Impossible.
Slate didn't understand.
She was right there in front of him, and then in a blink of an eye she was gone. Dazed and confused he shot up from his knees — Where is she? — Soren demanded.
His heart plummeted "Blake!"
"What happened? All I heard was screaming and then...nothing"
After what seemed like an eternity Slate finally calmed his wolf "Hell if I know. She disappeared. Blake, I messed up. I just couldn't control my wolf, I-I was angry and now-"
"We'll find her." Blake interrupted "She has to be here somewhere! Slate, her scent is very faint but nevertheless still here."
With that in mind, Slate shut his eyes — after 10 minutes of trying he finally reopened them "That can't be right."
"What?"
He shook his head "Her scent, it's everywhere. It's as if she walked around the whole Pack house."
"Well, there's a chance she walked around when she was moving her stuff" Blake offered an explanation.
Slate started to walk upstairs "Not possible. She's been inside but she's never been on the second floor and when she moved in - she only managed to explore downstairs"
"Alpha," one of his Pack members called out "We checked her room to see if she was there and most of her belongings are gone."
Soren howled in agony at the notion of their mate leaving "What do you mean?" Slate hissed.
His worst nightmares were beginning to spring to life. And he hated himself for letting it happen.
"M-Most of her clothes are gone. One of her bags are missing." The boy stuttered — telling your Alpha that his mate's belongings were missing was something that you'd avoid at all costs.
Slate stormed into her temporary room.
Blake along with the rest of the Pack stayed out of there for the rest of the day, figuring if they disturbed him, they'd regret it. Slate ordered every Pack member including Blake to start looking for Jade — She couldn't have gone far
Collapsing to his knees, right in front of her bed, her scent was barely detectable but compared to the rest of the house this was the only area where it felt like she was inside the longest — I'm sorry — his wolf whined.
You better be! Our mate is GONE because you couldn't control yourself! We can't protect her because you couldn't just wait! Slate bit back.
He could feel his heart breaking all over again, his whole world shattering to pieces.
You have to admit it, human. That wasn't all me, you wanted to mark her too! Soren replied with a hint of anger
He knew that his wolf was right.
As much as he would like to blame Soren for everything Slate knew he was in control of the moment, the fact Soren agreed with him was just enough to push him that extra bit further.
I know, I know. — His heavy gaze glanced around.
She left some clothes and there were some boxes that were still unopened. He sighed sadly as something silver caught his eye — Soren stilled within him.
Slate stepped closer to the item and held it in his hands.
There was no mistake, this was the necklace he gave her. A delicate silver chain, the only type of silver that could not harm wolves connected to a small intricate crystal that glowed a soft green when she wore it.
*
*
*
Slate was at a Pack house barbecue or that's what Jade thought it was.
He was currently 18 and her 16.
Blake let out a boisterous laugh "Dude, calm down!"
"I'm introducing her as our Luna and I have to do it without her knowing."
Slate couldn't help the way Soren was itching to shift into his wolf form.
They were standing outside with the rest of the Pack. Some of them were playing, others were talking while some members were eating since it was, indeed, a 'barbecue'
Blake stood there giving Slate an amused look "Just calm down, you don't have to say that she's our Luna to her face, you just have to say her name." Slate nodded his head.
All members stopped what they were doing when she appeared.
Jade wore a fitting green dress with matching heels.
Beautiful was an understatement, the sun was glistening on the blonde hair that swept past her shoulders and flowed effortlessly around her small frame. Slate could hear everyone's thoughts through the Pack link that let them all contact each other freely through their minds.
'Our Luna is perfect'
'She's beautiful'
'Finally,'
'we've waited a long time and it was worth it'
He couldn't help the Pride that swelled in his chest as he looked at them, they all had the same expression on their faces;
Adoration.
Without even telling anyone they all automatically knew she was the long awaited Luna.
Everything went as planned. The rest of the day Jade happily spent time with as much people as she could since the Pack was huge. Tanner was talking with Bentley, Slate took this chance to approach him.
Bentley got the message and made up some excuse to leave him alone with Slate "Alpha Parker" Tanner greeted a little too formally for his taste.
