-Kaden's POV-
Orders were being passed around left-right and centre, but I didn't pay them any mind, my attention was on my Keeper as I carried him to Keiron's office, people from all around offering to help me, but I refused every offer, I couldn't let him go right now and I didn't want anyone else touching him.
My big bad alpha would not like to be held like this, I believed, maybe his pride would take a punch and I would relentlessly tease him for it.
"Sir."
He didn't feel heavy in my arms, and I could still feel his heartbeat, loud and prominent in my ears. Adam would have to rest and recover, and we would have to clean up the mess that had been caused by that thing. Galtolga would be busy for a few days.
"Sir..."
We would probably have to take some time off school. I should also check in with Adrian and Cameron, I knew they were fine, but I should make sure anyway.
Alas, we were successful, we had managed to pull off Soul Bound even if it was very straining on us both. And those dreams...was that my subconscious? I still didn't know. It had shaken me up seeing my parents like that, it had been so long, and the thought made me feel guilty.
We had won but it still felt like there was so much to do...
Amelia had been captured and was being dealt with, I still didn't know whether it was best to actually exterminate her or not, but I knew that she was not in a good place right now, I wonder what Jupiter would say. The message he had sent said that I needed to dispose of her, and even though she was currently still alive, she was definitely disposed of, she wouldn't cause any more problems for anyone.
"Kaden! You have to put him down so Keiron can help him."
My eyes drifted half-seeing to where Tom stood beside me, Keiron on the other side with the bed between us.
I managed to slowly nod my head. Adam needed help right now and there was nobody I trusted more for that job than Keiron, he would let me stay with him, I wouldn't have to leave.
Stepping towards the bed, I lay my Keeper down gently, making sure his head was placed comfortably on the pillow and I took his hand in mine, letting my eyes gaze over his restful face. His eyes were closed, the colour slightly drained from his face, but he still looked beautiful.
"Please help him," I said softly, never moving my eyes away from my love.
There was so much to do, but for now, it could wait.
My Keeper still needed me.
Keiron gave him something that would help Adam rest more comfortably and regain his strength quicker. He explained what I had already suspected; that Adam had completely drained his energy after using such a strong force of power that he was not used to. I should have known, I should have thought about the repercussions it would have on my Keeper, but I didn't know another way.
"It's not your fault, sir. Even if he had known the repercussions, I'm sure he would have done it anyway," Keiron tried to assure me.
"Oh, believe me, I have known Adam his whole life, he definitely would have done it, even if it cost him more than that." Tom shook his head, smiling to himself.
Yes, Adam and I were very similar in that aspect. We both would have sacrificed heavily to protect the people we care about.
"Thank you, both of you. If it is alright, I would like a moment alone with my Keeper."
"Of course, sir." Keiron bowed his head and the two stepped out of the room, only then did I finally release the sigh I had been holding in.
I tightened my hold on Adam's hand, placing my forehead down on his forearm as my eyes fell closed. "I'm sorry, love."
"You're always apologising..." he suddenly mumbled, dragging my eyes back to his face. Adam's eyes were still closed but there was a small smile on his lips.
"I'm always putting you in dangerous situations," I sighed. Of course, I'd been able to hear Adam's thoughts this whole time, more than welcoming them into my own head. We fully connected through mind and soul back there and neither of us was willing to back out of that just yet.
"We live in rather dangerous situations, love." Adam coughed harshly and I jumped up, already at his side, but he held his hand up, smiling brightly. "It is not your fault, and you know it."
He suddenly chuckled, taking me by complete surprise when he pulled me forward, towards him. I could only catch myself by pressing a hand against Adam's chest but by that point, I was already pressed up against him. "That's better. There was too much distance between us," he smirked, moving his lips to hover dangerously close to mine.
"You're injured, love," I whispered, my eyes betraying me either way and straying to his lips.
"Just a bit worn out, really." His smirk turned lazy, his thumb rubbing gently against my hand and sighed, but not out of annoyance, more out of acceptance as I easily succumbed to him.
My eyes closed as I pressed my lips gently against his, my own lips slightly parted as I felt his warm and slightly rough ones press more firmly against mine. I poured my emotions into that kiss, all the worry I had felt, the fear, the anxiety, the guilt, as well as the happiness that rushed through me having my soul connecting with his, the contentedness, the desire and pure, devastating amount of love I felt for this man.
