Prologue- Yellow Light
Jace's POV
The two strangers in front of me walked closer towards us and my mom and the guards all stepped in front of me growling. The woman, Sophia, just smiled and put her hands up, her mate, Jay, on the other hand stayed still and seemed to be in a statue like state. Something made me want to get to know them and what they wanted.
I put my hand on my mother's shoulder and said "Stop mom I don't think they are here to hurt us."
My mom looked back at me as if I was crazy and said "We don't know these people Jace, they are probably here to hurt you and I will not let them get a chance to do that."
"Mrs. Peterson we are here to get your daughters help in the upcoming war. I know that sounds bad, but we need her to win the war. She and another boy are the key to winning the war, please will you both just hear us out, and your husband wouldn't send us here for nothing." Sophia said.
I looked at them in shock, I can't be the key to winning anything let alone a war. I can't shift I couldn't do anything that would be able to even make a dent in the war. I think of everything that had just happened and I know I can't be the person they are looking for. I haven't had the chance to live my life yet I'm am just now getting the chance to be irresponsible.
I shake my head and said "I can't be the person you are looking for I mean I can't shift and I don't have any special powers, I don't even have any special talents."
"I am sure you are the person you are looking for. Though you may not have shifted yet or have special talents just proves you are the one we are looking for." Sophia said smiling slightly.
My face scrunched up in confusion and I shook my head. My guards still hadn't backed off and I gave my mom a look to tell her to get them to back off. She gave them the signal to stand down and they did, but they still kept their defensive positions ready for a fight. I shook my head at them even though I knew they were right to be cautious.
Sophia finally told us she would explain it all to us once we went inside and sat down. I turned around to go inside and my mom was right beside me and put her hand to my back and pushed gently to lead me inside. I winced and let out a gasp of pain, I had forgotten all about my tattoo and now my mom most likely will find out. I cringe knowing that she will blow up when I tell her what I did.
"What's wrong with your back Jace?" my mom asked with narrowed eyes.
"Nothing mom I think I might have a bruise or something, who knows I am clumsy." I said not able to look her in the eyes.
My mom raised her eyebrows and touched my back again. "I don't think someone would flinch and look in pain that much for a bruise."
I knew my mom was right and I had to tell her now. I can't find the guts to do it though. I look anywhere but at my mom right now I even look pleadingly at Sophia and her mate to say something about how urgent they needed to talk to us. Sophia shook her head and Jay smirked at me as if he already knew what I did.
"Are you going to tell me anytime soon what happened to your back or will I have to go to extreme measures to find out myself?" my mom said.
"I got a tattoo." I mumbled as quietly as I could and started walking towards the door.
"Jace come back here this instant." She said in her mom voice and I slowly walked back towards her like I was walking towards my death. "Now what was that that you said?"
"I got a tattoo." I said again looking down at my feet.
"Tell me that you didn't just say what I think you said." My mom said with that deadly calm voice that told me she was about to explode.
When I didn't say anything she did just that. "Jace Peterson I can't believe you went behind my back and got a tattoo. Do you know how irresponsible that is?"
"Mom I am technically an adult today and I got the tattoo today while we were out and it's my birthday mom." I said, well more like whined at the end.
She looked placated and resigned as she said "Well can we at least see it?"
I smiled at her and lifted up the back of my shirt so they could all see my awesome tattoo. My mom slowly peeled off the bandages I heard some gasps and smiled even more. I knew that they all thought it was pretty cool now from the way they were murmuring about it appreciatively.
"It's very beautiful Jace. I am glad that you didn't get a stupid tattoo at least. I am not sure how your dad will react to it though." She said and I winced at that.
"Can we not tell him? He will never find out and it will save us a lot of pain and suffering." I said pleadingly.
"Jace he will find out eventually, you know he will and when he finds out that we kept it from him he will be even more angry than if we just come straight out and tell him." She said and I know she is right and sigh.
"Fine, I guess you're right." I said.
"I hate to interrupt your family conversation, but need to talk to you about the war and Jace and everything." Jay said speaking for the first time.
We nodded and went inside and sat down. They began to talk and as the story went on the more incredible and unbelievable it was. I can't believe they went through all of this and how much more we all have to go through. I am glad though that I am not Sophia, I would hate to be in her position and I am pretty sure that Jay in going through hell right now.
