Eleven Days

Chapter 22

Eleven Days

Jade woke before sunrise with a growl echoing through her mind.

Get up.

Jade pulled her blanket over her head.

No.

You're awake.

I won't be if you stop talking.

That's not how being awake works.

Jade groaned.

Unfortunately, her wolf was right.

Again.

The realization was irritating.

The voice in her head belonged to Ash, the silver-gray wolf she'd shared her mind with for as long as she could remember.

Most wolves described the relationship differently.

Some called it a partnership.

Others called it two souls sharing one body.

Jade usually called Ash a menace.

Especially lately.

For years, it had been easy to push Ash into the background when necessary.

Easy to quiet her.

Easy to ignore her commentary.

But as her eighteenth birthday approached, something was changing.

The bond between them felt stronger.

Clearer.

Ash's emotions bled through more easily.

Her instincts felt sharper.

Her presence felt bigger.

Not overwhelming.

Just harder to ignore.

You're thinking again.

You're talking again.

Fair.

Jade buried her face in the pillow.

Only eleven days.

Eleven days until her eighteenth birthday.

Eleven days until adulthood.

Eleven days until the mate bond could finally awaken.

Not that she had been thinking about that.

Much.

Liar.

Ash.

You've spent three days thinking about Ryker.

Jade sat upright immediately.

Heat flooded her face.

We're not discussing this.

I like him.

I know you like him.

No, I really like him.

Moon Goddess help her.

The wolf sounded entirely too pleased with herself.

A soft laugh came from the doorway.

Jade looked up.

Her mother stood there holding a mug of tea.

"You are arguing with Ash again."

Jade accepted the mug.

"She's impossible."

Correct.

"And smug."

Also correct.

Her mother shook her head.

"You've been talking to her more lately."

Jade's expression softened.

Most human parents didn't hear wolf conversations.

But every parent recognized when their child was communicating internally.

"I know."

Her mother sat beside her.

"It's normal."

The older woman smiled gently.

"The closer you get to eighteen, the stronger the connection becomes."

Jade looked down into her tea.

"So this gets worse?"

"It gets louder."

That was not reassuring.

---

Training helped.

At least temporarily.

The moment she reached the training grounds, the restless energy eased.

Not completely.

Just enough.

"You're early."

Jade looked up.

Devin approached carrying practice staffs.

"You say that every morning."

"And every morning it's true."

A familiar argument.

Comforting.

Predictable.

The last few weeks had changed something between them.

They still challenged each other constantly.

Still argued.

Still drove each other insane.

Yet neither dreaded these sessions anymore.

At least not entirely.

Ash immediately perked up.

There he is.

Behave.

He's looking at us.

We are standing directly in front of him.

Still counts.

Jade resisted the urge to physically facepalm.

"Something wrong?" Devin asked.

"No."

"You made a face."

Ash laughed.

Actually laughed.

Inside her head.

Jade hated everything.

"How's the investigation?"

The question immediately sobered him.

"Slow."

Not surprising.

The mysterious camp remained unexplained.

The pendant remained unidentified.

Shadow Pines Camp remained a mystery.

And nobody knew who Elias Voss had been hunting.

"Blackthorn coming today?" Devin asked.

The question sounded casual.

Far too casual.

Jade narrowed her eyes.

"There's a meeting."

"Mhmm."

"Why are you making that face?"

"What face?"

He's fishing.

Ash sounded entirely too amused.

For information.

About Ryker.

Interesting.

Jade ignored both of them.

With difficulty.

They spent the next hour sparring.

Yet something felt different today.

Twice she anticipated Devin's movements before he made them.

The third time it happened, both froze.

"You did that yesterday."

Jade blinked.

"What?"

"You keep predicting attacks."

"Isn't that what training is?"

"Not before I decide what I'm doing."

That earned a pause.

Even Ash stopped talking.

Which was rare.

"That's... weird."

Devin nodded.

Exactly.

---

Unfortunately, training ended.

Which meant dealing with people.