With the hand that wasn't holding mine, Adam took a strong hold of my face, angling us so he could kiss me deeper, pouring his own emotions into the kiss to the point where it was almost overwhelming. His tongue slipped slowly past my parted lips and I shivered, my hand pressing more against his bare check, my fingers digging into the skin.
He was just wearing a pair of shorts that hung loosely around his waist, teasing me with how fucking gorgeous he looked. Adam's tongue connected with mine on a sensual level, and the heat flooded my body, shredding any sense of control I had left.
My lips pressed harder against his, curling my tongue around his own as I pushed myself up onto the bed. I straddled his waist, my hands placed firmly on his chest. Adam growled deeply into my mouth, his hand immediately moving to grip my hips, unconsciously pulling me even closer.
I nibbled on his bottom lip, my hands trailing down his body and tracing the outline of his delectable v-line. Just the feel of his mouth-water body beneath my fingers was enough to have me moaning into his mouth, his tongue once again burying into my mouth and pulling more sounds from me as I got completely lost in my Keeper.
I'm not sure how much time had passed; time didn't matter in that moment. But eventually, we pulled away, breathing deeply as we got lost in each other's eyes. God, he was beautiful.
Adam chuckled shortly, his thumb running over my bottom lip, which were still slightly parted as I breathed and I felt like I was in a daze, completely mesmerised by him. "So are you," he whispered, drinking me in as his eyes gazed over my face and body before settling back on my eyes.
I settled into his arms, moving off of him to lay beside him instead and sighed happily when I felt his arms wrap around me, pulling me closer. I buried my head into his neck, enjoying the closeness and not worrying about being interrupted. In that moment, I didn't care who saw us, I just needed to be close to him.
"What did you say earlier?" He asked, his thumb rubbing up and down my arm and bringing me a sense of calm that washed every single worry from my mind.
"Hmm?"
"You said something, in your own language, just before we finished off the Sieloid. It was Ceixean, right?"
Oh right. I smiled against his neck. I had been so caught up in the moment, I let my instincts take over, putting my full faith in my Keeper, those words came so naturally when addressed to him that they left my lips before I had even realised.
"Mye loect tismo," I said.
"That's it. You said it so quietly, I thought you were just mumbling to yourself, but I wanna learn more of your language, more about you." He thought to himself for a moment, the silence falling between us. "What does it mean?" He asked again, and I pulled back slightly so I could see his face before answering him.
"I said them to you," I smiled. Adam raised his eyebrows, even more intrigued than before. "It means, I love you."
His eyes immediately softened, changing to an expression filled with so much love it almost suffocated me. He bumped his nose with mine, a soft smile falling on his lips. "Mye loect tismo," he whispered.
My heart swelled with pride and love, beating hard against my chest. I didn't know what to say, so I just hugged him tightly, letting him feel my emotions, letting them blend with his own as we rested in our own personal haven. "Mye loect tismo," I whispered, placing soft kisses to his neck. He shivered against me, pulling a smirk to my lips.
"I didn't get the chance to tell you back there, but you look fucking hot in your true form."
I chuckled lightly, pleased with his words. It was a form I didn't take on very often and definitely not when on Earth. "Thank you, Mya Setio." Most people feared me when in that form, knowing the power I had access to when I no longer had anything to hold me back. Yeah...people would quake in my presence when they saw me like that.
Which made it even more touching and satisfying to hear those words from my Keeper, I didn't know what I would do if even he feared me in that form.
"I could never have a reason to be scared of you, love. You sent shivers down my spine, but I can promise you, they had nothing to do with fear," he chuckled, nuzzling his nose into my neck. His words had my eyes changing without my permission, for I understood exactly what he meant.
"You were brilliant out there, thank you for staying by my side," I said sincerely.
Adam took my hand that lay in between us, intertwining our fingers. "I'll always stay by your side."
I squeezed his hand, smiling. "As will I, love. That is my promise to you."
We lay there for a few more minutes, just holding each other, before a soft knock sounded from the door.
I already knew who it was, and I wanted Keiron to check over Adam again, just to confirm that everything was okay with him, because I knew my stubborn Keeper would not be willing to stay in here for too long, not when he knew we had stuff to do.
