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Nineteen

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Word Count: 2536

Chapter Nineteen:

The prince had fallen into a depression. 

A once vibrant personality had disappeared like smoke. Eyes sunken and posture slouched, Adrian looked like the corpse of a royal. At first, he had distracted himself with caring for Felix - hoping Jade would be unable to live without him and come back willingly -but once Felix began to get better, assuring everyone he was fine, Adrian went back to the hunt. 

He was hunting for Jade. He hadn't thought she'd go back to Esterhaven, no, she was too smart for that. He also had decided that Jade would not have stayed in Drendann because royal guards patrolled everywhere - there was no way she could avoid them. He'd hoped maybe, just maybe, a citizen in one of the surrounding cities, perhaps in Desan or a small town like Kenasp, would call and report strange happenings like things floating or people losing their memories. 

Adrian longed for Jade in a way that he couldn't explain. Every thought of her pulled at his heart, the remembrance of her stubborn personality and fiery attitude made him laugh, his dreams excessively consisted of her. Her eyes. Blue. Oh, how he missed them. 

He exhausted himself daily. Every hour wasted trying to find her. It had only been a month but he knew they needed to complete the mate bond soon or they would both die and if Adrian died, Sebastian would have to take over. Sebastian wasn't a ruler, Adrian knew he was a commander, a soldier. 

Late one night, a month after Jade's escape, Adrian was unable to sleep. He listened softly to the clock on the wall tick, the unending worry keeping him awake. He was just about to pass out from exhaustion when a blaring noise erupted from his phone. With a rub of his eyes he realized it wasn't his phone, but the tip hotline phone he'd set up for any possible sighting of Jade. 

He raced to the phone fumbling with it until he was able to press the answer button. 

"Hello?" Adrian's voice was groggy. 

There was silence for a moment. In retrospect, it wasn't as long as it had seemed to Adrian at that instant, but it was long enough for him to wonder if he should hang up. 

"Adrian..." The voice trailed. Adrian's heart skipped a beat. 

He recognized his soulmate's voice immediately.

"J-Jade? where are you? I-I'm coming." He rushed to his closet, phone in hand, so he could quickly get dressed. 

"Adrian," Jade repeated this time a little more forceful. Adrian stopped in his tracks. "I'm in Drendann. I-I... I need your help." 

Adrian's throat went dry. 

"I'm coming," he said again. "I'm coming."

---

"Oh fuck," I whispered, trying to support Jackson as I practically dragged him into my tiny little basement. He could hardly stand and he was losing blood fast. 

The long alleyway back to my front door was a short walk but felt like a marathon as I was moving this slow. The brick walls surrounded me and Jackson, and all I could think was that they would cave on me, that I wouldn't be able to save him. 

He was my best friend, and,  he was my best friend's mate. I loved him. I would do anything for him. So I trudged on, and I got him to my front door. I felt the beginning of one of my mate bond pains begin and I clenched my teeth. Why did this have to be happening right now?