"Please, just call me Slate." He replied warmly which was returned by a cold glare — Slate would soon find out it was just the way Tanner looked. It was nothing personal, Tanner would glare at anyone, even a child "I was just wondering what you told Jade?"
He finally broke eye contact with Slate and looked towards his sister playing happily with some kids while everyone looked on approvingly "I told her since we're new, we had to come and interact with the Pack so they know we're not a threat."
"Good." Slate replied following his actions "Anything else?"
He looked away from his sister "I covered as much ground as I could so she'd be safe, I told her pretty much everything, until the time comes for me to let her go, it's my job to protect her - I am after-all, her brother" Tanner's gaze softened at him for moment before returning to their usual cold state "I'll see you around, Alpha Parker"
Without Tanner knowing that was the exact moment he earned Slate's respect — the way he spoke was as if he came from a strong blood-line and if he were a werewolf Slate would've expected him to be an Alpha.
A small smile placed itself on his face — Life is going to be fun with that one around.
He made his way over to Bentley who was taking photos of everyone with her new camera "Wheres Jade?" he never really understood why she had such a fascination with taking photos.
Bentley turned around casually "She's inside, said something about forgetting her phone."
Slate nodded his head before heading inside the Pack house "Jade?"
"In here!" he could hear a voice in the living room — his wolf purred at hearing her tone. He thoroughly convinced himself that no matter how much he'd hear her voice, it would always have the same effect on him.
Slate entered one of the many living rooms only to be faced with Jade typing something on her phone.
A blissful sigh slipped between his lips, she looked like an angel — My angel — Slate thought happily "what're you doing?"
"I'm trying to unlock my phone, so I can take some pictures but I completely forgot my passcode'' She replied with a smile — Slate melted at the sight of it.
He had to fight the urge to embrace her and burry his head against the crook of her shoulder "can I give you something?" he asked almost shyly
"Well, depends what it is." Jade replied playfully, placing her phone back into her pocket. The thought of unlocking it soon forgotten.
Narrowing his eyes mischievously "well, then I change my mind"
"Wait!" Jade exclaimed grabbing his arms — electric bolts surged through his veins at the contact "it was a joke."
Slate had to hold in the howl of pleasure his wolf wanted to emit when she made contact with him. For a second he was lost in her eyes but snapped out of it when she retracted her hand.
"Did you say something?"
"I said what did you want to give me?" she chuckled lightly causing him to smile at her
Everything
He shook his head amusingly and brought out a black box that managed to be the size of his palm "I wanted to give you this."
"You shouldn't have." Jade gasped as she opened the box and pulled out a necklace "Can you help me put it on?" her eyes shone with excitement
Slate's smile couldn't get bigger "of course" Jade put the box down and gave him the necklace.
She turned around and gathered her hair to one side to expose her neck.
Slowly, he put the necklace on her neck softly and couldn't help it when his eyes trailed along her shoulder where he would one day mark her.
"Thank you so much!" she gushed as she turned around and brought him in a hug. Slate gladly returned the embrace burying his head in her shoulder before she broke away "look! It's glowing!" she gestured to the small diamond on the necklace.
The truth about the necklace was that it was passed down from generation to generation. Slate's mother and father gave it to him once he told them he found his mate. They couldn't make it because there was urgent Pack business in a neighbouring town — something about the infamous Red Rogues causing more trouble.
The necklace held magic, it determined who the true Luna was.
If it glowed the women wearing it would be an incredible mate and would only lead to a prosperous future for her Pack.
Slate whispered a low husky "Perfect."
"It is, isn't it?" she asked looking admiringly at her new necklace.
For the first time Slate found himself being jealous of an inanimate object. Without a second thought he grabbed her hand with nothing but happiness "When you wear this, it'll mean you'll be apart of the pack"
It also meant she'd be his.
But he didn't say that.
Another time, maybe.
"But I'll always be here." Jade replied with a confused look
He smiled at that — the thought she would always be by his side. He could only hope so.
*
*
*
And now here he stood in an empty room with nothing but semi empty boxes and her lingering scent while holding the very same necklace in his trembling hands — for once his wolf, Soren, was completely silent.
Her leaving this behind said many things,
But most of all it said goodbye.
And he wasn't ready to say goodbye.