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  I stop in the living room, realising that I can't even get home on my own, as he brought me here. Maybe I can find Harris and Katy’s cabin, and then I can get them to take me home. The two wolves at the door growl at me as I walk past. I actually growl back.

  "Fucking bite me if you’re going to, I literally don’t give a crap," I say to them, and start walking away. I don’t have it in me to care anymore if they follow. I feel like I have a heavy weight on my heart, and I don’t know how to remove it. The trees and paths blur as I jog though the woods. I pass a few cabins, but from the look at the cars outside, I know they’re not Harris’s home. A few people stop to stare at me, but I ignore them. I know it would be smart to ask for help, but I feel so angry, I’m scared I'll just burst into tears.

  "Lass, wait," Jaxson shouts behind me. The sound of his heavy boots slamming across the leaves is the only sound I hear as I run away. Some part of me knows running is pointless when he is a lot faster than I am.

  "No, I will find Harris and beg for a lift home. I meant what I said. Stay away from me," I shout over my shoulder, as I run faster through the trees. I see another cabin coming up, and I’m sure that it’s Harris’s car outside.

  A hand snakes around my waist before I'm pulled over a shoulder. I smack my wrists against his back and try to wriggle off. The mountain of a man just chuckles and wraps an arm around the back of my legs to stop me from kicking him.

  "Put me down now, Jaxson!" I shout in a frustrated growl.

  "Fine, but hear me out."

  I kick him one last time before muttering, "Fine," and I hear him chuckle, but at least he is smart enough to not outright laugh at me.

  Jaxson puts me down gently before standing close to me. The freshly cut wood scent of him surrounds me as I look up into his bright green eyes. His hair is slightly messy on top where he has been running his fingers through it, and his shirt has mud from my trainers all over it. I want to say the messy look doesn’t suit him, but it does—it does way too much.

  "I'm sorry, look, things are complicated, and it's not your fault," he tells me gently. I’ve never heard him be gentle with me, it throws me off my game for a second.

  “I’ve never met anyone like you. I don’t like humans and—” he says, and I cut him off.

  "I want to leave." I cross my arms and back away from him a little. Jaxson raises his eyes to look at me, and we stare at each other, something changing in his gaze. There’s a vulnerability I thought I’d never see in his eyes. I’ve never been good at hiding my feelings, I’m sure he is reading me like a book now.

  "Can I show you something first?" he asks carefully, holding out his hand for me to take.

  "Why?" I ask, eyeing his hand.

  "Because for some reason, I need to show you I'm not a jackass all the time," he says, looking down to the ground like it holds all the answers.

  Against my better judgment, I whisper, "Okay."

  Jaxson’s head snaps up with his beautiful eyes lit up like a green forest, a small smile on the corner of his lips.

  "Let’s go, lass," he extends his hand towards me further, and I hesitate a little, before slipping my hand in his. Jaxson interlaces our fingers, not looking my way as he leads me back to the house and around the back. We walk past the training cabin, into the woods behind. I try to ignore the rough feel of his fingers against mine or the way my tiny hand seems to fit into his perfectly.

  "Can I ask you something?" I ask, pushing my luck a little, while he is in a good mood.

  "You can ask me anything you like, I may not choose to answer you, but go on." He squeezes my hand gently. I guess it’s the best I can ask for.

  "Why do you have a slight Scottish accent, but Fergus and Freddy don't?" I ask him carefully, Jaxson tenses slightly at my question, but he exhales before answering.

  "Fergus is my half-brother. We have different mothers, and Freddy’s mum was my half-sister, too," he tells me.

  "Oh," is all I say, as I process it.

  "My father was...he was broken when my mother died. He had relationships with a lot of women before his death a few years ago. I grew up with my mother’s family in Scotland, and Fergus was sent to us when he was fourteen after his own mother passed away." He explains as we go around a large rock. There is a small dirt path that wasn’t here before, and we walk up to it. I’m glad it’s not too cold because wearing this dress is not ideal for a late- night walk. The sun is just setting in the sky, and the large trees are starting to look a little scary now as they cast shadows.

