, almost as strong as Trevor, and they knew how to fight in a group, their movements in sync… But I was an Alpha, one of the strongest of the country, and this was my family they were threatening to harm.Even though the territory was foreign, I got the upper hand before long, and they laid wounded and passed out on the soil of the forest.
Jade’s pov: To say the queen was livid, as she saw the guards’ futile attempts at getting through to us, would be the understatement of the century. But truth be told, I couldn’t be bothered with her at the moment. She was just a deranged woman among many, and though there would be no helping her, I knew my time here was up. The guards were stopped by the barrier. Despite all their efforts to get to us, they couldn’t… But I wasn’t sure how long said barrier would last. Paulina was already beginning to pale, as it seemed to drain her of energy. They kept urging us to drop the barrier so we could talk, but we weren’t stupid enough to do as they said. Before long, Anna grabbed my hand and said in a timid voice, “Repeat after me.” I trusted the little girl enough to do as she said, and repeated the Latin words she chanted. And just as Paulina’s barrier was about to give way, another one sprung up. “You put a barrier in place?” Paulina let out in an incredulous tone of voice. She wa
Jade’s pov:The old hag was approaching us on steady steps, unmistakable greed and murder in her eyes, followed by two servants whom I had seen around before. There was no denying that she knew what Anna had told me earlier… If not, why would she be here in the forest, a place she had not stepped into ever since I began training here? She stopped at a distance from us and offered us a yellow, toothy smile, which was predatory at best, and which had the knack to send shivers running down my spine. The woman was dangerous, and I knew that from day 1. “Hello, Judy,” she greeted me in her mellow voice which always grated on my nerves. “It’s Jade, your highness,” I corrected her without batting an eye, knowing full well she was doing it on purpose. “I heard the news,” she let out without so much as a preamble, a devious glint appearing in her eyes. “Congratulations are in order, I guess.” I let out a crisp “Thank you” in response, because I was brought up well, and couldn’t be inso
Jade’s pov:2 weeks into the training, and I started having a good grasp of the concept, which up till now had been totally foreign to me. Annabelle’s diaries definitely hadn’t covered much… but then again, she must have only jotted down what she knew of, what she experienced. “Your wolf is here to guide you,” Paulina never failed to remind me. “Trust her but don’t let your instincts take over. Remember that you have witch blood in your veins. And witchcraft is all about giving something, in return for something else.” According to her – and I could only trust her since the Alpha King himself trusted her – being a born healer meant I was a wolf but also a witch. Having grown up in a pack, it was only natural that the wolf manifested first. Sometimes, the witch side of a healer could stay dormant for years. Mine was triggered because of my emotions. I didn’t understand the specifics of how this gene was passed down to me, but Paulina told me I was a light witch – all born healers we
Jade’s pov:My call with Alex was brief because I told him I was tired. My beloved mate didn’t hesitate to tell me to lay down and get some rest. Truth be told, I was more worried I would break down crying on the phone, because of how I missed him already.I wrung my hands together, almost painfully so, the longing almost too much to bear. From the day we found out about Jessica’s betrayal, we barely had time to ourselves.I sighed as I remembered my dad’s passing, and had a hard time keeping a positive outlook on everything going on.There was a knock on the door just as I was about to step into the bathroom for a quick shower. I sensed a werewolf, and my sense of smell told me it was mom.I didn’t think twice of it and went to get the door.“How’s the room?” She asked in a sweet albeit curious tone of voice. “Are you well settled?”“See for yourself,” was my answer as I let her in.She closed the door behind her, and soon sat on the edge of the bed, typing on her phone, before showi
Jade’s pov: The servants looked at us with something akin to puzzlement, as mom and I walked behind the man who had brought us here. The driver followed us with our luggages trailing behind him. We might not be real guests, but they were treating us rather well. The man, who was just as impossible to read as the building was austere, turned out to be the gamma, for he had been greeted with great respect a couple of times already – Gamma Spencer, they called him. He led us to what appeared to be the dining room, where the one I recognized as the beta was sitting at a big table, a laptop in front of him. It was eerily silent, and one could almost hear a needle drop. He focused his gaze on us after a beat, his expression still that of a bored man who couldn’t care less about us. I couldn’t help but find him a tad bit haughty, and I hated overly confident people with a passion that had for only equal my hatred for liars. “Beta Marc,” the gamma let out in greetings, “As per his high
Jade’s pov:It was only when the car began to move, and I believed that Alex wouldn’t be able to catch my expression, that I began to sob – hard… as pathetic as that might sound. Mom patted my back a few times and told me sweet, soothing nothings, and that seemed to do the trick, for I soon quietened down a notch. Admittedly, my wolf was excited at the prospect of training, but also sad because of this forced separation, and that didn’t help. Nevertheless, she still found it in her to say, “Easy sweetheart. Don’t forget you’re pregnant, and these mood swings affect the baby.” That had the knack to make me calm down completely. I needed to see this training as nothing but a task I needed to complete, in order to stand proudly next to my beloved mate. It was the only way this whole ordeal would be more bearable. But then again, I knew that I would soon be so busy, I wouldn’t have much time to lament… and I was looking forward to it. For this wasn’t me, and I hated being a crybaby.
Alex’s pov: Jade was leaving today. She had a sad smile plastered on her face, and I knew I couldn’t show her just how affected I would no doubt be by the separation. I schooled my expression into a neutral one, hoping it would convince her the way I wasn’t that everything would be okay. Her mother was sitting by her side on a bench, in the gardens of the pack house, and her presence alone seemed to be the reason why Jade still had it together. I hated that I couldn’t do anything to prevent this from happening. And I hated how powerless this made me feel. I felt unworthy of my title as alpha, of my role as the protector and provider, especially when I recalled the whole Camelia fiasco. Speaking of Camelia, she had been sent to her coven, with a letter which explained her transgression, and the leftover cookie which could explain everything. She was no longer my problem. And though it saddened me that we couldn’t be friends as we used to, her betrayal stung more than it probably sho