Talon Darkheart stood at the cliff a craggy hill, his eyes narrowing as he surveyed the tranquil village nestled below. The full moon's silvery light bathed the landscape in an eerie glow, casting long shadows that seemed to dance with a malevolent intent. Behind him, an army of rogue werewolves, their eyes aglow with intense darkness, waited for his orders. He had wanted to bring half a dozen rogue warriors, but at the last minute he changed his mind. Jade was a powerful lycan with Alpha blood in his veins, and same with Apollo, Jade's uncle. He had to be fully prepared to take them both down.As the wind rustled through the tall grass, Talon's lips curled into a chilling smile. A smile devoid of humor. He had failed in killing Xerxes and making him feel the pain he felt years ago. Now was his chance. He would enjoy destroying Jade and his backstabbing uncle."Alpha Talon," a voice hissed from behind him. He turned to find his second-in-command, Klyde, his eyes gleaming like burning

Talon's command echoed through the moonlit forest, his voice dripping with malice. "Destroy her! Get that gem's power out of her at all costs!"The rogue werewolves, canines bared and eyes gleaming with feral hunger, answered with thunderous roars. They charged towards Kalista and Jade, their massive forms shaking the ground beneath them.Only Apollo remained behind, watching the rogues advance towards the blue shield of energy. He had his reasons for staying back; he knew how tremendous the power of the gem was and with Kalista being a halfbreed wielding such power, he knew it would be disastrous.Jade's heart pounded in his chest as he watched the approaching rogue army. He gripped Kalista's hand and pulled her beside him."Are you okay?" he asked worriedly. His eyes were alight from the sapphire glow surrounding Kalista's body."I'm fine," Kalista replied breathlessly."I need to find a way to take you out of here," Jade said, looking around the shield protecting them. "We must mak

"You!" Salem said in a sharp voice, pointing a finger directly at Kalista. "You are not supposed to exist. Why have you come here?"Kalista felt fear as Salem marched towards her. How did the witch know what she was? Her heart skipped a bit when Salem suddenly crouched and peered into her eyes.Salem's glittery emerald eyes narrowed at Kalista and at that moment, her eyes fell on the silverhaired man sitting beside her, an amused smile on his face. The look of suspicion vanished instantly, only to be replaced my a look of pleasant surprise and a mile-wide smile."Jade?" she called out."Hello, Salem," Jade chuckled and stood up, hands wide open to hug her."Oh, thank the moon goddess," Salem laughed softly and drew Jade in for an embrace. "How have you been, Salem?" Jade asked as he released her and held her at arms length."Oh, just fine," Salem brushed his question aside. "When you're a powerful witch, you don't worry about old age or old bones. I never expected to see you again"

Jade felt like every moisture within him had been sucked out, leaving him feeling dry and limbless. His entire thoughts were in disarray and Salem's words continued to ring in his ears.Orion was his uncle, and yet he tried to kill Kialista. His own uncle had tried to kill his mate. It was a hard pill to swallow. It was unbelievable. If Orion was indeed his father's brother, why did his father never mention it? Why was Orion kept a secret?He raised his head and turned to the spot Salem sat, staring at her with eyes filled with betrayal and hurt."You've known this for so many years," he said in a low hoarse voice. "I told you about my entire family, and I'm sure you knew he was my uncle. Yet, you kept it a secret from me"Salem slowly stood up and clasped her hands in front of her. "I never would have kept such secret from you, Jade," she said softly. "But Orion made me swear to him, that I would never tell anyone about him. I couldn't break my vows to him"Jade knew it wasn't real

Kalista felt like she had been falling for a long time. She shut her eyes tight, waiting for her body to drop into the river beneath her but suddenly, she felt a rush of rapid air. Strong arms grabbed her, delicious sparks dancing on her body, and she felt her body collide softly with another. She didn't need to open her eyes to know that it was Jade that had saved her. The sparks of the mate bond were enough to let her know.With her eyes still shut tightly, she held on to Jade as he landed lightly on the ground, holding her close to him. She could feel his heart slamming against his chest and she opened her eyes when she felt him tremble."Jade?" she whispered, her gray eyes pinned on his.Jade took a shuddering breath and slowly lowered her to the ground, letting his hands rest on her waist when her feet touch the earth."Are you okay?" he asked softly. Without waiting for her to reply, he pulled her close and wrapped her in a warm hug. "Maybe I shouldn't let you out of my sight a