The Moon Phase Trilogy | Protected | Book One | ORIGINAL

Fifteen

Jayden stayed at Ericka's cell talking with Ruby, "So Ruby...why are you here? What does Asher want with you?" Jayden asked, chewing his lip.

Ruby smiled softly and moved closer to the cell bars, "Well, I'm not sure what he wants with a werewolf like me. My little sister is somewhere in this place, I'm just not sure where. We got separated when we were kidnapped. I don't think Asher wants anything to do with us, I think his leader wants something to do with us. He's just the guy who does the kidnapping," Ruby explained.

Jayden nodded and thought about what his twin brother had gotten himself in to, "I'm sorry you got into this mess...I'm not sure what his plan is, I just hope it's nothing too horrid." He spoke and looked to Ericka who was still drugged up and passed out. 'Please let her be okay...I'm going to kill Asher if she's not.' He thought to himself with a low growl.

Ruby raised her brows, "Jayden, are you alright?"

Jayden looked back to Ruby and sighed, unsure of how to respond, "I don't know what I'd do without Ericka...yeah we may have just met, but she's my mate. I can feel it when we are close together. When we are far apart, my heart aches and I miss her so much. I--I'm not sure if she's gotten my mark yet, but I'm sure she has," Jayden explained with slight tears in his eyes.

Ruby took one of his hands and gently rubbed it, "Jay, everything will be alright and she will be fine. I woke up yesterday and I probably was taken about a week ago. I can't tell how many days it's been because of there being no sunlight in here."

"I can't wait that long. Why does Asher have to be such an ass...why do they need her and the necklace? I don't understand," he whined.

"You will soon enough..." a familiar voice rang through his ears. He turned around and saw a girl with turquoise hair, a skull mask on and a black cloak that covered her whole body. She was a little older than he was and Jayden was shocked to see her in America.

"What are you doing here..." Jayden asked as he slowly stood up. He gritted his teeth as he stood up and he clutched Ericka's cell bars for support.

The girl smiled softly, "I am here because Asher needed me. I lost my memory and he told me that he would help me get it back if I helped him," they said.

Jayden looked back at Ruby, but she hid back in the darkness of her cell. He put his attention back to the girl before he spoke, "Well...he may be lying. You really don't remember who you are?"

"No. Asher calls me Skull because of my mask, but I like Unknown better. What is your name?"

"I am Jayden, Jayden Fahl, Asher's older twin," Jayden said. It hurt him too much to actually admit Asher and he were twins, even if they really didn't look like one another. They weren't identical, they were fraternal. "I'll call you Unknown, if that will make you feel better." He knew her actual name, but he wasn't going to tell her because he knew she'd never believe him.

The girl smiled and nodded, "Thank you. I don't even remember where I got this skull mask anyway. I just woke up with it one day." She giggled.

Jayden laughed and forgot how much he missed her laugh, "Your laugh is so delicate." He could see some of her past self come out ever so slightly and he was happy about it.

Skull's cheeks grew dark and she looked down, "Thank you, Jayden. I better get back to Asher. I'm not sure if he or Daemion needs me. Good luck with everything," she spoke and left him be. He seemed like a really good guy, but she felt terrible for not remembering him.

"Bye...J.T." He said softly so she couldn't hear him. Jayden continued to stare in Ericka's cell, worried. This time could not go any slower for him if it tried. "My Luna, please wake up."

"Oh my dear Jayden, she won't be waking up any time soon. At least not without this little thing," someone spoke. The petite, vampire girl was at Jayden's side immediately the moment he turned to see where the voice came from. Her long black hair was nicely curled and the blood red streaks in her hair could be seen quite well with what she had done to style it. She held a necklace in her hand and the pendant dangled from the end of it.

Jayden looked at her and then the pendant, seeing a moonphase in a simple frame swinging back and forth as it hung, "What the hell did you do to her?! Why do you need the damn necklace so bad?!" He grew angry and wanted to shift, but was still too weak to do so. He had heard a lot about the vampire twins and had seen them around school once in a blue moon, but didn't really know the girl's name.

"Jayden, there is so much that you don't know. And so much we won't tell you," she smirked.

Another voice was heard and Jayden scanned the area for their figure, "Now sister dear, please don't taunt the poor mateless werewolf. He needs our help to get her back," a tall boy strutted over to Jayden's other side and he was much taller than the girl.

"Grant, what are you talking about?" A growl escaped Jayden's lips and he wanted to take them down, just like he had done a few weeks ago.

Grant grinned, "Well Jayden, to get Ericka back, I need you to do something for me," he turned his attention towards his twin sister and held his hand out for the necklace, "Noelia, please go and get Asher. We are going to need both of the Fahl brothers for this job."

"Why do I have to do everything?" Noelia groaned.

"Because I'm in charge and the oldest," Grant fired back.

Jayden watched as the two siblings bickered back and forth with each other distracted, as he slowly crawled away to look for Shaun. 'I'll be back Ericka, I promise. Shaun and I will get you out of here unharmed and safe.' He thought to himself as he tried to get Shaun's scent. "Found you. I'm coming, Shaun," he said as he stood up. He followed Shaun's scent easily and limped to get there. He caught a whiff of Asher, Skull and another guy's scent and his heart raced, "Not you too..." He whined as he continued on in pain. "I'm coming, Shaun. Just sit tight."