Darkness enveloped the daylight by the time Adryan had returned to
the packhouse along with Brian, Nathan, and the warriors that
accompanied them to the Eclipse pack. Arther had volunteered to stay
back and guard until they came back. Jade had been waiting for hours,
she would help the Omegas with pack chores, other times she would
pace back and forth worrying, thinking that the rogues might have
come back and attacked them.
She was relieved when she saw Adryan, her eyes checking for cuts and
scratches but coming up empty, the only thing that seemed out of
place was his hair, which seemed to stick in all directions as if he had
run his hands through them multiple times.
Jade's eyes stray away from Adryan to the small group of seven people
that stood in between the warriors. She felt a lump in her throat as she
took in their appearance, all of them looked like they had been
dragged to hell and back, with their clothes tattered in places, hanging
by a loose thread in places, blood covering their clothes and limbs. The
group consisted of three men and three women along with a toddler
that seemed to be around three. Wariness and fear were evident in
their eyes as they looked around.
She could understand their situation completely, as she was in their
exact position three years ago. She was a bit content with the fact that
they had each other, unlike her, who had no one at the time.
As the group warily followed Adryan, Jade takes slow steps towards
them, she greets them and helps them to the pack house where the
guest rooms were arranged for them to stay. At first, they varied to
follow her, but basking in her comforting and kind aura, they gave in
Jade had just shown the wolves to their room, giving them a small tour
of the room they were going to stay in. She'd ensured them that they
were safe in the Blood Moon Pack and didn't have to fear rogues.
As she walked into the kitchen, she had spotted Adryan sitting on one
of the stools, going to stand behind him, she rubs her arms up and
down his back, causing his tensed back muscles to let loose as he
basked in his mates presence, inhaling in her intoxicating scent.
Grabbing his soft hands in his, he moves her forward, so that she was
standing beside his seated position. He brings her down further so that
now she was seated on his lap.
His actions caused redness to spread on her cheeks.
She feels his fingers moving away the stray pieces of hair that hung
before her eyes like a curtain shielding her eyes from his. Ocean blue
eyes stared into the emerald green with so much intensity.
Adryan moves his face closer to hers, resting his forehead on hers, their
breaths mingling together as tingles spread through both of their skin
like a sky lighting up with fireworks.
Silence fills the room. Calmness and warmth surrounded their bodies.
Jade stacked the books in their original position, clearing them off the
table. Dusting and wiping everything off.
Jade was in Adryan's home office, looking around she admired her
work. Jade had learned that Adryan hated the maids or anyone in
particular touching and moving his things from their original place, So
Jade had taken it upon herself to clean his office which had started to
collect dust.
Her eyes skim over the contents that lay on top of the desk, her eyes
stopping on the photo frame that was placed face down on the desk as
if Adryan didn't want to stare at it but also didn't want to discard it off.
Her hands slowly drift towards the photo frame, gently grasping it in
her hands, she turns it to face the front.
Her eyes take in the picture before her. She sucks in a sharp breath,
staring at the three people on it. Two pairs of ocean-blue eyes and a
pair of hazel eyes stared back at her.
The woman in the picture had a familiar pair of ocean blue eyes, she
was beautiful with her midnight black her that made her eyes stand out
like two glittering gems of blue. Both of her hands were placed on the
shoulders of two boys that looked to be about the same age, maybe
around seven. One of them had ocean blue eyes just like the woman,
with midnight black hair just like hers, it didn't take a genius to figure
out that she was his mother. Meanwhile, the other boy's features were
different from the mother and son duo, with hazel green eyes and
brown hair with light highlights. They looked happy, both the boys with
their arms thrown over each other's shoulders as they grinned at the
camera with their lips curved up with genuine happiness and innocence
of childhood. She wasn't stupid, she knew that the boy with the blue
eyes was Adryan and the woman was the former Luna of the pack, and
Adryan's mother, whom Jade had never met.
Right when she was about to place the photo in its original position,
the door to the office clicks open, and Adryan enters but pauses when
he sees Jade, next his eyes move towards the photo frame in her hands,
and a strange emotion flashes in his eyes but it's gone in a flash that
Jade thought she might have imagined it.
