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.Jade had been traveling in his wolf form since the sun crawled out of the horizon. He travelled during the night and camped during the day, taking short naps in secluded areas before continuing his journey.He had arrived at Northville that morning and was looking for a place to camp in the forest when he heard her scream for help.The moment he heard it, memories of his mother's murder flashed in his mind. He hadn't been able to save his mother from being killed with the poisoned dagger. He hadn't been there to protect her.Now was an opportunity for him to allay a bit of the guilt he was feeling. With a vicious snarl, he shifted smoothly into his human form and raced through the trees, following the sound of the female's screams. Suddenly her scent hit him and almost made him lose concentration. It was the smell of the wild forest. Not the forest around him, but something richer and sweeter. Something that called to the beast within him.It couldn't be, he thought.With renewed v
Kalista felt her face turn hot with a blush at his words. She carefully released his hand and tucked her hair behind her ear, keeping her eyes averted.Jade who didn't like the sudden distance between them moved closer to her and slipped his arm around her waist.Kalista stared up at him in surprise and was about to push him away when he backed her up against a large oak tree. The weirdest thing was, she didn't feel cornered or repulsed. She wanted his arms around her. She wanted to feel the texture of his lips.Jade watched as her eyes trailed to his lips and he knew she could feel the pull he felt. She didn't just understand it yet."I mean it, Kalista",he whispered to her. "You're the most beautiful woman I've ever come across"And you're my mate.He said the remaining words in his mind. He wished he could tell her what he was, and what she meant to him. But it wasn't the right time yet."But... you just met me",Kalista whispered and she closed her eyes when she felt his arm tighte
Kalista let out a loud gasp and she scrambled to her feet."Killian!",she shrieked, putting herself in front of Jade in case he tried to retaliate.Jade had gone totally still after Killian's fist connected with his jaw. His eyes flickered dangerously and he shut it quickly before anyone could see how red it was.A small crowd gathered around them, mainly from the shops around the alley. Men shouted questions, demanding to know what went wrong. Kalista kept repeating what happened to the men, saying over and over again that Killian had attacked the gentleman Jade without any reason. Some of the women scolded Killian sharply because most of them knew how arrogant and rude he was.But in all this that was happening, Jade remained eeriely still with his eyes shut. His hands slowly closed into tight fists, the knuckles so white with the amount of pressure he exerted. He felt a stir within him, a sign that his beast was on the brink of tearing out. He sniffed, marking out Killian's scen
"Don't leave"Kalista felt her heart skip at the sound of his voice and his touch, and she shivered when she felt the familiar sparks tingle her body.Slowly she turned around and raised her head until she was staring into his eyes."What?",she whispered."Don't leave",Jade repeated and his arms tightened around her waist. "I don't want you to leave"As much as she tried to deny it, Kalista didn't want to leave. She wanted to stay with him. She wanted him to stare at her continuously like he was doing now, in a way that made her feel like she was the most important thing in the world to him."I...",she stuttered. "I can't stay""Why not?",Jade asked calmly.Why couldn't she stay? Kalista didn't have a perfect reason why she couldn't stay. Her thoughts were scattered.All the scattered thoughts in her mind suddenly disappeared when Jade lowered his head and kissed her.Fireworks exploded behind her closed eyelids and she sucked in a sharp breath. She didn't know when she began to kiss
Kalista rushed up the path that led to her home and knocked wildly on the door. "Mother",she called frantically, her voice shaking with fear. She stole a glance behind her, her eyes searching the dark forest."Mother, open the door",she cried and pounded on the door desperately.The door was yanked open and her mother stepped outside holding a lit lantern. She was a petite woman with a mop of light brown hair and brown eyes."Kalista, dear child. You will give me a heart attack someday",she quickly placed her arm around Kalista's shoulder and led her inside the cozy cottage. Kalista stepped into the warm living room and made her way straight to her room. The smell of baked bread and roasted beef wafted through the entire cottage, making her stomach growl hungrily, but that was the least thing bothering her that moment.She still couldn't fathom what she just experienced in the woods.Without saying a word to her mother, she stepped into her room and shut the door.Making her way tow
Kalista's heart shattered as she gazed upon her mother's trembling body, as if someone had stabbed and shredded her heart into pieces. Unaware of the burst of blue energy emanating from her body and shooting skyward, she fell to her knees and crawled toward Maria."Mother!" she screamed in agony. Her hands trembled violently as they hovered over the bloody claw wound on her mother's face.Her cries intensified as she delicately cradled her mother's head in her lap. Thunder roared, lightning bolts zigzagged across the night sky, and the moon appeared to boil in anger, its silvery glow intertwining with the blue light.Maria struggled to open her eyes, tears blurring her vision as the realization of her impending death set in. Kalista's face appeared hazy as she stared up at her and attempted to speak."Ka... Kalista..." she sputtered, blood dripping from the corner of her mouth."I'm here," Kalista whispered, closing her eyes as tears streamed down her cheeks. She grasped Maria's hand
Confusion intertwined with concern as Jade struggled to comprehend the significance of the startling revelation. Meanwhile, Kalista instinctively clutched her bleeding shoulder, wary of the white beast even though it appeared to have a protective inclination towards her. She couldn't afford to let her guard down.Unbeknownst to her, her wound slowly closed, healing instantaneously as if time itself had reversed.Jade, observing her wound heal, found his suspicions confirmed. Kalista wasn't merely human as he had presumed. The question now remained: What was she? And why did the persistent blue glow persist around her, even in the absence of the Soul Gem?Amidst his overwhelming confusion, Jade's instincts implored him to safeguard her and remain by her side. The thief who coveted the gem might return, and there was no telling if he would succeed in harming her.After an internal struggle, Jade made his decision. He approached Kalista slowly, allowing his lycan form to recede, revealin
Alpha Xerxes paced restlessly within the confines of his chambers, his countenance etched with worry and fear. On the grand bed, a tray of delectable dishes remained untouched, a stark reminder of his preoccupied mind. Even the occasional rumble of thunder failed to capture his attention, for his thoughts were consumed elsewhere.His concerns centered on his son, Jade, who had embarked on a perilous journey a year ago in pursuit of the Soul Gem and to avenge Izabelle's tragic demise. Yet, since his departure, there had been no word from him, leaving Alpha Xerxes in astate of agonizing uncertainty. He could not fathom what might have befallen his son, and the absence of communication intensified his apprehension.However, as soon as the thought crossed his mind, Alpha Xerxes shook his head, admonishing himself for succumbing to needless worry. He knew the mettle of his son, having personally trained Jade from a tender age. The warrior within him was strong and resilient.But still, wh