Romances de Jade Ingram

***Mia - Current DayI awoke to warm water, soothing my aching body. It did nothing to dull the ever present headache still lurching, but the scent of lavender and jasmine was enough to calm my hazy thoughts. I felt myself drifting in and out when someone lightly grabbed my arm. Immediately, my eyes fluttered open, jerking my arms inward. A warm face met my gaze, round and inviting. The old woman knelt beside the marble tub; her large bosom sat easily perched on the basin. She looked at me with cheery glow and said soothingly, “I won’t hurt you, darling. I’m only to clean you as instructed.”The tension in my shoulders eased slightly. A thin layer of filmy bubbles remained floating on the tub, giving me some minor privacy in this foreign place.Noticing the collar had been removed, I massaged my neck and could feel some slight bruising where the metal pushed against my collarbone.I looked back at the woman and shook my head. “Thank you but I can wash myself,” I said, reaching out t

***GodricAlpha Oliven of the Hallow Den pack and his Luna, Isabel, met me in front, towards the podium.“So good to see you again, Alpha Godric,” said Oliven. I only grunted with a light nod of acceptance. Luna Isabel bowed before me and then guided me to my seat. The Red Witch trailed slowly behind and chose the seat directly in back. She wore a long black dress and hooded cloak. Though the heat settled over the town square, she never removed her hood. Red strands of hair wisped by as a light breeze touched her face.Luna Isabel took to the stage, looking down at the solemn crowd while still trying to maintain a smile. No one in attendance wanted to be here, fraught with anxiety of the upcoming event.“Thank you, Alpha Godric, for blessing us with your presence. We honor you for your leadership and protection of our realm. We pray to the Moon Goddess for your continued success,” she said, shakily, as she cleared her throat. “And with that blessing, we present you with the 8th Annual

***GodricAnother day of this shit. Finally, we had made it to the last town after two weeks of courting. Always the same women... bland, basic whores in every pack.The first few years of Courting Day were thrilling, suggested in fact by the Red Witch. Something new and exciting to fill my days. But now, the girls had caught on and every decent maiden worth considering was mated and wed by the eve of their 23rd birthday. I was now left with whatever leftovers each town had to offer.I wore my navy suit today, affixed with the High Moon crest. It was tailored to my broad, wide shoulders, and made my way through the village. The townspeople quickly moved out of my way and bowed in respect. Some tried not to stare at the gash under my eye. The battle took place years before. If the beast had been an inch higher, I would have lost my right eye. My dark obsidian eyes... The Goddess gave me these eyes to match my stoic face and furrowed brows. My hair was wild and unkept. I cared little wh

***Mia"Mia!” I heard my mother call, her voice ringing in my head. Mother often linked me while I was hiding deep in the woods. Staying within the realm, I was never out of her reach.I slid my dress down and tucked it into my bag along with my book. I got down on my knees and arched my naked back, allowing Lily to transform into her ravishing white bodice. I listened to the cracking, contorting of bones as my arms and legs elongated. Hair rippled through my skin, revealing the ivory mane as Lily’s claws dug into the earth. She was a massive wolf; I trusted her with every ounce of my soul. She would protect us at all costs.Lily grabbed the bag with her teeth and began to sprint through the forest. It was pure freedom; what birds must feel flying through the clouds. My wolf knew these woods, combing over every inch, as she dodged tree limbs and broken logs. Her legs never tired. I was merely a passenger, enjoying the journey, while my wolf carried me home.I reached the small cottage

***MiaTwo days ago I sat on the cliff’s edge, overlooking the creek bed. It was our favorite hideaway, nestled between aged boulders, blanketed by foliage. The sound of a rippling brook ran below as I dangled my bare feet. My wolf and I preferred the quiet, away from the town gossip and bustling traffic. Lily was always with me... from as early as I could remember.See ordinary wolves didn’t appear until one’s 18th birthday, but not Lily. She was special... When I was just seven years old, my precarious self decided to slip away one winter night. My family followed my scent to a nearby frozen lake, only to find cracks above the surface, leading to a lone hole.The icy depths sat eerily silent below, no child in sight. Panicked, they crawled on the top layer of ice in search, praying to the Goddess to find me alive. But as the minutes passed by, despair began to set in.Just then, a beautiful white pup burst through the frozen cover. She shook the frigid water from her coat and fell i

***MiaI woke up with a blinding headache. I reached my hand to the back of my head and felt a lump beginning to form. My eyes winced at the pain. The swollen bulge hid beneath my hair, matted with what smelled of stale, days' old blood. I rolled over and found myself lying on a dirt floor...Was I still in the forest? I thought to myself.The last thing I remembered was running through the woods with Lily. Faint sounds of my wolf’s paws rang through a clouded memory. Her constant footfalls patting against the earth... it was a run we had made on countless nights. I remembered feeling my wolf’s growing hesitation; her heart hastening as she took light steps through the brush. There was a sharp thud, and I could still hear Lily’s high-pitched cry. That’s when our eyes went heavy.And now I was here. Wherever here was.Something uncomfortable was weighing on my neck. Still in a daze, I clawed at my throat to find a wide metal collar with a chain attached. My fingers immediately followed