"I'll help you." I said and they nodded smiling sadly.
"Thank you Jace. I am glad you agreed." Sophia thanked me. "Now we just need to go somewhere real quick to get someone else we need."
"Can my mother come too?" I asked her holding onto my mother's hand.
"Of course she can, but I don't think I can get everyone else there with us so this will have to be it." Sophia said.
My mother nodded which is the only thing she has done since they started talking. I think she was still processing everything that they had told us. I kind of want to laugh at her because she is the one speechless instead of me.
"You okay mom?" I asked.
"Yeah honey, it's just a lot to take in. We should probably get going to get this other wolf though." My mom said directing the last part to Sophia and Jay.
Sophia nodded and walked over to us taking both of our hands and Jay had his hand around her waist. The next thing I know we were by a house in the forest. My eyes widened at the sight before us. My mind completely off of how we teleported here because there were dead bodies strewn across the ground.
"I think we were to late Sophia." Jay said rubbing Sophia on the back to comfort her.
I smelt a wonderful scent coming from the rocks that were all over the place, I picked one of them up and I know it sounds weird, but they smelt wonderful. I felt headache coming on only it kept getting worse and worse. I dropped the rock and grabbed my head in pain. It finally went away and slightly started getting better and I felt a presence in my head.
'Hi Jace. I'm your wolf, Tara, I wish I didn't have to show up like this, but it seems like our mate is in trouble.'
Mark's POV
I feel like everything happened at once, the wolves that came to my house charged us after this Wes man finished talking. They didn't attack me just everyone else. I felt so helpless because I couldn't shift. I bent down to the ground and grabbed one of the rocks from the rock wall and hurled them at the rogues. I couldn't stand there and do nothing, this is one thing I can do even though it's not much.
The wolves I actually hit seemed to be dazed for a few seconds' maybe even minutes, but other than that it didn't affect them at all. When I got lucky when I threw a rock one of them would be knocked out. I say more and more of my guards, my friends dying around me. My mother stood right in front of me to fend off any of the rogues that dared get to close.
I reached behind me to grab another rock only to grab air. I looked behind me to see I had used all of my ammunition. I had no idea what to do now, I couldn't help anymore. When I turned around I saw a wolf lunging at my mother while she was turned towards me. I couldn't move in that moment and I was the reason that my mother died in that moment because I was frozen in fear while she was protecting me.
Some more wolves around me shifted back into their human from as I fell to my knees beside my mother's warm dead body. Her throat was torn out and she had scratches down her body, blood matting her fur. The next thing I knew they were dragging me into the woods. I didn't even scream I didn't do anything. My feet dragged on the ground leaving trails in the dirt and grass. Eventually I think I blacked out, whether they drugged me or I just passed out.
I woke up in cell having no idea where I was and I honestly didn't care. The people I knew my whole life that protected me were all dead excluding my father but I never see him anyway. There was a tray of food just inside the cell, I didn't give it a second glance though. I wasn't hungry and I am not sure that after today I will ever have an appetite again.
I don't know how long I have been down here when I heard a door open and footsteps walking down the stairs. I rolled away from the door of the cell so I wouldn't see the person that came through the door. There was a click and the sound of my door sliding open. They walked around so they could see my face and I could see them. It was the same man that was at the house yesterday that ordered the attack on my friends and mother. I rolled over to the other side not wanting to talk to or see the man that was the cause of my mother's death. He walked around me again so he could face me and started talking.
"You know Mark we could help each other here. I could let you out of this cell and we could be great friends. You would just have to do a few small things for me and we will get along great." Wes said smiling, like he hadn't just killed everyone I knew.
I didn't answer him, even if I had I think it would still have the same effect as my silence. His smile turned into a scowl, but tried to hide it. I could tell that he was losing his patience with me. I still didn't answer though I didn't care what happened to me, but no matter what I am not helping this man.
"Come on Mark what do you say, will you help me? I can give you anything you want if you help me." He said.
"What would make you think I would ever want to help you?" I ask sincerely curious of his response.