  "And your sister?" I ask, keeping my eyes on Jaxson instead of where we are.

  "I didn't know about her until about nine years ago, lass, and she wasn’t in a good place,” he says sadly.

  “What happened?” I ask quietly; the forest seems silent as it waits for an answer with me.

  “Someone saved her and Freddy, who she was pregnant with at the time. Her own mother had sold her, and she basically lived her whole life as a slave for vampires. I owe one vampire a debt because he found a way to get her out,” he says, a brief flicker of pain crosses his features.

  “What was she like?” I ask him.

  “Striking. She was also very feisty, somehow, even after all those years. She lived for Freddy, and once she got to know Fergus and me, she was happy.” He smiles as he talks.

  “How did she die?” I ask. I see how hard it is for him to talk to me about her, but, to my shock, he does answer.

  “She went out, she didn’t tell anyone, and by the time we found her, it was too late. The vampires took her life,” he growls.

  "When did your mother pass away?" I ask gently, after we walk in silence for a while. Both of us are walking slowly. I’m enjoying just being near him, and I hope he is feeling the same way.

  "I was about one, or so I've been told. I don't remember her, but everyone told me she had a kind soul," he says.

  "I think somewhere hidden in pain is a kind soul inside of you too," I comment my inner thoughts on Jaxson.

  Jaxson stops walking to stare at me, before shaking his head. He tugs on my hand, so we keep walking.

  "How long have you been Freddy’s guardian?" I ask.

  "About seven years," he says.

  "Can I be rude and ask about his father?" I ask.

  "It's not a nice story, lass; I’ll share it with you one day but not today," he says darkly, lost in his own memories.

  "Okay." I squeeze his hand in comfort. My gaze goes forward to a cliff we are coming up to. It’s hanging over the woods, a few steps ahead of us. To the right, the view over the town is amazing, lit up with its lights as it is, and to the left, more woods. But what really gets your attention is the dim-lit summer sky. The summer nights here don’t get dark until at least ten, and even then, they aren’t truly dark.

  "I've never done this with anyone, so you'll have to hold on tight." he says before walking over to the edge of the cliff and standing on a large flat rock.

  "What are you talking about?" I ask as I walk over to him. I step onto the rock and move closer to him.

  "Trust me?" he whispers in my ear, as his arm twists around my waist, pulling me to his hard body.

  "Yes," I whisper as my body melts into his. I don't notice the rock move at first, but my eyes widen as the large rock lifts off the ground.

  "Jaxson." I whisper in shock, as we float over the cliff, and I nearly scream at the height. I hold onto Jaxson tightly as we float on the rock, down the cliff. My gaze goes to him when I finally am brave enough to look up. His eyes are glowing green, making all the features in his face look more like the supernatural wolf I know he is. The smack of the rock hitting the ground shakes me from my gaze as I wobble on the rock with Jaxson’s arms still wrapped around me. I look away from his glowing eyes to see he has landed us inside a cavern in the cliff. There is a small waterfall in the corner, and I let go and walk over. It pours down the side of the cavern wall, and I run my hand in the water, watching as it flows around my hand.

  "
I found this place when I was about ten. I was a troublesome child, always running off into the woods and testing my new-found powers. My auntie used to bring me here every summer to meet the pack as she trained me to be alpha," he tells me.

  "You were meant to be alpha?" I whisper, turning to face Jaxson, who is sitting on the edge of the cavern looking out. I walk over and sit next to him, close enough that our thighs touch.

  "Fergus is the better alpha. When my sister was killed, and I couldn't save her..." His voice cracks a little, and my heart breaks for the kind man hidden in grief. I lean my shoulder on his. Jaxson’s arm falls around my waist as he continues to tell me.

  "I was too late, lass. He killed her, and I wasn't there for her like I should have been, like an alpha would have been. Because I was rejecting whom I'm meant to be," he says, his voice echoing around the cavern.

  "I don't believe that," I whisper.

  "Why?" he asks quietly back.

  "You’re kind, Jaxson. And the way Freddy looks up to you, shows me you’re more designed to look after people than you think. You didn't kill your sister, it wasn't your fault," I tell him.

