Destined for Vengeance ✔️

Chapter 36

Lately Jade's life was made up of two parts: being with Aaron, and waiting until she could be with him again. It worried her. She wasn't used for her mood to be so dependent on whether or not she was going to see someone that day. She wasn't used to someone being able to make her stomach flutter just by popping up in her thoughts. Aaron had only been in her life two weeks, and that was not enough to love him, wasn't enough to live and breathe for him, but that didn't mean she wasn't heading there faster than she would have thought possible.

Still, no matter how fast she thought they were going, she also knew it wasn't fast enough for him, and that, too, worried her. She wasn't sure she could keep up, and yet she didn't want to slow down either.

Luckily she had Ryleigh and her scepticism to keep her grounded. Well, 'luckily' might not have been the right word, but at least Ryleigh's dislike of Aaron kept Jade from swooning too hard. And yet, Ryleigh or no Ryleigh, too fast or just fast enough, nothing changed the fact that whenever he was near her, her world lit up.

She was standing at the edge of the training field, watching the warriors train. Archer – the head warrior – had asked her to join, but she had declined. Not only was she expecting Aaron, she also didn't think her fighting style was appropriate for this relatively casual setting.

She sensed his presence before she saw him. It was hard to explain, but whenever he was near, even if she wasn't aware of it, she would feel it in the pit of her stomach, and her heart would pick up its pace, and her wolf would stir.

"There you are." He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, lowering his head to the crook of her neck.

Jade grinned, inhaling his scent deeply. She leant back against him. She knew everybody was looking at them, and it made her nervous that she wasn't able to sift through their thoughts, but it was a much-needed break.

"Do you ever fight?" she asked, tipping her head up to look at him. Archer was yelling orders, and all the fighters responded immediately – a single-minded army.

"To train? Or out of anger?"

She pursed her lips. "Both."

"I train regularly, but I rarely fight out of necessity or aggression. I have learned to control my temper."

"Have you now?" She turned around in his hold, her eyes flitting over his torso. "I do suppose you have to train very regularly to look like this."

He smirked and she chided herself. His ego really didn't need boosting.

"What about you?" he asked, creating a bit more room between them. His eyes flitted to her lips. She shared his sentiment. If they weren't getting so unabashedly stared at, she would have kissed him until her legs gave out.

"I haven't trained in a while." She glanced at the warriors. "I've considered joining them, but I'm afraid I'd hurt them. Shadow Walkers don't tend to fight fair. I usually train with Ryleigh, but she hasn't been able to, because –" She stopped.

"Because of the silver."

"Yes. She's doing better now, but still not great, and she's been acting out lately. I've been avoiding her a bit, actually. I never know which version of her I'm going to get." She shrugged, admonishing herself for speaking ill of Ryleigh to someone who already disliked her with a passion. "Anyway, I don't often get into fistfights. Usually when there's a need to defend myself, I use my magic. It's quicker."

"Must be convenient."

"Yes. Sometimes." She glanced around. "Where are your guards?"

"I told them to wait at the mansion. I know they make you uncomfortable." He brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. She hadn't bothered putting it up, so it was its usual chaotic mess. "Let us find a quiet place to talk."