RHEA
One minute, he was staring at me with darkened eyes, the next, he was right in front of me, his eyes a fiery red. He strode closer to me and I moved backwards until my back hit the wall. I had no idea what he was going to do. I could have casted a spell or something. But, I'd been caught unawares. My heart was racing in my chest and he was so close, I could perceive his minty scent. "Jaden... could you back off now? Trust me, you don't want to kiss me because we won't be getting out of the basement until the thirtieth" I said and he blinked. Planting a hand on the wall, right beside my head, he nuzzled his face against the bare skin of the crook of my neck and let out a groan. "You smell so good." I shivered, trying not to let myself get carried away. I knew he would regret it thereafter and I didn't want that to happen. So, I kneed him in the groin. He doubled over with a groan, squeezing his eyes shut. "I'm really sorry... I didn't have any choice. You were going out of control," I squeaked when he glared at me. Cursing under his breath, he turned away from me. "Put on some clothes, woman!" He growled."It wasn't my fault. You came in without a warning. Thanks for the food by the way. Do you want me to help you get rid of the pain? I can cast a spell..."He cut me off with a gruff voice. "No, thanks "Without saying anything else, he stormed up the stairs, not sparing me a glance. I blew out a breath and rubbed my forehead."That was so close," I muttered. 'You can pretend all you want, but you actually wanted more, didn't you?' said the voice in my head. I frowned, realizing something. The voice didn't feel like it was based on my subconscious thought. Infact, it felt like there was someone else in my head. Someone I hadn't noticed until now."Finally! I was waiting for you to grow some more bunch of brain cells and figure out that I actually exist!" the voice said and my frown deepened."Wait a minute, who the hell are you?" I said out loud.Whoever she was, let out an irritated huff."Gosh, for someone who thinks she's smart, you're so dumb""What?!" I breathed, annoyed. "What? Did I hurt your feelings? That's exactly how I've been feeling since I started to coexist with you! How could you not have recognized my presence?!""Hold up! Quit yelling in my head!" I snapped. She went quiet and I sighed. "You can introduce yourself now," I said, suddenly feeling drained. "My name is Crystal and I'm your wolf."My eyes widened as I processed what she'd just said. "Since when--""Since yesterday""But, you said--""Yeah, yeah... just like you, I have a knack for exaggerating things" "How? I've been waiting for you since I was a little girl. Why did you take so long? I felt really lonely growing up alone" I told her and poked the corner of my mouth with my tongue."I'm sorry. But, I couldn't come to you until the time was right""What? I don't understand? What was so special about yesterday? It was the worst day of my life. I lost everything. Is that what you consider 'right time?'" "You are so clueless. Poor you. You'll figure it out soon, I hope" she stated."Wait, if you know what's really going on? Why won't you tell me?""Now, where's the fun in that?" She sassed and I rolled my eyes. ...Three long days passed in a blur. I realized I couldn't stay in doors for two weeks. I was bored as hell and my fingers were itching to commit theft. I alternated between meditating, sleeping, eating and watching TV. It wasn't fun. On the fourth day, I climbed halfway up the basement stairs and retreated to the basement. On the fifth day, I actually got to the door leading outside the basement. But, to my horror, it was locked. Deciding not to do anything funny, I went back to the basement and curled up on my bed. On the seventh day, I curled up on the couch, wondering what Jaden would be up to by that time. I had never witnessed an Alpha in rut, I didn't know what to think. It might also interest you to know that on the seventh day, I'd run out of food. I was desperate. Nevertheless, I knew I had troubled Jaden a lot and didn't want to add to his troubles. I stared at the photo tucked by the TV, recalling how the pillow had been thrown by an invisible force, the last time I'd held that photo in my hands. I could cast a spell to summon the ghost, but I didn't have the necessary materials to do so. I started to pace again, my stomach grumbling loudly. I ended up falling asleep on the floor. The whispers were what woke me up. I slowly opened my eyes, only to see Darryl and Klaus hovering over me with worry in their eyes. "Klaus? Darryl? What are you doing down here?" I asked, muffling my yawn. They stared at me with relief on their faces. "We were afraid something had happened to you. You sleep like the dead" Darryl commented and I let out a sigh, pushing myself up to a sitting position. "Gosh, this place is a mess" Klaus said as he took in the sight of the days old emptied boxes of pizzas, bags of chips and wrappers littered on the floor. "I was going to clean them up. I'm so hungry" I groaned and Darryl chuckled. "Come on, let's get you out of here. You look like you need some fresh air and some good food" he added. "I'd like that. You guys are supposed to be in rut..." I frowned. They both exchanged amused glances and my frown deepened."Did I say something funny?" I asked and Klaus sighed. "No, you didn't. An alpha undergoes rut for seven days. But, Betas and Gammas actually don't experience rut""Oh...But, Jaden told me...""He was just messing with you. Besides, Jaden is asleep at the moment," Darryl told me, a smile playing on his lips."Oh... Is it over already?...""For this month, yeah" he responded."Does it...hurt?" I asked and they both laughed. "You