  "I should have been there. I wasn't protecting her when I was meant to, because I went out to find a vampire I had a tip on," he tells me.

  "Did you find him?" I ask gently.

  "No, it was a distraction. He wanted her alone and he—" he stops talking, looking away from me and out at the woods.

  "I'm sorry. Was it a vampire she knew then?" I ask.

  "Yes, and when I find the bastard, I will kill him," he vows the words; some words are filled with the power of a promise, and you can’t miss it.

  "I know you will," I echo as the stars start showing themselves, and the moon hovers in the sky. "Thank you for showing me this, it's really something beautiful,” I tell him.

  "Much like you," he says as he turns my face to look at him. Our mouths are a breath away as he sighs, pulling back from me.

  "I want to kiss you, lass, more than anything, but I won't. You don't deserve that. I can't be more than your friend," he says, looking as frustrated as I feel. I push down the massive pain that crosses my heart and nod at him as I turn away. I don't trust myself to speak for a moment.

  “I’m kind of seeing someone too. You’re right, we should just be friends,” I tell him when I get my voice back, and his fists clench. That’s the only response I get. We both sit in silence for a while, just listening to the waterfall, like it could wash away all my feelings for him.

  “You said you had your powers as a child, but Freddy said he wouldn’t get them until he was older,” I ask, desperate to get back to being friends.

  “I’m different. The day I was born, I got my powers. The trees sang to all the wolves, putting them into a daze, and vines from the ground wrapped around my cot as they howled. The vines covered me, my whole body. When they let go, they say my eyes were glowing green,” he tells me, his voice lost in a memory.

  "Will you ever be alpha?" I ask. I don’t reply to his story because it sounds like he resents his powers. I imagine the pressure of being alpha when you grow up, and being a special baby with strong powers, is a lot of pressure.

  "No, I gave it up to Fergus, and I won't take it, for any reason. I will always support my brother," he says and lets go of my hand.

  "Is he your alpha?" I ask as he stands and looks down at me.

  "No, I've never knelt to anyone, and I never will," he tells me firmly before walking away to the rock.

  With those words ringing in my mind, I walk over and wrap my arms around him as his eyes start glowing. I squeeze him in a tight hug before I have to let go, and his arms tighten around mine. I swear, it's like he doesn’t want me to let go.

  Ten

  Winter

  “There you are," a strong male voice shouts out, as I open my eyes into another dream. Shock fills me when I see it isn't the normal one I have had for years, but it feels just as real. The same girl is here but different, older maybe. She is sitting with her hair in a tight bun, filled with braids. It must have taken forever to get her hair just like that. I notice straight away that she is wearing odd clothes which I don't recognise. They just about cover her. It’s done in layers of purple satin that are wrapped around her body and flow out into a big skirt at the bottom. There’s a beautiful crown which lies on her head, made of little gold flowers and vines. There is a large, white, oval stone in the middle, and it glitters from the streams of light coming through the thin curtains in the room. Am I dreaming about a queen?

  "Leo," she exhales, her face filling with joy at the male outside the room. I grimace to myself as I look around the room we are in, it's nothing like I’ve ever seen, and I’m not sure how I’ve made it up. There is a massive, white bed in the middle of the room, on a kind of altar. And there are several archways to the outside, with thin, white curtains that sway in the breeze. The floor is white marble, and there isn't anything else in the room to help me know where I am. All I see is white. My thoughts are distracted as a man pushes through the curtains, and my jaw drops when I look at him. He looks just like Jaxson, the same black hair, but his eyes are light-blue, and there is a little difference in his face that shows me it’s not him. His face looks older than Jaxson’s and full of love for the woman in front of him. He is wearing a black toga with a badge in gold in the middle, with some kind of symbol on it that I can't see from where I am.

  "Elissa, are you okay?" he asks the woman. Ah ha, at least I know her name. I’m not sure if that makes me crazier, the fact I’m happy my made-up, dream woman has a name, or the fact I have these dreams in the first place. Elissa makes no move to go near him, she stands in the middle of the room, facing an empty door.