"Come in," Adam and I said at the same time, making me smile to myself.
I sat up in the bed but remained close to him, our hands still clasped together as Keiron entered the room, this time alone.
"You're awake," Keiron smiled. "It's good to have you back, sir. How are you feeling?"
"I'm good, thank you, Keiron. A little tired, but nothing too bad."
"That's good to hear. If it is okay with you, I would like to run a few tests just to makes sure everything is okay." Keiron waited for our response before stepping closer.
"Please do," I smiled.
Keiron ran his tests, but everything was back to normal with Adam, other than a little fatigue that would wear off after some rest, Adam was in perfect health and didn't suffer any further repercussions from using such power.
"Thank you for your services, Keiron." I thanked him again, truly grateful for everything he did for us.
"Thank you for yours," he bowed, addressing us both.
We were free to leave, and Adam was eager to get out of there, commenting on how he didn't like the smell of the herbs and medicines.
"We still have some things to do?" He asked as we walked hand-in-hand down the corridor.
I nodded, trying to rearrange my thoughts. "I-we need to check in with our fighters, and the scene needs to be cleaned up. We should return there now if you are feeling up to it...or maybe you should rest." He could rest in my room for a while if he needed, or he could go back to the pack house.
"I'm not leaving your side, Angel, so get the idea out of your head." He squeezed my hand, assuring me he was okay.
I nodded in understanding and appreciation. Okay, let's do this.
We returned to the scene, and I was proud to see the cleaning crew had already been called in, and they were on the scene removing the gloopy substance that coated the floors, as well as any blood. Luckily, nobody was too badly injured, but I could see that Keiron and some other doctors were hard at work treating those that needed it.
Adrian noticed our presence immediately and rushed towards us, his eyes on Adam as he spoke quickly.
"Sir, thank God! You really scared us back there, how are you?!"
I felt Adam's surprise, his eyes widening slightly as he looked at the boy in front of him. I noticed how Adrian started calling him sir when in Galtolga, whether it was out of respect, appearances, or simply to get into the habit of it, I didn't know, but it secretly made me happy, and I think it did Adam too.
He smiled pleasantly, his arm slipping around my waist. "Thank you for your concern, Adrian. I am fine, it was just exhaustion as I had never used Galtolga's power before."
"It will be easier from now." The first time was always quite overwhelming on the body, but Galtolgic power will become easier for him to use, especially the more he used it.
"Ah, yeah, first time can be quite a shock, huh?" Adrian chuckled, running a hand through his hair. "Well, I'm glad you're okay."
Adrian then turned towards me. "I called in the cleaning crew to get started and those who have been injured are being treated by doctors. We are out of panic mode, but everyone is asking questions, it formed quite the crowd, but the guards kept them back from the scene, and Cameron managed to calm them down, he didn't tell them too much but assured them we were out of harm and that everything was okay now. They have returned to their homes for now and will wait for you to address them."
Cameron had joined us while Adrian caught me up on everything I had missed.
"Thank you, both of you. How are you doing?" I inclined my head sincerely, grateful to both of them for everything.
"We're good, sir. We were just worried about you two," Cameron spoke with a soft voice, the concern clearly showing in his eyes. How did I ever get so lucky?
I looked towards my Keeper, not caring who saw me smiling so openly at him. "We are good."
We checked in with the other guards and knights, thanking them personally and making sure they were okay or were at least being treated. The black gloop was slowly disappearing, and I was proud to see everyone so hard at work and working together to get Galtolga back to its original state.
"You should rest, love," I said as Adam and I were later in my office. I was filing through the paperwork, knowing such an event will have to be filed and reported for. Not to mention Amelia, I still didn't know what to do with her. She wasn't in a nice place right now and for now she would remain there. I wasn't a fan of ending a life if it wasn't necessary, no matter how angry she made me. Of course, if Adam asked for it, I would have it done in a second. I suppose that would have to wait for now.
"I'm not leaving you," he smirked knowingly.
I sighed silently but I could feel the smile on my lips. "We will address the people tomorrow, let everything calm down a little here. Shall we check in with the pack? I feel like I've been pulling you away from them lately."
