Adryan had been meaning to talk with Jade, but it seemed like whenever he tried talking to her something or the other just seemed to pop up out of nowhere. Currently, he had been working in the office he had built in his house when suddenly the door bursts open.
Now, Adryan usually hated when people did that, disturbing him by rudely barging through the door, and he would've snapped at them, he didn't already know who the culprit was.
"Adryan, you won't believe what I'm about to tell you!!! Oh god, I can't believe this myself." Violet says as soon she barges open the door.
"Violet" Adryan sighs, tiredly rubbing his forehead after witnessing Violet's yet another dramatic entry, she loved to annoy him, she also knew how much Adryan hated people barging in and interrupting his Alpha duty, so she had taken it upon herself to annoy him as much as she could. She was lucky that she was his close friend, and his best friend/beta's mate, making her the beta female.
"What is it?" Adryan asks her, hearing this, Violet straightens up, turning serious.
"Do you remember how you turned into you know what..." Adryan and Violet share a knowing look, "It happened a month after Jade left the pack." Adryan nods his head in acknowledgement, "Guess when Jade regained her eyesight?" Violet asks him.
"When?" and suddenly Adryan's eyes widen in shock and surprise.
"Yes, my friend," Violet says as if she had just found out the hidden treasure.
"A month after she left. Not only that, but she also managed to dream, which included the Moon Goddess. The Moon Goddess, Adryan." Violet emphasizes for a second time, "And we all know that Moon Goddess doesn't just appear in anyone's dream like that, there is definitely something happening, there is definitely a reason for her appearance."
"It's been three years Violet and nothing has happened" as much as Adryan wanted to believe Violet's words, he couldn't come to the conclusion of why.
"Doesn't mean it's not going to happen, her appearing three years ago didn't mean that something should've happened three years ago, maybe it's like a forewarning for something that might take place in the future."
"You know what I think?!" Violet asks, her mind still coming to terms with her absurd but maybe possible theory.
"What?" Adryan asks curiously, Violet was a really smart person, she helped Adryan with pack office works for years, and she had a keen eye for things.
"I think all this" Violet does a circular motion with her hands to indicate 'all', "you transforming, and Jade gaining her eyesight isn't just a coincidence, it all happened after you guys mated. I think maybe you know you guys share a stronger and strange bond than normal mates do" Violet concludes.
"I'm with you on the part about where the mating has to do with our sudden transformations, but the part where I and Jade share a more special and stronger bond than normal bonds is getting a bit too far ahead of ourselves." Adryan shakes his head as soon as he sees Violet about to butt in, "I haven't even talked to her after bringing her back, either I chicken out or something just pops up, after the hell I put her through three years ago, I don't think that she's going to give me a second chance at us." Adryan opens up, there was always something calm about Violet, which just made him tell her things he would otherwise never dare to tell a soul.
"You wouldn't know unless you try," Violet says as she sits in front of him. "You have to open up the way you open up to me. Tell her about things, about how you feel."
"How do I feel?" Adryan asks Violet with confusion.
"Oh boy, don't try to act stupid with me" Violet makes a face at him, "You think I don't see the way you stare at her when she's not looking?! You're like a lovesick puppy." Adryan throws daggers with his eyes at her, which Violets seemed to notice. "Geez. Sorry. I meant wolf." Violet rolls her eyes.
"It's not easy for me to just open up, Violet, when it comes to her, I forget what I was supposed to say and then say a bunch of other things that rile her up," Adryan says.
Violet stares at Adryan with wonder, which made him feel weird.
"What?" he asks her.
"The self awareness you have about your actions just blew my mind away. So you do know that you act like a possessive cave man when it comes to her?" Violet asks while leaning her head on her hands.
Adryan stares at Violet for a few moments, "I can't tell if you're joking or not..."
"I'm not. Look, girls don't like it when men act all possessive and stuff, it just showcases toxic masculinity and it's really overbearing, to say the least. If Brian acted like a cave man towards me, I would've kicked him in the nuts really hard" Violet says, causing Adryan to wince after envisioning it in his mind.
Adryan sighs his shoulders dropping in defeat. Adryan was confused and tormented. He didn't know what to do when it came to Jade.
Violet as if realizing his internal dilemma speaks up, "hey, hey, don't be so disheartened, it doesn't suit you at all." Adryan lifts his head to look at her, "I have always seen you as this tough person, it really feels weird to see you like this." Violet flashes him a smile, "just make sure that you don't try to control her actions or force her to do things. You think you can do that?"
"I will try my best" he replies, not missing a beat.
"That's what I wanted to hear" Violet flashes him a reassuring smile, as she gets up from her seated position.
She stops just when she reaches the door to his office.
"Oh, and did you tell Jade about tomorrow's events?" Violet asks already knowing her answer when she gets a groan in reply.
'Fuck' Adryan thought as he remembered that he had never told Jade about the next day's events for which he had prepared for the past two days.
"Good luck with that, Alpha" with that said, Violet takes her departure.
