CHAPTER 3

JAELA

‘What were you thinking? Why did you let this happen? We fought so hard to be normal after he rejected us why did you give in’? I asked my wolf.

‘Don’t blame me, you were the one kissing him. Besides, It's my nature to want my mate, you think It's easy to just push them away’ Aiyana replied sadly.

Ugh I hate when she’s right, I can’t place all the blame on her. Part of me gave into the feral need to have him. My body went into overdrive just smelling his scent, I thought I’d never have the oppurtunity to experience that cedar-wood and lemongrass scent again.

Surely, it’s the reason I lost my mind and went horny she wolf on him, right? Who am I kidding, missing him has been a part of me for so long, giving into him felt like a piece of us came back to me. Feeling his heart hammer in his chest for me sparked a bit of hope inside the hole in my heart, but when he said he didn’t come to my territory of his own free will my hope shattered.

Aiyana whimpered in my head that it wasn’t a unified decision between him and his wolf. At least Adriel wanted us, that counts for something.

Sighing, I headed towards the pack-house sneaking past the stationed guards threw out the yard. Being caught smelling like him would definitely start a war, especially by Marcus.

 See Marcus is supposed to be my chosen mate, after our mating ceremony he will be the new Alpha of Mystic Moon Pack taking over for my father.

When we have pups of our own the first male will take over after Marcus as alpha unless we have a female pup then her mate will take over and the cycle will continue.

Being of alpha blood makes me the strongest female in the pack. Although father had twin girls older than me they weren’t considered full blooded alpha children, so everything falls to me. If it was my choice, I’d let them take all of it, I never wanted it. My mate and our happiness was all I wanted. Father had other plans for my life, plans I didn’t want or need.

Cracking open the back door of the pack house, I looked around making sure the coast was clear. Usually around this time there would be pack members coming and going but oddly it’s pretty quiet.

Not questioning it I ran through the living room heading towards the staircase, taking them two at a time. Halting when voices floated down the hallway.

“Sir someone breeched the border earlier we tried to follow the wolf, but we lost the scent in the woods, whoever it was didn’t want us to find them” Torren said.

“What do you mean you lost the scent? You are one of the best trackers we have. I wont stand for your Incompentence Torren. Tell me something, was it a rogue? ” father asked bitterly, his face schrunched in distaste. 

My father as always hate rogues, went above and beyong to deal with them in the most crucial way. He enjoyed their suffering. I hated it, granted nobody want to deal with those smelly animals, but I personally wouldnt go out my way to hunt them. 

The wolf didnt smell like a rogue sir, I'm not sure. Whoever it was, was smart to hide it's scent" 

 I knew exactly who the wolf was. Just then Mya came strolling up the stairs. A mischievous grin on her face. With a bored look I pointed to the hallway and put my finger to my lips telling her to be quiet.

“If I can smell him on you, it won’t be long before Torren does” she mouthed a silent warning. Waving me to follow her down the stairs.

I followed her lead, We ended up by the training bathrooms.

“What have you gotten yourself into now sis, honestly I swear you want dad to kill you” she scolds even though her expression showed no anger. 

“Nothing, I went for a run around the border. When we came back, he was just there staring at the pack-house” I explained to her, throwing my arms in demonstartion.

Watched me with a sly smirk on her face.

“Mhmm girl! he's all over you" She says as she tilted her nose towards me. "Nobody told you to get busy with him, you hussie!” She giggled. 

“MYA! I did not sleep with him!" I slapped her arm. "He ran, I chased him down and gave him a needed beating I swear! Now maybe we made out a bit, but that was it” I told her, fiddling with the towel I took from the closest.

“I knew it!, I don’t know how dad expects you to just forget about him like that. I could never, your mate is your other half, a part of your soul. Without them you don’t really exist.” She says sadly.

“I may still dislike him because of how he hurt you, but he’s still your mate.”

Though the twins and I have different mothers, much to my father’s dismay, we are closer than ever, times like this makes me grateful they are on my side.

“Shush now get out so I can get him off me before Marcus or Torren follows the trail to me” I pushed her towards the door.

“Bet you wish he didnt get off you” she said, biting back her laughter. Shoving her out the door slammed it a little harder than I wanted to at her immaturity. Her laughing filted in through the door.

I tossed my towel on the sink, then turned the handle on the shower, adjusting the water to the right temperature.

Under the steady stream I began washing off the dirt and mud from my skin. Scrubbing my body harder than necessary turning my caramel skin almost red. Then need to remove his scent not only for my sanity, but especially so nobody catches it on me.