"They understand that things have been pretty hectic with us lately, so no harm done. Plus, we'll be spending more time with them now that things are finally nearing the end. Michael has been keeping an eye on things for me, but I know they would like to see you more, only once you have time of course." He paused, thinking about something that I heard very clearly, but he spoke the words anyway. "I was actually thinking, I would like to do the ceremony next week if you are ready, for you to take your place as Alpha that is."
I smiled, stepping around the desk and taking his face in my hands. It was something I had thought about myself, and I would soon like Adam to take his place here as King as well. "I would love to." I kissed him once on the lips, running my tongue along his lips in a teasing motion.
His eyes darkened, his hands gripping my waist and pulling me closer.
"Back to the pack house then?" I smirked, my own eyes darkening as I pressed my forehead against his.
*
Adam and I lay in his bed at the pack house after we socialised awhile with his pack. I felt bad for leaving Galtogla as it was, but there wasn't anything I could do right now, and if they needed me, they would always be able to contact me.
I held Adam in my arms, his head resting against my chest. I knew he was tired, even if he insisted, he was okay. There was nothing he could hide from me, no matter how stubborn he wanted to be.
Soon he would rest, but there was still something playing on my mind, and I would like to talk to him about it.
"Adam."
"Kaden." I could hear the smirk in his voice, making me chuckle.
"During that fight when I was knocked out...did you hear any of my thoughts? Or...feel anything?"
His sadness filled me instantly and I wrapped my arms tighter around him.
"No. I couldn't feel you at all, it was like you were..." He couldn't finish that sentence, but I knew what he was trying to say. "I could hear your heart beating, that was pretty much the only thing that stopped me from going insane." He sighed, burying his head more into my chest and inhaling my scent. "Why do you ask?"
"I think I was dreaming...or worse. I lived through some past memories, memories from my childhood. I saw my parents...I felt so lost and scared, I just had to find you, to get back to you. I also saw Gabriel when we first became friends at thirteen. He was the only one who heard everything I said, my parents would only reply to certain things or change the subject, but Gabe...he heard me and he helped me."
"Sounds like your subconscious, love. Your parents couldn't help you because they are no longer here, but Gabriel is, and he is your friend, you know he would do anything for you and vice versa. I'm sorry I wasn't with you, but I swear, I would have found you eventually."
Was that what it was? My subconscious.
"I think...I would like to see them again."
Adam kissed my chest tenderly, his eyes looking up at me with warmth. "I'll be there when you do, if that is what you want."
My Keeper benefited greatly from seeing his father again, I could tell in the way he seemed a lot more confident and happier, if that were even possible. His dad was proud of him, and I could see why, he really had raised an amazing man.
"Thank you, Mya Setio."
We fell silent again and for a moment, I thought he had fallen asleep, before his voice drifted into my ears once again.
"I have what is probably a really stupid question considering our lifestyles."
His words piqued my interest, my eyebrows raising even though he wouldn't be able to see them. It was dark by now and his head still rested against my chest.
"I don't think I would consider anything you ask me stupid." I thought for a moment. "Unless you're going to ask me if I love you."
Adam chuckled, his body shaking lightly. He pulled away slightly so he could look into my eyes, hooking my attention with bold eyes.
"I know you love me, and I love you very much too. It might be a stupid question, seeming none of us are exactly human, but we have mated in the werewolf way and bound our souls in the Soul Waker way, so I think maybe we should seal the deal in the human way too."
"The human way being?" My eyes widened, the sudden thought of marriage hitting my mind.
Adam chuckled, leaning his face closer to mine. "One day, love, I promise you that, but before that, they tend to ask another question." Oh.
I chuckled lightly, seeing where he was going with this. I wouldn't exactly deem it a stupid question. Humans could be very confusing since a lot of them had many different partners in their lifetime and it was a way of forming commitment between them, as some will often play games and leave people confused, this was their way of clarifying exactly what was between them, and I didn't see anything wrong with that at all.
"And what's that?" I teased, placing a chaste kiss on his nose.
Adam smirked; his eyes flickered to my lips briefly. "Will you be my boyfriend?" He whispered. "I mean...in the human world."
