JADE COLLINS

"What?" I stepped back in shock.

Are these guys kidding me? First it was Ronan who decided to give me the cold shoulder before telling me he liked me and Hades also did the same.

"I really like you Jade" Hades repeated softly this time.

"But why were you ignoring me then? Am I so disgusting that you couldn't seem to wrap your head around your feelings? ".

"Jad.. n.... what?" Hades blinked and shook his head. If I didn't know better, I would've said he was confused."Don't act like I'm not right, Ronan also tried this tactic and I dismissed him_"Hades looked relieved but changed the emotion on his face almost immediately.

"Jade, I wasn't ignoring you..... I was... I was...." Hades The Great was stammering. I can't believe this.

Hades scratched the back of his neck and mumbled "Iwasshy". "Ummm Hades, you need to speak up for me to hear you" I said slowly. He sighed "I was shy Jade and I didn't like the way Lucas was hovering around you but I couldn't do anything about it because you're the most comfortable when you're at the pack house with him as I'm always busy with pack business." He finished.

"Are you happy now?" He asked. This revelation was huge. I still found it hard to believe Hades because it was a funny way to expressing his feelings. Thinking about it though, he was right, I was only comfortable with Lucas around me anytime none of my friends were around the pack house. I bowed my head suddenly shy, smiling. But it was short lived as I remembered we couldn't be together.

"But Hades, this cannot work between us. You have a mate. This isn't real" I said sadly.

Hades rubbed his face and sighed "Jade, believe me, this is real. I just don't know what I'm going to do. All I know is that I like you, my wolf likes you"

"Hades...." I said looking up at him. He wouldn't feel this way anymore when he gets his mate. I sighed recalling my dream where I was all alone. I decided to change the subject of discussion for the time being.

"You said you weren't angry at me, why did you just leave the packhouse the day Jeanine came back?"

"Okay, I was jealous that you and Lucas got so close within a shortwhile and I was about shifting into my wolf. I thought it would've been too scary for you to see my wolf for the first time in that state" He explained.

"Ohhhh" I replied

"Can I see your wolf" I asked

"Are you sure you want to see him?" Hades asked me

I nodded. All of a sudden Hades started stripping.

"What are you doing?" I asked averting my eyes. "What am I doing?" Hades asked.

"I'm stripping. Unless you would like to see me walk back home naked with you which I don't mind by the way. If I shift with clothes on, they get ripped" He explained. I heard bones crack behind me and felt something nudge my back. I turned and saw Hades in his wolf form reaching my chest. His wolf started licking my face making me giggle in the process. His fur was pitch black and his eyes were a fascinating colour of red.

His wolf nudged me and ran into the forest behind the school.

We played around till Hades went stiff all of a sudden and shifted. I screamed and turned my face away from his very naked body.

"Hades, you could've given me a heads up" I said.

"Jade, we have to leave right now" Hades, said coming to my view.

"What, please wear your clothes" I replied.

"This isn't the time for this" He snapped at me, shocking me.

"We need to get to the hospital " He said softly. "Jeanine was attacked"

"What, how, when, how do you know that? " I was already rambling, facing Hades, forgetting he was naked. We quickly rushed back to his car and he wore his clothes. "Jade, I have something to tell you. Since this has happened, I feel you should know" He said while driving towards the pack hospital. "What do you want to tell me" I asked.

"I would tell you after we see how Jeanine is" Hades said parking expertly at the parking area. Hades got down from the car and ran in the direction of the hospital entrance. This matter must be very urgent. Following Hades in the direction of the Jeanine's room, I got to her room. The person on the bed didn't look like Jeanine. She was beaten to a pulp, the bruises on her face were already turning purple."Jeanine" I called her name, running up to her. I held her hand and started crying.

"Who would do this?" I faced Hades in question who was visibly shaken. Hades patted me trying to calm me. I refused Hades' suggestion to go to bed and stayed with Jeanine throughout the night incase she woke up and needed help with anything. The next day came fast enough, I felt someone patting my hair and heard someone laughing. I didn't realise I slept off. So much for watching over Jeanine throughout. "How was your sleep babe?"

"It was okay" I replied, not realising Jeanine had woken up and was the one playing with my hair. She's the only one who calls me 'babe'."Jeanine!!!!" I shouted and hugged her fiercely.

"Ughhhhhh, please don't hug me to death" Jeanine groaned hugging me back.

"Umm, Jade Jade, Jeanine is still kind of sore" Hades said, dragging me from Jeanine. "How do you feel? " I asked holding her hand

"Peachy. I would be up and running by the end of today" She replied grinning at me.