should ask Jaden when you see him," Klaus suggested and I scoffed. I rose to my feet and followed them out of the basement. "You can freshen up in there. That's your new room." Darryl stated when we stopped in front of one of the rooms, upstairs."Really?" I asked, surprised. "Does Jaden approve of this?" I probed. "He personally asked us to take you to your new room," Darryl stated. Klaus handed me a white polythene bag. "Jaden also wants to apologise for his unpleasant behavior seven days ago, whatever that means," he said and I opened the bag, only to find a big cup of ice cream in it. It was also vanilla flavored, my favorite. "By the look on your face, I'm guessing... he's forgiven?" Klaus stated and I shrugged."To be honest, I was never mad at him in the first place. Either way, I appreciate this. He's just too kind," I said and pushed the door open. My jaw dropped when I took in the sight of the well furnished room. "Holy Shit," I gasped and Darryl snorted. "For some reason, Jaden is very generous to you. You should enjoy it while it lasts" "Thanks guys, I'll like to freshen up now," I said and shut the door. I exhaled slowly and wrapped my hair into a bun. This was it. I was certain that any moment from that point, I would once again encounter Jaden. I was grateful. I figured I had to make him know how grateful I was. After I'd showered and gotten dressed in a black hoodie and a pair of grey sweats, I made breakfast and ate with Darryl and Klaus. "So, how long does Jaden usually sleep after...you know..."Darryl coughed into his closed fist and Klaus rolled his eyes at his reaction. "It varies. But, I don't think he's going to wake up anytime soon. He's out like a light," he told me and I nodded slowly. There was no tension between us. We all sat in the large sitting room. Klaus was texting someone and Darryl was playing a game on his phone. I stared at the large TV screen, trying to ignore the 'itch' in my fingers. It was a miracle I hadn't stolen anything yet. At noon, Trisha visited. There was a frigid tension between the both of us. I could feel her staring at me when she thought I wasn't watching her. It was annoying. I wanted her to throw a pillow or yell at me. Anything, but stare at me. "Jaden's not awake yet?" She asked Klaus who grunted in response. "Why on Earth is she still here?" I heard her whisper to Darryl who flipped her off and continued playing his games. Just when I parted my lips to say something, I heard footsteps heading downstairs. We all looked up. Sure enough, Jaden was descending the stairs. He was wearing a loose black shirt and a pair of track pants. He headed straight for the kitchen, probably to pour himself a glass of water or get himself some food. He ascended the stairs after some minutes. As soon as he disappeared from sight, Darryl, Trisha and Klaus went upstairs one after the other. Weirdly, I felt left out. So, I sneaked upstairs and followed the sound of their voices to what seemed to be Jaden's study. I didn't come close enough, knowing that they would sense my presence if I did. With my heightened senses, I could hear them completely."You're kidding, right? There's no way that woman downstairs is your mate." "She has a name, Trisha," Jaden said, coldly."Wow, this is why you're so generous to her. But, why haven't you told her?" Darryl asked and Jaden sighed. "I have doubts, Darryl."I stiffened, feeling like my heart was going to explode in my chest. 'I am Jaden's mate?!' I thought, shocked by the truth I'd just uncovered.RHEA The door to Jaden's study was suddenly pushed open and there stood Jaden. His expression was blank and his eyes were cold. "You're not supposed to be eavesdropping, Rhea" he stated and I stared at him, gobsmacked. I let out a bitter chuckle, unable to believe my ears. "I'm not supposed to be eavesdropping? Am I supposed to find out that I'm your mate this way? No, wait... were you ever going to tell me about it?" I questioned."Rhea" Jayden warned and I stared at him incredulously."So, what? Are you going to reject me? I didn't choose to be your mate!" I hissed.He started to move towards me until he was right in front of me and despite the fact that my wolf was ranting about how gorgeous he was, I was annoyed. "If rejecting you will make things easier for us, then yes I will!" He growled and I clenched my fists, my temper flaring. "What are you going to do about it?" He demanded. It was clear that he didn't want me. Why would he? I was reminded of the horrible fact tha
JADEN It wasn't so hard to trace Rhea through her scent, especially after shifting. I had switched to invisible form in order to avoid revealing myself to a human. I wasn't like most werewolves. Since I was a demon wolf, I was larger than an average wolf. My fur was the color of the night and had a few silver stripes. My senses were several times heightened, compared to that of an average alpha and I was much faster. 'We can smell her. She's close by' Klaus said through the mindlink. I'd asked Klaus and Darryl to join me. Trisha was to look after the park while I was out. I had a feeling that Rhea had landed herself in trouble. While I strode down the alley, a couple of wolves suddenly began to run towards me. I knew they couldn't see me, but their movements made me curious. I growled when I got a whiff of their scents. I was quite familiar with those scents. They had once been a part of my father's pack. But, they had joined my brother's pack. I had the strong urge to rip the