"What are you doing here?" He asks as he moves to sit behind his table,
she could feel his body heat as he now sat next to where she stood, he
turns his head so that he was looking at her now.
"I thought I'd clean your office, it was getting dusty in here,â she says,
her eyes taking in the now clean office, Adryan nods his head at her
words.
There was silence as both of them remained quiet, with Jade lost in her
thoughts and Adryan's focus on his alpha duties as he typed away on
his laptop, while looking at some papers.
"Can I ask you something?" Jade asks, breaking the silence, she
unconsciously nibbles on her lips, she had been curious about his
family, but there never came an opportunity or better timing for her to
ask him about the matter, until now.
"Hmm?" he hums, asking her to go ahead and ask what she wanted to
ask him
"What happened to the former Luna of the pack?" as soon as the words
leave her lips, she noticed the visible changes in his posture, how his
jaw suddenly started ticking, or how his hold on the papers seem to
tighten to the point where it started to get wrinkles, most of all what
she noticed was how he stiffened the moment she mentioned his
mother. She comes to the conclusion that she had hit a tough spot.
So she tried to dismiss off her question, and apologise for crossing
boundaries she hadn't expected him to capture one of her hands in his
drag her close to him, and make her sit on his lap like it was nothing.
Jade blinked her emerald green eyes at his actions, as her brain seemed
to take a while to process his actions, her cheeks reddening with
embarrassment.
One of his arms wrapped around her waist, while the other moved
forwards to clutch the photo frame in his hands. Staring at the photo in
front of him, while Jade fixed her gaze on his face, taking in his facial
expression as he stared at the photo in deep thought. As if reminiscing
about something.
"She was too good for my fatherâ Adryan suddenly speaks up, breaking
the silence that had once again enveloped the room. Jade was shocked
initially at his words but schooled her features initially. "My mother was
kind and beautiful. Everything you would expect from a Luna. Everyone
in the pack loved and respected her. At first everyone was shocked
seeing how such a kind and selfless she-wolf would be mated to the
cruel and heartless Alpha of the pack, Andreas Romano. The previous
Alpha belonged to a long line of Alpha males, who believed in the
traditional way. The way where female wolves were considered inferior
compared to the males. Even Luna didn't have equal power as the
Alpha did. If they tried to fight their mates, they were punished severely
and flogged in front of the whole pack to make an example out of
them. It was a dark time for the pack. Harsh punishments were served
even for the smallest of mistakes. Men, young teenagers, even pups of
the mere age of five were forced to train.â Adryan paused, a dark
emotion taking up his features. One of Jade's hands move to caress his
own that was wrapped around her waist, soothingly. It didn't go past
Jade, how Adryan didn't refer to the former Alpha as father.
"He treated her like trash. Abusing her, beating down her already fragile
body until she couldn't even lift up a finger. He made me watch him
hurting her, and if I refused or did something to disappoint him, he
would try to hurt me, but she would always protect me. What was
worse was the fact that she still loved him. She loved him till her last
breath and I hated her for it. How could she love someone who doesn't
think twice about causing her pain. I was afraid that I would end up just
like him, I thought it was better to be alone forever than have a mate
and make her suffer. I thought I could let you go, but I was so wrong"
his voice laced with emotion towards the end of the sentence. He
releases his hold on the photo frame, bringing both of his arms to wrap
it around her waist, Jade turns herself on his lap, so that she was facing
him. She wraps her arms around his neck, as he buries his face in her
neck, inhaling her intoxicating scent.
She feels light dampness around her neck, instead of voicing out her
worries she tightens her hold on him
"I'm leaving in two days" he breaks the silence around them, his face
still buried in her neck.
"Why?" She asks, her head still leaning on his shoulder.
"We've decided to approach the Elders. Whatever is happening, if we
didn't deal with it soon everything would end up in chaos," his voice
slightly muffled.
"We? Are you sure about approaching the Elders?" she asks, leaning
back to look into his eyes that stared back at hers, now that he had
moved back from his earlier position.
"Yes. Alpha Lycus Angelo of The Lupine Night Crawlers Pack and Alpha
Leander Moss of The Onyx Ridge Pack are to join me."
Jade stares at him for a few moments, and her next words cause his
heart to race.
"Whatever decision you take, I'll stand by you" she whispers.