"So what got you so worked up bro?" Nathan asked over the phone.
"I've found her, I've finally found my mate but she's far from what I expected, definitely way beyond my imagination. She's a handful," he responded.Jason was trying to explain to his 19-year-old brother how his day just managed to take the most unexpected turns ever. He was the only one who would listen to all his tales and not lie to please him. No one could be as honest as his brother.However, knowing Nathan, he wouldn't get much reasonable advice from him. His brother was the wild type, the most spontaneous, dangerous werewolf he knew. Still, he was the most important person in his life and he wouldn't trade him for anything.After their parents were brutally killed during a blood bath orchestrated by a power-hungry Beta, a werewolf who felt it was his right to rule, it was just the two of them having each other's back like always.He didn't want to recall how his parents died. It was too cruel, without any mercy. But it was etched in his mind and for a long while every single day, he had nightmares about that particular night.The nightmares still come, but occasionally. They come to taunt him, for being too weak to avenge his parent's death. They come to haunt him, reminding him that a cold-hearted killer is out there, still thirsty for his blood and his crown.For years he had searched for him, but after finding nothing he had given up, but he knew it was not over. He knew when the time comes he'd have to fight, then he would get his revenge.For 13 years he had yearned for revenge. If it meant waiting till eternity then he was prepared to do just that."Hello, Jason, are you still there?" His brother asked, bringing him back to reality.'Yeah, sure, my mind just wandered somewhere," he replied."Are you already making wedding plans bro!" He teased and snickered."Oh shut up! Don't be ridiculous, I just met her," he told him."Oh come on, that wouldn't stop you. I know you and you're thinking 'as a man of tradition I have to make things right by her before consummation," Nathan continued to tease him, putting on a fake voice in a terrible attempt to sound like him."Why did I even bother telling you about this?" He groaned, regretting all his life decisions till now."I'm your brother remember, plus you have no one else you can open up to," he replied."That's not true, I have plenty of people to talk to, I'm a people's person," he retorted."Oh is that so?" Then just name one person that you can spill your guts to, as a people's person I'm sure you have lots of people just waiting to share your problems with you, so go on, name one," he urged him.Gosh!His brother was good for nothing but he was also brutally honest and always right and right now he was right, as always.He had to admit that apart from Nathan he had no one in this world that he was close to. He could never trust anyone, not after what he had been through.Time and time again everyone around him has proven that they could not be trusted. It was hard to open his heart to anyone, especially knowing that that same person could be used against him.It was a lonely life that he lived but he had gotten used to it. He had to get used to it else he was sure he would have gone crazy.Nobody understood the overwhelming weight on his shoulders. There was so much he wanted to do, so many wrongs he wanted to correct, but he felt completely powerless. Money could not get him anywhere, especially when he was at war with money too.As a werewolf and especially as an Alpha it was important to control people, to be powerful, to be respected. He had to act the part even though it could kill him. He had to be selfless even if it meant his downfall.So many expectations and so little love.Love…That was not a word he was too familiar with. It was something he had always run away from.He loved his parents and they died. They left him all alone. They left him with a pack that did not believe in him even though they never said it out loud.Why did they have to leave him? Why was the world so cruel? It should have been him, not them."I have no one Nathan, and you know why."He was no longer joking around. His throat was taut. His usual calm voice went a pitch lower. He was intimidating this way, almost like an animal, but it was just a defense mechanism. He was just sad, plain and simple.He was an Alpha. He could not be sad, he could not show any sign of weakness. Then what was the tightness in his chest all about?He had no one."I'm sorry Jason, I was just joking around," he said, realizing that maybe he had gone too far."You always joke around, it's high time you grow up. I might not always be here to take care of you," he reminded him."Don't say that bro, don't talk like you're dying," he retorted."But I can die anytime, especially with Sebastian still out there waiting for the right time to strike," he told him firmly.Sebastian.Even saying his name out loud was heart-wrenching. Memories cascading, on top of another. It hurt the most when he remembered that once upon a time they were like family.He trusted him, he even leaned on him, but life soon taught him that anyone could betray you, anyone."I don't care about that snake!" Nathan growled.He knew his brother was a hot head and he was as hurt as he was, but they did not share the same memories. Nathan could not remember as vividly as he could.He was sheltered from it all, hidden during the fight. Too young to comprehend the shift from love to greed to pure hatred that went on in the pack.He was too young then but he wasn't anymore so he had to be aware. Nathan was as much of a threat to Sebastian as he was. If anything ever happened to him then it was his responsibility to lead.Until all the Halem line was extinct Sebastian had no claim to lead. He knew ultimately it was kill or be killed. He hoped Sebastian would choose differently, but that would be wishing on the stars.He had gone this far, he had done this much. The only thing stopping him was the pack. They disapproved of Sebastian's actions but lately, he could sense that he was losing the trust of the pack, or at least the majority