Destined for Vengeance ✔️

Chapter 19

Curiosity got the better of Jade. Not only was she faster than Aaron, she also had a head start. There was no way he was going to catch up with her, and if she had just kept running, she would have escaped his clutches without ever even slipping into his field of vision. It would have been the wise thing to do, but her wolf didn't care about caution. The animal understood this might be the only chance they'd ever get to see their mate in his wolf form. Jade couldn't refuse her counterpart that pleasure – after all, she herself had gotten them into this mess because she wanted to see his human form. It was only fair.

Right before she disappeared into the forest, she'd seen him cast aside his jacket and getting ready to shift. A thrill had shot through her. Much as she regretted being stupid enough to let him spot her, she did love a chase.

She heard him behind her – far enough behind that he wouldn't catch up no matter how hard he tried. If he hadn't been able to follow her scent, he would have lost her already. She wasn't even running at full speed. Her wolf wanted to give him a chance to catch a glimpse of them. To show off, as it were. She wanted him to see how fast she was, how easily she zipped between the trees, how effortlessly her paws pounded against the ground.

She made a sharp turn, circling back. She loved playing hide and seek as a child. Being as small as she was, there'd never been a shortage of hiding places. This was like that, only the stakes were higher.

"Have you shaken him off yet?" Ryleigh linked her.

"Working on it."

"Two guards have come after him. The others are panicking. I don't think the guests know what's going on, though some people are asking questions about where the prince has gone. You alright?"

"Honestly?"

"Always."

"I'm having fun."

She heard Ryleigh sigh in her head – the sigh of a parent disappointed in a child – but there was amusement in her voice when she linked again: "Just don't get caught."

Jade scoffed. "You do know who you're talking to, right?"

The terrain was rocky. A few large boulders were scattered about at random, and dozens of smaller though still significant rocks were interspersed between them. It was tricky navigating through them, which made it perfect. She shot around the area, jumping on top of the rocks and off them, moving from one side to the other and back, till there was no way he could use her scent to accurately pinpoint where she was. And then she waited, hiding at the side of one the boulders, in the darkest spot, where even the moonlight couldn't find her.

She was hardly done when a gigantic, dark-coloured wolf entered her view. He was magnificent. Should they stand side by side, he would tower over her like a mountain over a pebble. Moonlight danced on his coat and reflected from bright, lavender eyes. His strength was confirmed by the way he leaped onto one of the boulders, his gaze flitting around.

Jade had to keep herself from shrinking further into the dark. If she stood still, he wouldn't see her. If she moved, he'd catch the shadows shifting. That's how he'd spotted her the first time.

He jumped back down, lowering his head to the ground. Her scent was pervading the place, and as predicted, he had trouble determining her location. He sniffed, moving around the clearing.

Impressive though he looked, there was something strained about the way he moved, like he wasn't used to being in his wolf form and didn't trust his animal to take the lead. That was probably why he hadn't caught up with her. He was out of practice and it slowed him down.

Still, she could tell he was vigilant, his ears pricked up. Should he catch her, he would certainly prove himself the better fighter. Or at least, his sheer strength would end her resistance within seconds. Her advantage was in her speed, but she had no illusions she could physically compete with him.

She had never seen a wolf with lilac eyes. It was a royalty-thing, Ryleigh had told her once. It suited him. Her breath faltered when he came dangerously close. Her muscles tensed, ready to sprint away. Her wolf had had her peek, now it was time to let reason guide her again.

The moment he was on the other side of the clearing, she shot from the shadows. If there had ever been a moment to tiptoe their limits, this was it. Dirt and leaves shot up behind her as she scrambled to get back to the safety of the dense forest.

She heard him pursue her, his heavy paws striking the forest floor. Faster. She had to go faster. It dawned on her that she hadn't given him enough credit. He might have been out of practice, he definitely was not out of shape, and he was fast. She was in trouble.

He roared – a low, warning sound. Her wolf faltered. The authority emanating from that one sound set their heart racing. She was used to alphas, but this was different. With that, there was something extremely enthralling about hearing her mate roar. She only held in her pace for one breath of a second, but that was enough. He shot from the dark and crashed into her, throwing her off her paws.

The cold, hard ground knocked the air out of her lungs, and she inflated with a tiny whine. She tried struggling back to all-fours, but he pinned her down. He was standing over her, his head lowered to hers, his front paws pressed to her chest, keeping her immobile.

She feared her heart would give out. His scent enveloped her – not the citrussy soap smell Ryleigh had reported, but something more gentle. Rosewood, she guessed, currently mixed with dirt and the far less pleasant stench of his wolf's breath. His eyes bore into hers with both bewilderment and anger. It reminded her that he hadn't just been chasing her for half an hour but for four years. New as this was to her, he had waited for this moment for a long time, and she guessed he wasn't going to let her walk away.

It had been entertaining to have him chase her, and it had been wonderful to see him, but she wasn't going to speak to him. Not ever. What would she even say? What did she say to the man who owned half of her soul but whose father had massacred hundreds of her kin?

Had he been anyone else, she would have had the upper hand. She would have mind-controlled him to get off her and to let her go. But he was a royal and that meant her magic couldn't affect him. That, however, just meant she needed to be smarter about it.

He moved off her, but stayed right by her side, ready to pounce again should she think of running. His eyes never left her. She was hit by a very sudden yet very strong urge to know who he was – not just his rank, but his character. She couldn't bear to be so affected by a stranger.

The treetops rustled. There was a shift in the air. Sounds rose up from around them. Her mate looked up – his gaze finally straying away from her. Breathing immediately became easier without his piercing glare fixed on her.

The flapping of wings drifted onto the clearing, first gently, then louder and louder. Hundreds of wings, accompanied by an orchestra of chirps, croaks, coos, shrieks. The moon peeked through the foliage and illuminated an army of birds shooting towards them – or rather: towards Prince Aaron.

There were all kinds of birds – owls, woodpeckers, birds of prey, and countless of others that Jade couldn't name. They all circled in a big, dark cloud above the prince. He craned his neck to stare at them, uneasily moving his feet. He shot her a look, as though he was putting the pieces together and figuring out that she was responsible. He didn't know who she was, let alone what she could do. He had to be utterly confused, and it amused her.

She got to her feet. He growled at her, and she respected that he still managed to pretend to be in charge while there was an armada of winged nightmares hovering above him. Controlling birds was easy – their minds were simple and easy to override – but to control a few hundred at once was a challenge, and not something she was particularly practiced in.

She inclined her head, an admission of a game well played. Then she shot away, and the birds rained down on the prince. She made sure the creatures didn't hurt him. Just a few pecks – enough to get him to run the other way and admit defeat. 

______

A/N: And so our fated mates have met again. Thoughts? Predictions for the future? 

Thank you for reading!