ZADEN Anger boiled in my veins as I stared at my Gamma and his epsilons. They were standing in front of me with their heads bowed."A woman single handedly stole from my pack and I asked you to find her and bring her to me. Now, you're telling me that you failed!" I raged. "We apologise, Alpha. She had some help," my Gamma stated with his head lowered.My frown deepened."What do you mean by that?""Two werewolves came to her rescue. Cal had subdued her, but an invisible creature ripped him apart.""Which pack do the werewolves belong to?" I asked Aaron who was the Gamma of my pack."They are a considerably small pack which is headed by Klaus," he responded. I was surprised by this."Klaus, Jaden's former Beta is heading a pack? Why don't I know about this?" I demanded."The pack consists of only ten pack members and they are weak. Besides, Klaus has never attended the meeting of Alphas with the Alpha king because his pack has less than fifteen members," he explained."This d
ZADEN My Beta stood beside me with a grim look on his face. We were both standing in front of what seemed to be a packhouse. It was large for a pack with less than twenty members. There was a large gate separating the outside from the inside. I could perceive the scents of the werewolves, but they seemed to be more than twenty. Something fishy was going on there. The gate opened just before I could knock. A young Japanese woman with startling red hair stepped out. She was wearing a white T-shirt and a blue denim jumper. She was also wearing a pair of white sneakers. Her scent was definitely not that of a werewolf. I wondered if she was the woman who had caused so much ruckus already. She stared at me for a moment. Then, her gaze drifted and rested on the rest of my pack members who'd accompanied me.'Is she the witch?' I asked my Beta through the mindlink.'Certainly not, Alpha' he responded"Can I help you?" the Japanese woman finally said, a blank look on her face."I'm here
RHEA Pacing back and forth in the sitting room of Jaden's home was making me more anxious and no matter how much I tried not to think negatively, the thoughts continued to swam my mind. I didn't know where Jaden had gone to. But, whatever business he'd gone to attend to, had seemed both important and intense, judging from his statements.I didn't know a lot about Jaden, but I couldn't help but worry. Maybe, it was the mate bond making me feel like that. I sat down on the couch and stared at the TV. Still, I couldn't concentrate.My eyes widened when the door opened and Jaden walked in, his facial features expressionless. He ignored me and walked right past me. I glared at his retreating figure and let out an irritated huff. Then, I patted my cheeks and let out a sigh.'What on Earth are you doing, Rhea? Why are you trying to get his attention? He doesn't even want you' I thought.The door opened and Trisha walked in. She ignored me and went upstairs."Jaden?!" She called out an
JADEN Was I really going to do what she'd asked? She'd sounded so sure that I was going to show up at the dining room and have dinner with her. I wondered what motive she had in mind, especially since she was more complicated than I thought. Or maybe, she wasn't. Maybe, this was her personality. A part of me wanted to know her and the other part of me? Not so much. My stomach grumbled and I let out a sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose. 'Come on, Jaden. It's clear that you're starving. It can't be so bad to hang out with our mate. Mother Selene wouldn't have made a mistake in choosing her as our mate' Tarus stated and I leaned back on my seat, rubbing my jaw. He had a point there. 'You can't be afraid of losing her. You're no longer a weak nineteen year old werewolf. You are a demon wolf and you are more than capable of protecting your mate' Tarus added. He was right. Deep down, I wasn't scared. I'd made myself believe that I was avoiding starting a relationship with Rhea bec
JADEN She was lost in thoughts and was no longer listening to me. If I were her, I would do the same. There was no way I wouldn't have seen what she'd seen. She could have been hallucinating. Still, it didn't make a lot of sense. Her wolf had been triggered as well. There had to be some sort of explanation for what had just happened. Rhea stared at her claws, a confused look on her face. Her eyes were no longer grey. One of them was forest green and the other was a very light blue. Her eyes were beautiful. "I've always wanted to have a wolf. But, now.... I'm so confused. I have no idea what I'm doing, Jaden. What's happening to me? I don't understand..." She said and I placed a hand on her shoulder to get her to calm down. She was already panicking so much already. "Take a deep breath," I said and she closed her eyes, inhaling deeply. "Now, relax." She opened her eyes and exhaled slowly. Her eyes had returned to their usual color. She stared at the ground, her shoulders sl
JADEN All eyes were on me as I made my way towards one of the unoccupied chairs in the royal court room. I could feel Zaden's burning gaze at the back of my head, but it didn't bother me. The Alpha King's seat was unoccupied and a few Alphas were yet to arrive, including Matthias.'He's annoying. I want to punch the hell out of him right now' Klaus said to me from his position beside me. 'You're not the only one who wants to do that. But, we can't do that here. You have to pull yourself together, Klaus' I said through the mindlink. Matthias walked in with his Beta, Carl. Then, he approached me and shook hands with me. "Good to see you again, Jaden" he said with a smile. "Good to see you too, Matthias" I responded. He took his seat opposite me. Zaden glared at me, but I remained stoic. After a few more minutes, the chairs were all occupied. All except the Alpha King's Seat. When he finally walked in, we all stood up. The Alpha King of the South had ascended the throne at the