I chuckled, tightening my arms around him. "Yes, Mya Setio. I will be your mate in the Lycanthrope world, your keeper in the Soul Waker world and your boyfriend in the human world, plus whatever other variations they have in other worlds."
My Keeper grinned, finally crashing his lips against mine and pulling me into a mind-crushing kiss that stole my breath away. I would be his everything, now and forever, just as he would be mine.
*
"Did you ever check the list?" Adam asked as we got ready for school the next day. We were tempted to take the day off again, but we didn't want to raise too much suspicion and I still had the deal going with the headmaster to keep my grades up, that would be hard to do if I wasn't there.
"No, I must admit, I completely forgot about that." I retrieved Jupiter's list from my jeans pocket that still lay on the ground, opting to borrow some of Adam's clothes again. It was crumpled slightly but I wasn't worried. The ink came into view, and I scanned the list quickly, my eyes falling to where we last were.
"I think that did it," I smirked lightly, seeing the next item cross off.
"Good, because if that wasn't risking it all, I don't know what is." I couldn't agree more, we had both lost consciousness yesterday and that was something I never wanted to experience again, considering it scared the both of us quite severely. I liked my Keeper healthy and happy beside me and that was how it should remain.
Adam went to leave the room, but my hand grabbed his, pulling him back as I closed the distance between us.
"How do you feel about being open about our relationship at school?" I asked him, seeing the surprise on his face as his eyes widened.
"Are you serious? I would love that, being so close and not being able to touch you is killing me."
I chuckled, pecking him on the lips briefly. "Well, you are my boyfriend now," I teased.
Adam smirked, pulling me closer once again and kissing me deeply. "School just got a little bit better," he winked.
My Keeper drove us to school, playing some music that he liked, and I was happy to learn even more about him and about his music tastes. I didn't listen to music a lot, that was more Adrian's area, but I found myself liking the songs he played, though I must admit, that could be heavily biased.
It didn't take long to get to school, and Adam was more than happy, not to mention eager, to pull me close to him, his arm wrapping around my waist and a cocky smirk on his face as we entered the building.
I'm pretty sure I saw a few jaws drop, and whispers immediately sounded around us. I didn't pay them any attention as we walked towards my locker, discussing our schedules with each other.
Adam didn't bother going to his own locker, instead sticking to my side as he talked happily, but suddenly his voice dropped very quietly so only I could hear him.
"I've got this sudden, possessive urge to kiss you in front of everyone," he smirked. It wasn't a secret that he wanted to claim me for the world to see, especially when we were both aware that everyone's eyes were on us.
"Is that so?" I smirked back, leaning closer to him as he leant against the locker next to mine.
His eyes alit with mischief and temptation, luring me into his beautiful caramel eyes. It was there I lost myself, the pull of my Keeper becoming too hard to resist, not that I ever would want to. The background faded away, leaving us alone in our own world as I closed the remaining distance between us, my lips caressing his amorously.
I didn't hear the murmurs and whispers around us, nor did I care. Adam's arms slipped around my waist, pulling me closer against his body. Our kiss wasn't deep, nor passionate, it was gentle and kind, our lips brushing together teasingly.
A loud wolf whistle broke through our daze, and I had to force myself not to roll my eyes as I broke the kiss. Adam smirked playfully, his arms tightening around my waist as his eyes glanced to the side.
"Good morning, love birds," Adrian smirked. "All eyes on you, huh?" He looked around, meeting the eyes of everyone staring at us with a darker smirk, their eyes immediately finding something else more interesting.
"Good morning, Adrian." I finally looked towards him in greeting, for then nodding at his Keeper. "Zach."
"Good morning, Kaden. Good morning, Adam." We finished out greetings and I quickly turned towards Adrian. "Have a meeting set for any further questions this evening, and to discuss what happened yesterday. I will also announce the upcoming ceremony."
"Understood," Adrian nodded with his usual smile.
"Have you decided on a date?" Adam asked privately.
"I wouldn't do that without you, love. I am eager to have you by my side though, and you said you would like to hold the ceremony for me to become Alpha next week, right? We can arrange them to be around the same time, or maybe Galtolga a week later?"
Adam nodded. "If we do them a week apart, we will have more time to adjust. I can't wait to teach you the ins and outs of being an Alpha," he smirked.