Jade preferred Devin.

The realization was alarming.

Especially considering she spent most training sessions wanting to hit him.

Still.

Somehow he was easier than the whispers.

The moment she entered the packhouse she heard them.

"...using Ryker Blackthorn..."

"...suddenly friends with all the important wolves..."

"...interesting timing..."

Jade's stomach dropped.

Again.

The rumors were spreading.

Ash immediately pushed forward.

Say the word.

No.

Just one growl then.

Still no.

Across the room sat Sabrina Carter.

Perfectly composed.

Perfectly innocent.

Perfectly fake.

When their eyes met, Sabrina smiled.

The expression never reached her eyes.

Ash's lip curled inside their shared mind.

I dislike that one.

Noted.

Strongly dislike.

Jade believed it.

---

By afternoon, Blackthorn's delegation arrived.

The moment Jade entered the council room, she spotted Ryker.

Ash perked up instantly.

There he is.

You are becoming embarrassing.

You're welcome.

The worst part?

Jade was smiling before she could stop herself.

Ryker smiled back.

And somehow Ash became even more annoying.

Moon Goddess save her.

"How was Blackthorn?" Knox asked.

"Chaotic."

The Beta nodded approvingly.

"Excellent answer."

Vivienne laughed.

The meeting focused on the investigation.

Border damage.

Patrol sightings.

Track patterns.

The symbol found on the pendant had appeared again.

This time carved into a damaged border marker.

The room became quiet.

"The same symbol?"

Garrett nodded.

"Exactly the same."

For the first time, they had a genuine connection between multiple incidents.

Not enough.

But progress.

Yet throughout the meeting Jade felt distracted.

Her concentration slipped repeatedly.

Not because of Ryker.

Or the investigation.

Ash paced restlessly beneath her thoughts.

Watching.

Waiting.

Expecting.

Jade couldn't explain it.

Neither could Ash.

Which worried her.

A lot.

---

The meeting finally ended near sunset.

Most of the leaders stayed behind.

The younger wolves escaped.

Immediately.

Jade stepped outside into the cool evening air.

For a moment she simply stood beneath the trees.

Breathing.

Thinking.

You're pacing again.

I'm standing still.

Mentally pacing.

That's not a thing.

It is now.

Before Jade could continue the argument, a familiar voice interrupted.

"You look worried."

She turned.

Ryker.

Of course.

Ash immediately became delighted.

There he is.

Behave.

No promises.

"Just thinking," Jade said.

"That sounds dangerous."

"Rude."

Ryker's smile widened.

For several moments they simply stood together beneath the trees.

Comfortably silent.

Something they seemed increasingly good at.

Eventually his expression grew thoughtful.

"You seem distracted lately."

The observation caught her off guard.

Ash immediately stirred.

See? He noticed.

Quiet.

Ryker tilted his head.

"Seriously."

Concern softened his voice.

"Are you okay?"

The simple question warmed something deep inside her chest.

"I think so."

Not entirely true.

Not entirely false.

Ash lifted her head suddenly.

Soon.

Jade froze.

Soon what?

For once, Ash didn't answer.

The silence worried her more than any response would have.

Before she could push further, Ryker stepped closer.

Not enough to touch.

Enough to make her pulse quicken.

Again.

His expression turned serious.

"Whatever happens..."

Jade frowned.

"What does that mean?"

A small smile returned.

"Nothing dramatic."

Liar.

She could see it immediately.

"I just want you to know something."

The look in his eyes stole the breath from her lungs.

The teasing disappeared.

The confidence faded.

Leaving only honesty.

"I'm really glad I met you, Jade."

Silence followed.

Dangerous silence.

The kind that changed things.

The kind that felt like standing on the edge of a cliff and deciding whether to jump.

Beside her, Ash sounded suspiciously emotional.

Oh.

Oh what?

He's serious.

For the first time all day, Jade completely agreed with her wolf.

And somehow that frightened her more than anything waiting in the forests beyond the eastern border.