of them.It was only a matter of time till they turned on him and he had to do something fast to make sure that did not happen, not for him, but for his brother's sake.His only will to live was Nathan. He could not imagine what would happen to him if he wasn't there to protect him. The pack would eat him alive, that's for sure."You better start caring Nathan, I've got to go, goodbye," he said, hanging up.He didn't wait to hear his reply. He was done talking to him. He was leaning on his car throughout their conversation.He needed time alone to think. At times like this, a long drive was the ever-ready remedy. The headquarter of the company where he worked was situated a considerable distance away from the city.To add to that his house was a long drive from the company, situated in the outskirts of town, where he was surrounded by trees and wildlife.It had to be like this. He could not risk anyone catching him when he turned. He was still under the curse of the full moon after all.Yet even though it was a curse he loved it when he turned. He loved the feeling of losing his human form and taking on the form of the wild wolf. It was a painful process but it was a pain he welcomed.When he roamed as a wolf he felt free. That was when all his senses became sharper. It was a feeling he could not quite describe but he cherished every bit of it.As he drove off with his windows down, the breeze blowing through his once neatly styled hair, he could think back to the good old times.To times where he smiled, to times where he felt Joy.He envisioned his 10-year-old self holding his baby brother in his arms, loving him to death. Nathan was a fat baby, always looking for attention.He had big bright brown eyes and a wide smile that you could never say no. Even as a baby he was annoyingly mischievous. Always crying even if left alone for just a second.He was either eating, crying or sleeping, but everybody loved the baby. At first, he did not understand what was so special about the ever crying baby.He struggled to adjust to the lack of attention he suddenly felt. Everyone wanted to be with the cute baby. For a while he felt alone, abandoned, forgotten.Then things changed. From the moment he held Nathan in his arms he suddenly understood what all the fuss was all about.A gush of feelings ran through him. He immediately felt this overwhelming need to protect him, to love, to stand by him. Suddenly they were inseparable.He remembered the warm feeling he had when he held him as his parents watched with admiration. Their soft gaze followed him as he rocked the baby back and forth.From that moment he vowed to keep him safe. To shield him from whatever trouble he could face. To love him no matter what. He just didn't know that he would be doing all that alone.It was a heavy burden to bear with a heavy heart. He was hurting but had to push all that pain behind him. His little brother needed him and that was more important than his feelings, at least that was what he thought.At last, he reached his home. It was a simple building but it was comfortable. It was as close to nature as a modern house could get. It didn't look like the house of a billionaire.He didn't particularly feel like a billionaire either. Most of his wealth was inherited. His parents were true billionaires. He was just a lonely man with money and power.However, this particular night there was a strong familiar smell around. He knew that smell, he just did not want to believe it was true.What was she doing here? Why now?He counted his steps as he walked to the doorstep. He did not need to check the lock, he could bet it was open.He walked in and saw her standing, facing the fireplace. She had on a black leather jacket with black skin-tight jeans and her trademark high black boots.Her long legs stretched to their full form as she dangled a glass of wine in one hand. Her thick brown hair which was usually long was now cut short, reaching just below her neck.As she turned around her dark eyes pierced through him. There was something extremely unsettling with the way she stared at him.He hadn't seen her for years and now she was right before him, in his home. He thought back to how they parted ways, to the day he last saw her, the day he lost her."Hello Jason," she spoke in that unique smoky voice of hers.Something was wrong. He just knew it."What are you doing here?" He asked bluntly. She didn't flinch, she was used to the straightforward attitude, but as soon as the words left his mouth he regretted it. This was no way to treat her. Hope Daniels. The only person he had called friend, till things fell apart. "Good to see you too Jason, I've missed you," she replied sarcastically. "Don't be like that Hope, I've not seen you for years and now you just magically appear from thin air in my home?!" He explained. Reminding her of that fact seemed to lessen the tension in the room a little bit. He could visibly see her shoulders relax, her facial features became softer too. He could tell she was thinking back to what had ensued between them before it all went to flames. "I'm sorry, I just couldn't stick around, not after you rejected me," she confessed. For a moment they just stared at each other, memories flooding through. Her eyes were telling him to understand her, to see why she had to do that and as much as he wa
It was Jasmine's first day working for the mysterious Jason Halem. She had prepared for this day, dreamt of it even. She had imagined how she should strategize from day 1 and steal his heart and body then stab him in the back with the sharpest knife possible. It was pure evil and she loved it, she loved every bit of it. However, the start of the day was particularly gloomy. The sun refused to shine and hid in a corner for a long while. The clouds looked like they were about to shed tears of sorrow. Something felt off but she shrugged it off and kept her mind focused on what was important at the moment: Jason Halem. She looked around the beautiful apartment she now occupied courtesy of a billionaire boss and a company so far away from town. The place was absolutely beautiful. The interior was a gorgeous blend of black and white colour in the most aesthetic form possible. Yes, it looked expensive but it didn't seem like his style though. Well, maybe that was because it was built for