"Well you will have anything you want absolutely anything." He said thinking I would do anything for him because he said he could give me anything, but he couldn't give me the things I really wanted.
"Can you give me my mother?" I asked him. "Keep in mind the answer to the question I just asked you is the answer to your question also."
He narrowed his eyes at me and walked back out of my cell. I was happy that I could finally be alone to grieve. I didn't want anyone down here with me to see my weakness to see that I couldn't save my friends and family. I wish I had been able to shift. I can't believe my mother is dead and I wonder if my dad knows yet, after all they are mates aren't they supposed to feel what the other feels. I wonder what he felt when she died. How did she feel when she died, I bet he would know now.
The door opened again and two rogues came in with what looked like hand cuffs with a leash attached to them. The walked toward me and attached them to my hands. They tugged on the cuffs, but I didn't move. They walked forward and dropped the leash. Each of them grabbed an arm and dragged me into another cell filled with people I didn't know. Then I heard Wes talking again.
"If you won't help me then you can stay with the rest of my war prisoners. If you won't help me you stay in here, this way you won't help the other side either." He said and walked away.
A woman that was in the corner walked over to me and sat beside me. "Hi honey my name is Diana. Are you hurt and what is your name?" she asked giving me a sympathetic smile.
"I'm just a little tired and I'm Mark Simmons." I answered.
"If you don't mind me asking what happened to you?" She asked.
"They killed my mother and guards for no reason, that man, Wes wants me to do something for him, but I refused. I have no idea why I am here." I said with tears gathering in my eyes as I talked.
"You aren't alone Max, Izzy, and Brent lost their whole pack to him. My family and I were captured, I think it is for bargaining. We all have to stick together and look out for each other here. Don't worry honey we will be here for you when you need us." She said and then turned to the rest of the group. "Introduce yourselves, don't forget your manners."
The tall man in the corner with sorrow in his eyes stood and said "I'm Alpha Maximum, but you can call me Max. Although I am not sure I am an Alpha anymore since I no longer have a pack to run."
After he sat down the woman and the man sitting next to him hand in hand stood up "I am Izzy and this is my mate Beta Brent, same case as Mas though since we are from the same pack." Izzy said and the man nodded at me.
Now Diana stood up with the rest of the men in the room and she spoke for them "As you know I am Diana and this man next to me is my mate and husband George." She gestured for three boys to come forward and continued "These are my three youngest children, Joey, Liam, and Carter." Now she gestured for the two older men to come forward. "These are my oldest boys Levi and Cane."
When she finished she had tears in his eyes. Her mate hugged her to him and the three little boys all started crying at seeing their mother hurt and sad. The older boys sat next to each other with solemn expressions obviously they lost somebody or something is extremely wrong. I wondered what they were all sad about. I then looked over at the other three in the opposite corner and they had the same look of worry on their faces.
"What happened?" I asked.
"My sister and her mate, their son and brother, are alone out their thinking we are dead about to go into a war where my sister has to fight and defeat Wes, while we are here to be used as his bargaining chips." Izzy's mate Brent said with a straight face showing no emotion.
"Brent everything is going to be fine." Izzy said rubbing Brent's arm.
"Stop saying that Izzy even if we get out of here that means that my sister gave up the war for us and there won't be much of a world to live in. If my sister does the right thing though and doesn't get us and she dies we stay here and possibly die. Our baby will die, Izzy or live in a world not worth living in." Brent said with tears sliding down his face and everyone looked surprised except Max.
"You're pregnant?" asked Diana.
Izzy nodded and smiled weakly. "Don't worry honey, we won't let anything happen to that baby and Brent stop being a pessimist, there is still a chance everything will turn out fine." Diana said again.
"Sounds like we are going to have a hell of a time down here together." I said sadly and they all nodded and then it seemed like the recent events have caught up to me and I passed out to my relief.
Author's Note
Just so you guys know I probably won't switch POV's a lot but if I do I will put it at the beginning of the chapter and if the chapter isn't marked it will always be in Sophia's POV. Another thing different about this book is that the titles of the chapters are song titles that go with each chapter. By the way I'm still looking for a cover for this one, everyone that made one was really incredible! i want something more like the Mating Games cover. I hope you guys like it! Comment and tell me what you guys think!