"Sounds good, Mya Setio. And I look forward to teaching you the role of King as well." I smiled, satisfied. Yes, that would indeed be quite the fun and interesting experience. We would never be alone in our roles again, and that brought me a strong feeling of sureness. I had found my place and my people, and Adam just completed everything for me.
We were pulled out of our moment by the chatter of our friends, Adam's having joined mine and Cameron and Gabriel finishing the group.
"Are you guys ready for PE?" Zach asked in amusement.
Adrian groaned while Adam's eyes found me. "It's too early for physical exercise," my best friend complained.
"I have never seen you in PE with us," Adam suddenly commented, as if the realisation had just hit him. He was right, I never did PE with them.
"Yeah, now that you mention it, neither have I," Michael frowned.
"It is a pointless lesson, I get enough physical exercise," I stated.
Adrian chuckled, his eyes creasing at the sides. "Kaden did PE like two or three times, then decided he could use the time to do something more productive."
"I forget that you are here because you actually choose to be," Nathan drawled with a lousy smile.
"Join us for PE, love," Adam smiled at me knowingly. He just assumed that I would agree, and of course, he was right. After all, I would do anything my Keeper wanted me to, even something as pointless as a whole two hours dedicated to running around a field, or passing a ball around in some form or another.
I nodded in agreement, making Adam smile wider, and I didn't miss the smirks of our friends around us, nor did I pay any mind when Luke coughed the word 'whipped' quietly, earning himself quite the glare from my love.
A small smile touched my lips, my hand locking firmly with Adam's as we all made out way to the gym and into the locker rooms.
We gained a lot of stares as we walked, and I knew it would be this way for a while, it was something new for the people in this school, therefor we would be the new and exciting subject of gossip until something more interesting came along, which of course, it always did.
I didn't have a locker, so simply followed my Keeper to his. "I don't have a uniform," I told him. With my arms cross in front of me, I leant back against the locker next to his, my eyes lazily moving around the room but not actually looking at anybody.
"I have a spare," he smirked, passing me a set of clothing from his locker. "It's clean, don't worry."
I smiled in amusement. "As long as you are the only one who has worn them, I wouldn't have minded if they weren't."
Adam eyes darkened, glancing over my body slowly and suggestively and I had to force myself to look away, because the way he was looking at me was doing something to me that I wouldn't have minded, had we not been in a room full of people.
In a swift movement, I removed the shirt from my body, not thinking much about anything.
"Hot, fucking damn, Adam..." Adrian mumbled quietly, and I quickly found his eyes on me, or more specifically, on my back. He had caught the attention of our other friends and it took me a second to register what he was talking about. Once I did, the dark smirk that touched my lips could not be concealed. I pulled Adam's shirt on as my Keeper looked around in confusion, his eyes falling back to me, catching the last glances of his marks on my body before the shirt blocked them from sight.
Adam turned away from the guys to conceal the wide smile that broke out on his lips, his eyes glanced towards mine, darkened by lust, yet shining in amusement.
"And I thought the love bites on Adam's neck were bad," Luke chuckled.
"Are we here for PE, or to talk about mine and Kaden's sex life?" Adam asked, finally turning back around with raised eyebrows.
After a moment of silence, everyone got back to getting dressed for PE and the topic was dropped, Adam and I sharing one final suggestive smile.
We followed the crowd into the gym but were quickly ushered outside by the coach, he looked surprised to see me there but didn't say anything.
"Alright, gather round!" The coach practically yelled; his hands pressed against his sides with a stern look on his face as he examined each of us. "I know a lot of you are probably still half-asleep right now, so we're gonna kick this off with running the trek to really get the blood flowing."
A lot of groans were shared around me and I noticed that Gabriel was one of them, though he was quieter than the others. The coach ignored them, continuing to shout his instructions until he left us to it, encouraging us to start the run.
I just followed after everyone else, unfamiliar with the track we were taking. My friends were around me and I kept my pace the same as theirs, Adam joining me by my side, while his friends partook in a race among them all, sprinting on ahead of us.
"I still hate this trek," Gabriel grunted.
"You're telling me, I'm still worried I'm gonna end up somewhere else," Cameron joked, though I could see he wasn't entirely joking.
