Mates at War: A Battle of Hearts

Jade Nightshade My life was perfect. No, really, it was. I could feel it in every fiber of my being, and anyone with eyes could see it too. Being the Alpha’s daughter had its perks—respect, admiration, power. It gave me a confidence that other girls could only dream of. And sure, I hadn’t yet found my mate, but I was still a few weeks shy of eighteen. It didn’t bother me because I was confident I already knew who it would be.Rowan.He and Darius, who was two years older and had been away training to become a warrior for the past five years, had been my best friends for as long as I could remember. But Rowan and I were closer, practically inseparable since birth, being the same age. He was set to be the next Beta, and if things worked out perfectly, he might one day be Alpha by my side. It made perfect sense. I mean, what more could I ask for?"Jade!"? My mother's voice snapped me out of my thoughts, pulling me back from the pleasant daydreams of my future with Rowan. "Stop daydream

Jade Nightshade The soft murmur of voices reached me through the haze of my fever as I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. My mother's voice was unmistakable—firm yet laced with worry. She was talking to the pack doctor, no doubt trying to figure out why I’d been sick for over a week now."How could she just fall sick like this?" I heard her ask; her frustration barely masked. "She was fine the night before. This doesn’t make any sense.""We’ve run all the tests we can." The doctor’s voice was calm but uncertain. " There's nothing physically wrong with her that we can pinpoint. It's... strange. I’ve never seen a case like this."I closed my eyes, my body aching with a fatigue that was more than just physical. I knew why I was sick, even if they didn’t. It wasn’t a typical illness. It was the bond. The oath Rowan and I had taken... I could feel it tightening its grip on me, like an invisible chain pulling me deeper into this state. But how could I explain that? They’d never understan

Jade Nightshade Nine months had passed, almost a year, and life has settled into something that feels almost perfect, just like it was before. I still got sick sometimes, the lingering effect of the blood oath, but it was nothing like before. Now, it was just a dull ache that would come and go, something I had learnt to live with. It was my secret, one I would take to my grave.Rowon, as always, was by my side. More loving than ever, in fact. We were nineteen now, and he had recently taken over as Beta after his father came back injured from that skirmish with the neighbouring pack. Rowon had stepped up in ways that made me proud beyond words.At the moment, he was in a meeting with my father, which meant I had the house to myself. Our house. It was still strange, thinking of it as ours, but it was a good strange. I was in the kitchen, preparing dinner for when he’d return, humming softly as I stirred the pot of stew. The warmth of the stove and the smell of spices filled the small

Jade Nightshade "You can’t stay in bed forever, Jade.""I can," I muttered, pulling the blanket tighter around me and turning my back to her. "I’m the Alpha’s daughter. I can decide to do nothing forever if I want."My mother sighed, a sound full of sympathy and frustration. It made me hate myself—no, it made me hate him more. “You can’t keep hiding like this. If you’re going to avoid everything, you might as well go stay with your grandmother for a while.”“No.” I sat up suddenly, my voice sharp. “Why should I run away? I’m the victim here. I’m the one who got betrayed! It’s Rowon who should be hiding his face in shame, not me.”My mother crossed her arms, looking at me with that familiar piercing gaze. “But you are hiding, Jade. You haven’t stepped out of your room in days. You’re wasting away here.”“I’ll stay here forever if I have to,” I shot back, glaring at the door. I couldn’t deal with the world outside—not yet.“This is pissing your father off, you know,” she said, raising

Jade Nightshade "Do I really have to go?" I muttered, slumping back into the chair as I stared at my mother. "Is my presence really needed at this party?"My mother’s eyebrow arched, her lips pressing into a thin line. “Stop being childish, Jade. You’re the acting Alpha now. This party is important, and you know it. We’re not just welcoming any warrior. We’re welcoming the strongest warrior in our ranks—someone who was once your best friend.”I groaned, running my hands through my hair in frustration. “Darius may have been my best friend once, but that was a long time ago. He won’t care if I’m there.”My mother sighed, folding her arms. “How do you think he’ll feel if you don’t show up? You, the acting Alpha, skipping out on his welcome party? Think about it.”I hesitated, knowing she was right. The thought of seeing Darius again after so many years was strange, but it wasn’t just about him. This was my introduction to the pack as acting Alpha. I needed to be there, no matter how mu