"Who did this?" I asked, suddenly remembering how she looked the night before.

"I didn't get a good glimpse of the person " Jeanine said, averting her eyes. Hades cleared his throat and spoke up.

"Jeanine, I'm telling Jade about it. With what happened to you, I feel everyone should know to be on alert especially Jade"

Ughhh, what's he talking about?

Ohhhhh, he told me he had something to tell me yesterday before we got to the hospital. "Jade, we need to talk" Hades said, opening the door that led to the hallway.

Hades got Jeanine transferred back to the packhouse in the early hours of the morning as she was healing nice and fast. He led me down the hallway and upstairs to his study.

"Umm, you could've just told me at Jeanine's room" I said, confused as to why he had to bring me all the way to his office.

"Well this room is padded so no one can eavesdrop on what I'm about to tell you" He replied.

I looked on still confused.

"As I speak, 3 people have died recently in this pack, not counting our parents, Lucas and Jeanine escaped luckily. We discovered that there's a mole in this pack, giving the Red Rogues Intel about the pack" I nodded in shock.

"So what did you want to tell me?" I asked facing him.

He pulled out a folded up paper from his his drawer, hesitated for a second and ended up giving me to read.

I read the letter in denial, shaking my head and crying. These people got brutally murdered because Uncle John was looking for me.

"But why didn't he just kill me at home, I was practically living with him" I asked Hades.

"We have reason to believe his wolf has gone crazy" Hades replied.

"Crazy?" I asked Hades.

"When werewolves lose their mates to death, most of them die almost immediately after, within 3 to 4 months. The werewolves that survive get crazy and go on a killing spree, only very few survive and are okay mentally" Hades finished."Wooooow" I said.

"Another theory is that John Black planned this all along and is the leader of the Red Rouges and he probably wanted something from you which he already got. And so is after you" Hades said. I sat down hard on the couch in the office. I finally understood my dream. I need to leave this place, if I don't, people will die because Uncle John is coming to get me. "I need to leave " I said folding my hands.

"No, you're not going anywhere" Hades said, his voice deepening and his multicoloured eyes switching to a flash of red at the same time scaring me."O....O...okay" I stammered, too shocked to react.

He must have noticed because he blinked repeatedly revealing the eyes I've always liked.

"I'm sorry, my wolf got a hold of me at that moment" He apologized.

"Its okay" I replied, not knowing what else to say.

"I mean, these Rogues have been attacking packs since last year. Its definitely not because of you. John Black is just crazy and you would be safer here where we can all protect you if he shows up" Hades explained.

I scoffed thinking about how they couldn't even protect the pack members from Uncle John. I just don't want any more deaths."Okay, I would stay" I lied. I just can't stay at the pack, knowing that they are dying because my uncle wants to kill me.

Hades sighed, nodding his head in relief.

"Okay then, let's go down for dinner. My mum's going to have my head if we don't go down now"

"Okay" I said, walking out of the office.

The excitement from Jeanine's attack and Hades wore off as we walked together towards the diningroom. I was suddenly reminded of what Hades told me 2 days before and I the atmosphere between us became awkward. Hades must've noticed too because he was strangely quiet and stared ahead resolutely.

Immediately we entered the dining room, Lucas shouted my name, calling me down to his side. I looked up to Hades for maybe his permission? I don't know, I could only take it as a reflex. Hades nodded at me and went to the dining table, sitting at the head since he was the Alpha.

I went to sit beside Lucas down the table.

"Here, I got everything you like to eat" Lucas said, pushing a plate of spaghetti and meatballs to me.

"Thank you" I said to Lucas and started eating.

"How's Jeanine? " Lucas asked trying to spark up a conversation. In the little time Jeanine and I have spent at the pack house, we got really close to Lucas. Lucas had a hard time when he saw Jeanine after she was attacked.

He said he felt like he saw his pack and family get attacked all over. Lucas hasn't seen Jeanine since the day she was attacked because of his trauma. I think the attack really hit him more than he let on.

He has eye bags and is barely holding on.

"She's better, her body is practically fully healed. She's sleeping right now" I told Lucas. "Really? " Lucas asked his expression brightening up considerably. Scarfing down his food, he said

"I'm going to see her when I'm done here" and I nodded.

Eating my food, I never realized until now that I was really hungry. I began to scarf down my food too. Finally happy that we had something we could call good news at least and my friend was happy again.

Lucas practically jumped from his seat, washed his plates and ran up to go see Jeanine.

I finished my food and did the same as Lucas except running to Jeanine's room. A new term was beginning at school tomorrow and I felt sleepy again.

I stepped into my room, showered and slept off immediately my body hit the bed.