Right...this must have been the trek that Cameron had run that day Amelia dragged him into our world. Cameron was fast, even without the use of his powers, but he stayed back with us, not picking up his pace even once.
We rounded the corner into a more wooded area, and I understood the problem. It was quite sheltered here and out of sight, the nature taking over more and more the further we got. It was hard to believe the school was okay with us running this way outside of the school without supervision, even if we were eighteen, it didn't exactly seem the safest route.
We stepped through the first arch of trees and a downpour of rain came from nowhere, drenching us from head to toe.
I stopped, along with my friends and Adam.
"Go on ahead," I told them, ushering them forward while Adam and I stepped to the side to let the others pass us.
Adam grabbed my hand as we began walking at a slower pace.
"I swear he chooses the most inconvenient time to show up," Adam commented quietly.
"I could definitely think of a worse time."
Adam smirked at me, his eyes dancing in amusement and I immediately picked up on where his mind went.
"That was not what I was thinking."
Adam chuckled lightly, pulling me closer to his side. "You got to admit, that would be one hell of an inconvenient time."
Jupiter stepped out from behind a nearby tree before I could respond to my Keeper, which was probably for the best.
"Oh, you two do amuse me," he smirked, stalking towards us before his face fell serious. "But the girl is still alive."
"She is detained, it is undecided what is to be done with her just yet," I explained. The whole thing was pretty stressing on my mind, because I knew there was no real reason to kill her, if I did, it would be out of pure revenge and anger, and I didn't like to act like that.
Jupiter sighed, shaking his head. "If you can't dispose of her, I'm sure the werewolf can." He looked towards my Keeper expectantly.
"My name is Adam."
"I don't care."
"I will not kill her out of revenge and anger alone, she will be paying for her crimes where she is right now and she has been deployed of her power. If that is not satisfactory enough for you, then feel free to take her yourself," I said sternly.
Jupiter chuckled, though I got the impression he wasn't really amused. "Then she is your responsibility, you will take full credibility for the girl from now on. If she escapes or messes with anything that displeased me, it will fall back onto your shoulders."
I nodded. It was fair, if I chose to spare her life, that was on me. But as a Soul Waker, she was my responsibility all along, which is why it was me that had to stop her. She would not be able to escape from where she is now, after all, nobody ever had.
"I understand."
Jupiter smiled again, a loud sigh leaving his lips. "You are reaching the end of your list, I must say, I have been highly amused watching you achieve them, although it was all rather unnecessary."
"What do you mean?" I frowned, daring him to speak his next words.
He chuckled darkly, a sinister smirk slipping onto his lips. "Oh, the list I made up for my own entertainment, and I must say, it has been a while since I have enjoyed something so much. Do you remember the room I showed you when we first met, Kaden?"
I forced myself to take a deep breath, trying to calm my raging mood. "Yes," I said through gritted teeth. The empty room he had showed me, it was perceived based on your thoughts and feelings, it would dictate on how you would see it, using your imagination to create an idea for the room.
"I have learned a lot about you, as a King, as a person, and as a mate. There was no right or wrong way to complete these challenges, as long as you put your feelings into it...hmm, let's say...put your soul into it. Once you did that, the challenge was marked as complete. It has helped me to see who you truly are and whether you were worthy of my forgiveness."
Sadistic bastard. I heard Adam's thoughts, but they surprisingly calmed me down. "And what have you decided?" I asked.
"I admit, I like you. You could definitely come in handy some time. So, go ahead and perform your ceremonies, take your places as Alpha and King, and then I will need a favour of you both. I wouldn't worry too much; it won't be hard for either of you. Oh, and you already know what I want from you." Jupiter looked at me directly as he finished. I knew instantly what he meant; he wanted to see his mate again.
I nodded in acceptance; I had already agreed to such. "Jupiter. Your lacky's...they said they are half Soul Waker and half Werewolf..." I left the sentence open, hoping he would give me some information.
"Ah yes. They are good people, very...accommodating, it was amusing watching you threaten them. It is strange, they admire you, yet they are scared of you. Of course, they know your true power so it is only to be expected. They are what happens when a Soul Waker and a Werewolf make a baby of course, it's not that hard of a concept. Though, I don't think either of you two will be able to achieve that," he smirked.