  "I keep seeing her, the war, all of it," she whispers inside my head, the same way she talked to me in the other dreams. The feeling is peaceful and tranquil just like she is.

  Leo’s face fills with sympathy as he walks over and pulls her into an embrace that she doesn’t resist.

  "What have you learnt?" he asks gently. It's clear this man loves her dearly.

  Elissa pushes him away and starts to pace right in front of me, so close I can almost touch her, but I can't move as usual.

  "He will find me, find us. The end is near, and her future isn't safe. He will hunt her, and all of them, until the prophecy is no more," she mutters as her eyes start to glow a bright blue.

  "She is safe, I have made sure of it," the man states.

  "Our deaths will guard her and her children. I can't change it. I can't save you," she wails, falling to the ground.

  The man falls to his knees in front of her, pulling her to his chest. The man gently rocks her as she cries.

  "I wouldn't change anything. I love you," he says.

  "And I you," she whispers to him, before she looks up, over Leo’s shoulder, directly at me.

  "There will be a time, a time you will understand, and it is closer than it has ever been now," she whispers in my mind.

  I gasp, waking up with a start, feeling myself covered in sweat.

  The thoughts of Elissa and Leo run through my mind, as I look at my phone and see it’s midday. I must have slept a hell of a lot longer than I wanted, but thank god, it's the weekend.

  How can these dreams be so real? It's like I was there next to her as she cried. My heart goes out to her, like the women in the romantic movies I used to watch. Maybe that's where I'm getting my strong imagination from.

  I flick though my phone for a minute before seeing a text from Wyatt:

  I will pick you up at 7. Can't wait to see you. X

  I lie back in my bed, staring at the white ceiling. Why do I feel guilty for going on a date with Wyatt when Jaxson has made it clear nothing can happen between us? My feelings for Wyatt aren’t as strong, but I haven’t really gotten to know him. I know from the kiss that there could be a good thing between us though.

  I want Jaxson just as much as I want Wyatt. I know having dreams about a romance tha
t's clearly doomed is my mind trying to tell me something. That's why I need to give Wyatt a chance. He is a nice guy, a little intimidating and scary, but there is something about him.

  I text Wyatt back saying okay, and then take a shower.

  When I come out my room with my sweats on and a tank top, I find a note on the fridge from Alex, saying she is staying at Drake’s for the weekend.

  Lucky girl, I smile to myself at the thought of how happy she is. She never let anyone get close, other than me and my mum growing up, so no boy had a chance. Until this one.

  I spend the rest of the day painting my toes and nails red, and then watching silly movies. By the time seven comes around and there's a knock at the door, I've gotten myself into a black, skater dress with black, high heels. Grabbing my purse and keys, I open the door to Wyatt and see him leaning against the door frame, looking way too attractive for his own good. His blond hair has been styled lightly, making it look softer than usual. I take my time to look at him; he’s wearing stylish, black trousers and a button-down, dark-blue shirt. His dark-brown eyes regard me with humour, knowing I'm checking him out, when I meet them eventually.

  "You look beautiful as always, sweetheart," he comments, checking out my outfit before stepping into my personal space.

  "I like your hair like this, it suits you," he says as he runs his hand through my straightened hair. The top part is put up in two plaits that join in the middle, and the rest falls gently over my shoulders.

  "Thanks," I say, feeling my throat going dry at the enticing smell of him.

  "Shall we?" he asks, holding out a hand, which I accept with a shy nod. I lock the door while he waits, and then he leads me to his car. Once I'm seated, he starts to drive and tells me, "It's a bit of a drive, but the place is worth it."

  "I don't mind." I’m looking out at the woods. My thoughts flicker to Jaxson holding me in that cave with his glowing eyes, and the need for him to kiss me. It hurts thinking of the reasons why he didn't. My gaze goes to the extremely attractive guy I'm on a date with, and guilt fills me. Is it wrong that I want them both, two people who don’t know each other and most likely would hate each other? Jaxson hates humans, I doubt he would be okay with me kissing one. The bad problem is that I couldn’t give either one of them up.