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 vigor, he charged through the surrounding bushes and pulled the young white haired girl into his arms just as her chaser tried to grab her.He turned away from the path and stood on the other side, saving her from the maniac that was chasing her.The moment his eyes met hers, he knew within himself that she was the one.His mate.The girl stared up at him in shock, her grey eyes captivating him totally. She appeared as stunned as he was, especially when the sparks of the mate bond coursed through them as their bodies made contact."Mine",Jade whispered huskily.Kalista stared up at the handsome man who had just saved her. His hair was identical to hers, as white as snow, reaching below the collars of the cloak he wore.His eyes were what hypnotized her. A rich honey brown that seemed to stare deep into her soul. His scent was maddening, a rich mixture of pine wood and leather. The strong arms that held her close bunched as he leaned in closer to her and whispered, his lips hovering over hers."Mine"Who was this man?,she wondered, unable to break her gaze from his. Why did she feel such strong pull to him? And what were these delicious tingles that danced up her skin?The short intimate moment between them was rudely cut short when Jade suddenly jerked his head upwards and his eyes glared at the man that had been chasing her."Do you know him?",he asked in a cold deep voice.Kalista felt her heart flutter at the concern in his voice. He was still holding her close, with no sign of dropping her."I...",she moistened her lips and continued. "I don't. I was walking through the forest when he suddenly chased me"Jade slowly set her down and pushed her behind him. He sniffed once and realized instantly that the man who chased her wasn't human.He was a shifter.The man stared right back at Jade with a scowl marring his hideous face. His lips curled up into a vicious smirk.[Seeing you protect her this way only means one thing, Alpha Jade],he spoke through the mind link.Jade's frown deepened. This man knew who he was.[She is your mate],the man continued, and he grinned sickly. [This will only make me enjoy killing her][You will do no such thing],Jade growled. He calculated his moves. He couldn't shift in front of his mate and give away his real identity. He would have to attack in his human form, and that would slow him down.The man seemed to know what he was thinking and his grin widened, making his face look more hideous. [You can't shift in front of your mate, Alpha Jade. You can't risk being discovered by the humans. We will meet again. Definitely]The man's eyes rested briefly on Kalista and darkened. He would come back for her and kill her before she had a chance to tell Jade he had the Soul Gem.With one last look thrown at Jade, he stepped back into the shadow of the trees and disappeared into the forest.Jade finally became less tense when he couldn't feel any more danger from the strange man. He narrowed his eyes at the forest, wondering how the man knew him.Did he have any connection to Hayden and the Soul Gem?He slowly turned around and stared at the white haired girl behind him. She appeared in shock and he wasted no time in pulling her into his arms.Kalista who had no idea of their communication through the mind link didn't resist and she let him pull her close. Now that she was safe, she felt her body trembling from the shock of what just happened. She had no idea why this handsome stranger protected her the way he did, but if it hadn't been for him, who knew what that man would have done to her?"Are you okay? Did he hurt you?",Jade asked her softly, brushing a strand of her hair away from her face. His other hand rested around her waist.Kalista shook her head, her face flaming red at Jade's closeness to her. She could feel the heat of his body and it did things to her, things she didn't understand."I'm fine",she said softly. "Thank you for saving me""Do you know why he wanted to attack you?",Jade asked her gently, caressing her waist to sooth her trembling.Kalista leaned into his touch and let out a deep sigh. Her instincts warned her not to say a word about the strange gem and the glow that had disappeared into her body. She didn't know what it was, nor who the handsome stranger and her chaser was. Maybe it was something that would endanger her life. She couldn't tell anyone about it."I have no idea",she whispered. "I was walking towards the town square when he suddenly appeared and began to chase me""Did you see anything with him?",Jade asked next, keeping his voice casual so she wouldn't notice how tense he was.Kalista immediately shook her head. There was no way she would tell him about the Gem."Nothing"Jade nodded and without knowing it, he kissed her hair lightly.Kalista felt her heart leap and she slowly pulled out of his embrace. She had been so content in his arms, feeling those delicious tingles dance up her body. The pull she felt towards him was so strong and it made her confused.Jade noticed the way she tried to distance herself from him. He couldn't blame her. She didn't understand what she was to him yet."What's your name?",he asked her softly."Kalista""Kalista",Jade said her name and it sounded so right in his lips. As beautiful as her. He still couldn't believe his mate was standing before him. If it wasn't for the fact that he had to hide his identity as a shifter, he would have gladly told her what she meant to him. He couldn't wait to find the Soul Gem and return to Hayden so he could come back for her."I am Jade",he told her in return.Kalista stared up at him and smiled shyly. He was just too handsome and it made her insides flair up like butterflies."Nice to meet you Jade",she said. Then she looked up at him curiously. "You don't seem like you're from Northville. Are you a traveller?"Jade nodded slowly. He wanted to hold her again but he resisted the urge."Indeed, I am",he answered her with a charming smile, noticing the blush that bloomed on her face again. "I was heading towards the, uh...",he trailed off."Town square?",Kalista helped him out."Exactly",Jade quickly nodded, grateful for her help. "I was heading towards the town square when I heard your scream. I'm glad I arrived just in time"Kalista smiled sweetly at him. "I was heading towards the town square myself. We could go together"Jade was pleased. He wouldn't miss the opportunity of being in her presence. Maybe, just maybe, he could put off his quest for a few hours and enjoy his mate's company."I would love that",he said."You will need a place to stay too",Kalista continued and took his hand in hers. Her face flamed again when the sparks tingled her skin. "There... there is an Inn at the town square. It would be my pleasure to show you"Jade stared at her intently as they began to walk. Kalista noticed his intense stare and she quickly looked away, another blush turning her ears red."Tell me, Kalista",Jade said in his deep smooth voice. "Are you always this nice to travellers?"Kalista giggled softly and shook her head. "No",she replied with a smile. "But you saved me. The least I can do is to repay the favor somehow""Then I wouldn't mind saving you over and over again",Jade winked at her. He meant what he said because he wouldn't hesitate to protect his precious mate.But Kalista thought he was teasing her and she just laughed softly. She looked up at him and noticed him staring at her with so much emotions in his eyes. It made her toes curl and she quickly looked away."Do you always stare at every girl you meet this way?",she asked playfully."No",Jade replied instantly and gently touched her cheek. "Only at the ones as beautiful as you"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
"I saw something I never should have seen," Kalista whispered. "It was a Gem, the same Gem you are searching for. I saw it that day you saved me"Jade said nothing and just allowed her to continue at her own pace. "I think he buried it to keep it hidden, but I saw it," Kalista continued. "And then... something strange happened""What happened?" Jade asked gently, his eyes never leaving hers."The glow from the Gem went into my body. At first I was so confused because it was something I've never experienced," Kalista rushed on. "When you asked me why he had attacked me, I was scared and confused. I didn't know how to tell you, and I didn't mean to lie...""The Gem's glow disappeared into your body?" Jade asked, not sure if he heard her well."Yes," Kalista nodded slowly. "Also, after I left you at the inn, the man attacked me again in the forest, but then the most shocking thing occured. I used the powers of the Gem to protect myself""You harnessed the Gem's powers?" Jade's frown dee