Scrubbing, rinsing, and repeating it twenty times I finally turned off the water. Leaving the bathroom in towel I take the steps to my suite.  Being extra careful not run into Torren, I look both ways into the hallway before sprinting towards the next set of steps.

Turning the corner too fast, I slammed headfirst into Marcus's chest knocking the air from my chest, the towel slipped from my fingers to the ground. Mortified I grabbed my towel quickly wrapping it back around my body from his eyes.

Not that wolves should have anything to be ashamed of, we shift around each other all the time. Nudity is nothing to us, but with Marcus he does'nt deserve to see anything of mine.

Lets be honest, I simply want nothing to do with him.

“Damn Jae, you are making it difficult to contain myself around you” his eyes roaming freely over my body. My stomach lurched into my throat in disgust. His eyes landing on my breasts. I pulled tighter on my towel Clearing my throat, his eyes settle on my lips as. Hesitation written over his face, more than likely remembering what happen the last time he tried to touch me without my permission.

My steely gaze set firm on his face, daring him to try something. Naked or not I'm not above kicking his ass. 

“Why are you in a towel down here anyway?” he asked, accusation burning in his eyes.

“Not that it’s any of your business Marcus, I went for a run earlier and needed to shower to get the dirt off me, now if you’ll excuse me” I tried forcing my way through him. His eye's narrowed, blocking my exit with his large frame, As if he could intimidate me.

Please!

“Did you encounter anyone on this little run of yours? Anything out of the ordinary?” he asked, apparently fishing for answers. I dont owe him a damn thing, this act of his, is way past annoying.

Pushing on his chest to move him, he grabs my hand pinning me to the wall, with a growl he takes my hands into one of his and raises them above my head.

“I asked you a question Jaela, ignoring me is not an answer” he says throwing gritted teeth.

I smile sweetly at him, knocking the smug look off his face when he realizes what he did. Within seconds thrusting my knee into his crotch, he grunted releasing the grip on my hands. Fisting his shirt in my hand sweeping his legs from under him violently slamming his back onto the floor. I wrapped my thighs around his forearm, firmly grasping his hand, snapping the bone in his wrist. Marcus screamed in agony.

“I said what I said Marcus, next time take my word for it, most importantly if I don’t invite you to touch me keep your damn hands to yourself.” unfazed by his whimpering I left him licking his wounds. I turned my back, heading to my suite with a smile. Hearing his pain always brings me joy. Boy never learns a thing.

*

*

*

Jolting upright in bed I scanned the room looking for the woman in my dream, frantically I searched rubbing my eyes multiple times to clear the sleep from them. When she was nowhere to be found I flopped back onto my pillow. My heart still pounding in my chest, It felt so real as if she was standing right over me. She seemed to mean no harm, but I could feel the power raging inside of her.

Sweat beading on my forehead I wipe it with the back of my hand. Recalling the look of her eyes, they were similar to mine. Different, bright hazel accented with waves of orange. Everything about her stood out to me, her shoulder length curly hair bouncing around her shoulders, flawless caramel skin, full round lips, and a diamond shaped face. She was otherworldly beautiful.

Her eyes captivated me, they held a hint of sadness to them, the kind of sadness that you’d do anything to wipe away. Her aura called to me, like I knew her in another life. I cant really put my finger on it, but it was definetly kindred. 

My mother maybe? Could it be? No! i couldnt believe it. 

unfortunetly I never knew her, nor did my father volunteer any information about her. He said it was because he couldn’t talk about her without reliving her death again. It was too painful for him she was his one and only mate and when she was killed the only thing he had left of her was me.

Often time I wondered if it was the truth, whether or not she was really dead. As a little girl all I wanted was to know everything about my mother, what she was like, her hobbies, if I looked like her, the list goes on and on. Anything that could give me insight into who she was. I watched my friends with their mothers, the unconditional love they showed them. I envied them, honestly, I downright resented them for having something I didn’t.

When was younger I’d ask him about her, he’d lock me away in my room, or he’d get so mad forcing a shift breaking anything in his path to get away from me.

So, I stopped asking him. I’d find other ways to get info about her side of the family instead.  That too was a dead end. After a while he tired of me raising questions. Reluctantly, he only offered one name.  “Orenda my grandmother.” Of course, He forbade me from ever looking for her, saying she wasn’t a good person. Apparently, she treated my mother like mere trash when they mated.  For this reason alone, I never looked for her yet deep down I feel he’s lying to me about it all.