-
Jade had been hauled up in Adryan's house for the past two days, she hadn't gotten around to going out yet because she was skittish going out and facing the pack members alone, all on her own, Violet seemed busy with her beta female duties but visited once a day to check in. She had resorted to cleaning the house, baking and taking care of a very fussy Adonis. She hadn't seen much of Adryan too after their pack tour her first day, when she asked Violet about it, she gave her a sly smile in reply but said that he was busy preparing for something which was supposed to happen soon.
Jade has found solitude in the outdoor balcony Adryan's house had. The balcony was made up of wood, like the rest of the house. This part of the balcony had a feminine touch to it, with small plant pots here and there, with flowers. She wondered if it was Adryan's idea or maybe someone else's...like Adeena's? Jade immediately shakes her head, no, she wasn't going to go there yet now that the thought had entered her mind, she was curious.
The wooden railings outlooked the forest, there were lamp shaped lights strung up, with wooden chairs with a tiny wooden table in the middle giving it a cosy touch. Jade would sometimes spot wolves running through the forest below at night, but she mostly loved the feeling of cold air against her skin, caressing her with its gentleness. Sometimes she would even bring Adonis outside.
Today she sat on one of the wooden chairs reading Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen which had caught her attention when she entered into Adryan's own personal library, growing up Jade had heard many people talk about the book, but being blind she didn't ever get the chance to read it until now. Adonis was sitting on the blanket Jade had spread out for him, his toys seemingly more interesting than anything.
-
Adryan closed the door to his office, he inhaled and tried to catch the scent of strawberries, and he was successful when he found the lingering scent of strawberries coming from his right, following the scent he came across the outdoor balcony, his favourite spot in the entire house.
Through the glass door, he could see Jade's complete attention fixed on the book she held in her hands, her hair danced around in the air as the wind blew, causing her to tuck a few stray pieces of hair behind her ear. Adryan's eyes moved towards the tiny figure, who seemed to be enjoying himself as he played with his car and aeroplanes.
Knowing that he didn't have much time to rely on the message, he takes careful strides towards the balcony, being careful not to alert Jade or startle her.
It seemed like she was lost in a world of her own as she read the book since she hadn't noticed his presence, but someone else had. Adonis stared up at Adryan, his toys long forgotten, his next actions shocking Adryan immediately.
Adonis crawls on all his fours towards Adryan's direction, his tiny fists holding onto Adryan's legs as his blue-green eyes stare up at Adryan's ocean blue ones.
"Up," he says demanding Adryan to pick him up, startling Adryan further with his actions. Adryan just stares at him, dumbfounded.
"Are you going to stare at him all day long or are you going to pick up?" A voice interrupts his internal battle, Adryan turns his head to see Jade standing beside the wooden chair she was sitting in, she might have heard Adonis' voice, causing her to discard off her book.
When Adryan still doesn't do anything, Jade herself walks up to where he and Adonis were, she picks up Adonis herself, who immediately squeals at her actions.
"You know, I don't know why you dragged me back here, to your pack when you were going to do was leave us in the house, you never tried to get to know your son, and now when he's asking you to hold him, you stare at him like he's an alien of some sort," Jade says at Adryan, who now seems to come out of the trance he was earlier in.
"I-" he stutters causing Jade to raise her eyebrows, clearing his throat he speaks again, "I have never held uhh, a child," Adryan says and looks away immediately, Jade's eyes widen in realization at his words, now his earlier actions making sense to her.
"Oh," Jade says dumbfounded not knowing how to reply, after a few seconds of thinking she speaks up again, "I could show you?!" Jade offers.
"Yeah, that would be great!" Adryan says immediately, causing Jade to lightly smile at his enthusiasm.
"Here," she says, turning Adonis in her arms so that his front was facing towards Adryan, "outstretch your arms a bit" Jade guides him, as he follows her directions, "now place both of your hands under his arms, so that you are holding his sides. Do it gently, you don't have to hold him too tightly where you squeeze him". Adryan finally holds Adonis in his hands, who stares up at him in wonder.
"There," she backs up.
Adryan stares at Adonis who leans his head on Adryan's shoulder, the action caused a warm feeling inside him, Jade smiled as she watched the pair. Backing away, she turns to walk back to her earlier position on the wooden chair, only to be stopped by Adryan.
"Wait," Adryan says.
"Yeah?" Jade asks questioningly
"There is an event being held tomorrow" Jade tilts her head to the side, not knowing where this was going "I wanted to introduce you both to the pack members officially, so there would be a pack initiation held tomorrow at eleven at the training grounds..." Adryan trails off, wanting to know her answer.
Jade stares at him for a few moments, she knows that this was to happen someday, since Adonis was supposed to be the future Alpha, he would have to be initiated into the pack officially since he wasn't technically born within the pack grounds, all members born outside the pack house to be officially initiated to the pack, be accepted by the Alpha of the pack. Since she wasn't born in The Blood Moon Pack, Jade would to have to get initiated. She wanted to be where her son was, even if it meant being an official part of the pack.
"We will be there at eleven," she says, her response shocking Adryan, he was prepared for her to argue back but her compliance shocked him.
"Is that it?" she asks him, "yeah" he answers back.
"Jade" she looks back at him over her shoulder.
"Wear something white." she smiles back at him in reply, causing his heart to skip a beat.