Chapter 6 Jason had no rest throughout the weekend, the nightmares have begun more fiercely now and he was always looking over his shoulders for fear of the unknown. "He's coming back," was the last word Hope said to him before she left his once peaceful and safe home. She never brought good news, not now, not before. He had to hold a meeting with the pack, to let them know of this newfound information but he had a hard time processing it in the first place. As usual, Nathan was the first person he spoke to about it and as expected Nathan decided to leave college and come stay with him for a while. He could not persuade him not to do that, he didn't want to stop either, he needed him, now more than ever. Nathan was the kind of person to sacrifice all for his loved ones and even though he behaved like he did not care, he did, a lot more than he let on.Before Nathan came Jason could not function properly. His emotions were all over the place and it was a full moon that night. He
Chapter 7 "Erm…. I… I just wanted to say thank you, for giving me this opportunity to work with you," Jasmine told him as she entered his office. He had a feeling she wanted to say more than that but was temporarily stunned by the way he spoke to her. She looked a little bit flustered, maybe she wasn't so confident after all. It amazed him that he could do that to her, make her feel this way, it showed that she was human after all, unlike him. She looked beautiful even as she just awkwardly stood there. She looked drop-dead gorgeous like she would be the death of him someday. "You don't need to thank me, this is not charity," he replied. He was trying his best to keep his distance, at least until his life was calmer, which might never be. However, right now was not the best period to spark a steamy office romance. He had his head filled with war and possible attack strategies and here his mate was, turning his world upside down. "I know, but I just thought it was proper cou
Chapter 8 All eyes were on them as they walked together out of the company building, everyone from the staff on the top floor to Claire the receptionist behind her counter. She could imagine herself being the talk of the day on every employee's lips. Jason did not care. Even though he was particular about his public image, he saw no need to hide his relationship with Jasmine. They are just going for lunch, nothing more. They would have a lot more to talk about when he eventually claimed her as his mate. His employee had creative minds, after all, it was an entertainment agency, so he could already imagine them creating a billion scenarios just because he was seen walking beside the new secretary. It was obvious that this was a rare sight to behold. Jason Halem always walked alone, unless when work forced him to relate with humans. As a result, he didn't blame them for acting so shocked. "Are you okay with so much attention?" He asked Jasmine. He was concerned about how she was de
CHAPTER 9"So on a scale of 1 to 10, how was it?" Jason asked. "Do you mean the food?" Jasmine asked to clarify. He nodded with an expectant look on his face. "Well it broke my scale, that's for sure, it was delicious!" She replied. He smiled at that, one of those genuine smiles of his that brought more colour to his stunning eyes. "I knew you'd like it," he told her. "Thank you," she said out loud, but she wanted to say "I'm sorry", but her cold heart rationalized that there was nothing to be sorry for, at least not yet. Even though she had the worst intentions she hasn't done anything wrong yet. However, her lack of action wasn't because of unwillingness, she just hadn't gotten the chance yet. "So how's work so far?" He asked. It was obvious he was trying to keep the conversation going, it was cute seeing him trying to make small talk. She knew he wasn't one to waste words, he was one of those annoying straight to the point kind of people. Seeing him making so much effort
CHAPTER 10"I'm not really in the mood for whatever naughty imaginations going through your mind right now Nathan," Jason made clear while settling down in the office chair. "Well that's too bad, because I'm in the mood to make fun of you," Nathan replied with a smile breaking on his lips. "Make fun of me all you want, but don't drag Jasmine into your childish games" Jason cautioned him. Nathan flinched a little. He especially hated being called childish, even if it was implied. He was always treated like a child, always protected and told to hide. But he wasn't a child anymore and it was hard for his big brother to realize that he was now a man. Jason rarely said that to him, unless when it was really serious, he knew he hated the word too so he must be onto something here. "So she has a name, after all, Jasmine…. She sounds feisty," He spoke like he was putting an image to the name. His eyes were squinted like he was actually thinking about something serious. Jason did not lik
CHAPTER 11The time till the close of work felt different for Jasmine and Jason. They both had a lot on their mind but somehow felt differently about how the day progressed. They were so close to each other yet it felt like they were in different worlds. Jasmine thought the time was exceedingly slow, she could not just wait to get off this extremely boring work and have a good night's rest. Her only interest here was Jason and when she wasn't with him, the job felt pointless. Plus she had a few less interesting freelance writing she was doing to keep herself busy. They were not as fun as the case she was currently working tooth and nail for, but at least she was able to write, which was all she ever wanted to do. Jason on the other hand felt like time was moving too fast. If he could stop the hands of time right now he would do it. He wondered why werewolves didn't have such powers, it was a ludicrous thought of course, but at moments like this, his mind just wanders. He could not