What if she’s really alive? Is this the reason he got so mad at me all those times? No, it can’t be true, she would have come to me long before now, right? The feeling of abandonment welled in my chest restricting my capacity to breathe. Throwing back the covers I rose from the bed trying to take deep breaths and failing.

Tears glistening my eyes, I stumbled towards the bathroom, clutching the handle of the door, I turned it pushing it with my body as my knees gave out onto the bathroom floor.

‘Breathe Jae or you’re going to pass out” Aiyana worried voice rattled my mind. barely paying attention to her, black spots appeared in my vision, the room spinning around me.

‘Jae, breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Do it’ she yells?

I tried to concentrate my breathing; it didn’t work. I kept trying, my heart pounding into my rib cage. Taking another deep breath, I began to feel my body relax. Repeating it over and over, the room stopped spinning and I could finally see the ceiling clearly. I’ve never had a panic attack before, seeing that woman in my dream must have really unsettled me making me think crazy things. I need to push those thoughts to the far part of my mind for now.

‘Please do, for a second there I thought we was going nite nite’ Aiyana chuckles.

‘For now, but I don’t want to forget about what I saw tonight, I want answers.

 Hopefully?

‘You will, somebody has answers Jae, and we are going to find out what they are. For now, let’s rest.’

˜

 “That face” Mya says as she drops into the seat next to mine

“What face? I don’t have a face” I replied.

“You look like your either heavy in thought or you have to poop” Mia says pushing herself on top the table.

I can’t stand it when they both are here at the same time, it becomes two against one and I’m always the one getting bombarded.

“there’s nothing wrong with me, I don’t have to poop, I’m fine” I tell them.

“She fines she says” they both say in unison.

They really get on my nerves, love them to death but right now I hate them. Glaring at both of them they raise their hands in surrender. Looking away I ask them.

“You think... father lied to me about my mother?” I asked, they both looked at each other than at me. silence filled the room unsettling me, shuffling from my chair Mya placed her hand on my shoulder stilling me.

“Dad lies a lot Jae, I don’t know what happened to Tayen, we are only 2 years older than you” Mia says with a grimace, but what really caught my attention was her name, how do they know her name and I don’t?

Anger building in my gut I growl, Aiyana pushing to the surface.

“How do you know her name?” I asked through clenched teeth. Glaring at them both they gasp, taking steps backwards with their hands in the air.

“Our mother told us her name, like I said before, we don’t know what happened. My mother only told us that after we were born, he mated with your mother a year later. He took us from her to live with him because Tayen was having trouble conceiving a child” Mya said with a shaky voice. Both of them tried to handle me like I could explode and rip them apart at any time.

“After trying for another year, she finally got pregnant with you. once you were born, he casted us aside to live with our mother than him because you were the full-blooded alpha female heir he needed.” Mya’s eyes misted with unshed tears. Her sadness extinguished any malice I had towards them.

In long strides toward her I engulfed her in a tight embrace feeling my own tears fall from my eyes. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to overshadow either of you” kissing her cheek I turn to Mia opening my arms beckoning her into our embrace which she accepted immediately. We stood there hugging and crying for what felt like forever.

“It’s not your fault Jae, it’s his instead of loving us with the same passion he tried to pit us against each other. Little did he know we would have the best sister bond ever and nothing can change that no matter what.” With a small smile on our faces, we put our hands together like we did when kids and fist bumped them blowing it up in an explosion.

I know real kiddie but that’s our bond you don’t have to understand it. Wanting to hear more of what they knew; we huddled closely back in our seats when father walked in with a visible scowl on his face.

He absolutely hates how close we are.

“Jaela, you have training. Finish your little chit chat with them and meet me in the gym in five minutes.” He said angrily.

“You two go train with the other warriors and for goddess sake don’t embarrass me like last time” he scoffs pointing to Mya and Mia. Clearing his throat, he held out his fingers telling me my time had been reduced to two minutes, turning on his heels he left slamming the back door behind him.

With an apologetic smile, waving bye to my sisters, I stood to my feet hurrying after him. Being late to training with him is never a good idea, I may be the favorite child, but he is annoying as hell when he doesn’t get his way.

As I entered the gym His fist collided into my side, clutching my ribs he struck again landing a powerful kick into my back sending me flying across the padded floor. All the air left my lungs when I landed. Grasping to the little oxygen I could before he grabbed me by the shoulder forcefully digging his fingernails into my skin.

“WHY WAS HE HERE JAELA” he yelled in his aura voice, which only meant one thing. He knew it was Tristen that crossed our border.

I’m in deep shit.