"Why do they work for you?" Adam asked.
"Because they wanted to. I saved them, back when hell fell upon the Werewolves and Soul Wakers, and you were forced to part because of that...loathsome man you dared to call King. You think you have it bad, imagine those who were pulled away from their mate and Keeper, and the poor children that were left behind. They are on your side, you know? They put their faith and belief in you to return things to their rightful order. It's all very...sickeningly sweet."
Jupiter smirked, stepping towards us once more. "Kaden, Adam, and the future of Soul Wakers and Werewolves...written together in history, how cliché," he rolled his eyes. "The sun, the moon, and the end."
"What does that mean? The end..." Adam asked, it was the question we had both speculated but neither of us truly knew what it meant, he waited with heightened anticipation to see whether he would answer.
"Isn't it obvious? The end of an era, the end of all the pain that man had caused, and of course, the end of a timely set of ways. With the end comes a new beginning, boys, don't waste it."
Jupiter disappeared before we could ask anything more, but I think we got the answers to which we were truly seeking.
The rain cleared up just as quickly as it appeared, leaving the sky clear and free of clouds, a light illuminating over us that was refreshing, though our clothes still stuck to our bodies.
"At least we're wearing gym clothes, it would suck to have to walk around all day like this," Adam chuckled.
"I just wish he didn't soak us every time he wanted to talk," I rolled my eyes.
"I think that went well." Adam smiled, his arm sliding around my waist and pulling me against him. He pecked my lips, soothing me with his kiss. Even though Jupiter was practically playing with us, we did have more clarification now, and we were free to move forward from here, so I had to agree with my Keeper, that did go well.
The rest of the day moved laboriously slow. The students were all too interested in me and Adam, and both my Keeper and I had received a couple of uncertain glares from some girls. Adam managed to overhear part of their conversation, telling me that they weren't happy that "the two hottest guys in school were dating each other." Their words, not ours.
It had me chuckling in amusement as I happily slipped my hand into Adam's and we traversed the corridors, paying no mind to anyone other than each other.
When the end of school finally came, we parted to our respected areas. Adam returning to his pack for whatever was needed, and I quickly jumped into my work back in Galtolga. We were pretty busy here because of yesterday's events, and I was already dreading the piles of paperwork that were waiting for me.
The announcement here was arranged for the evening so we could address Adam's pack first, and after quickly running through my checks and assessing the current situation in Galtolga, I joined Adam by his side at the pack house.
Adam's pack was a lot more accepting of the situation than I was expecting, but I learnt that Tom had educated them a lot more on us Soul Wakers' and our past together; that helped a lot.
We spent a good hour answering questions and explaining our future plans for both the pack and Galtolga. Adam set a date for the ceremony for me to take my place as Alpha and the spirits were quiet high in the pack, leaving me with a warm feeling, happy that they were so willing to accept me, not only into their lives, but also as their Alpha. I could only hope it would be the same for Adam.
After we made our way back to Galtolga and repeated the process over again, along with explanations about yesterday's events. It was explained that the perpetrator had been dealt with and would no longer be a threat, and then it was more talk of Lycanthrope's.
My people were a lot more hesitant, but they had no problem with Adam himself, they more struggled with the fact that such a big thing had been hidden from them for so long.
We answered each and every question to the best of our ability and my people were a lot more accepting once they knew they would have a chance to meet with the werewolves. However, they were under strict instructions from myself to behave appropriately, and any form of hostile behaviour will be handled personally by Adam and myself, and that went for on both sides.
I also explained the possibility of finding their Keepers within the pack, and those who were yet to find their Keepers were instantly intrigued.
There was an excitement that bubbled around us when we were finally done. My people were definitely more challenging than Adam's pack, but it all ended pretty smoothly once we were finished.
And when I finally crawled into bed with Adam that night, this time in his room at the pack house, we felt a sense of achievement.
"I love you, Kaden." I looked up at my Keeper from where my head lay on his chest. Our legs were tangled together and his hand stroked over my bare shoulder, down my arm. It was the fact that he had said my name that caught my attention, but when I saw the seriousness on his face, I knew why.
"I love you too, Adam."
My Keeper smiled lovingly, his gaze getting lost in my own as he pushed himself forward and his lips fell onto mine.
*
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