JADE COLLINS

I was woken up way earlier than normal in my books. I didn't have time to yawn as I was shoved into the pack's training immediately.

Fortunately, Jesse had the time to help me train as I was physically unable to keep up with werewolves. Lucas couldn't help because he was training to defend the pack in case any attack arises. He was really serious about getting the Red Rogues back.

After training, we all went to school. Lucas registered as a new student and fortunately, most of our classes were synchronised.

As I was walking to Art Class which was the 3rd period, I saw Ronan on the hallway and to say we looked at each other awkwardly would be an understatement. To make matters worse, we had this class together, just both of us, no other friend to act as a buffer between us because so far throughout the day, I've been avoiding him and I was fine with it.

I walked past Ronan, ignoring him to enter the Art Studio because what else could I do differently?

I picked a seat with students on each side of me. As if Ronan expected this, he made some deal with one of the students and voila, he was seated beside me in 10 seconds. I huffed. So much for avoiding the elephant in the room.

"Jade I know you probably don't want to talk to me but I don't know why " Ronan said, pushing his stool close to me.

Thinking about it, Ronan just said he likes me. It doesn't mean I have to like him back, so why was I stressing myself avoiding him?

"Ummmm Ronan....." I said clearing my throat looking up at him. Ughhhh, now I understand why I was avoiding Ronan, I don't know how to tell him I don't like him the way he likes me.

This isn't going to be easy, Ronan's feelings always run deep.

Ronan used to crush on Elizabeth when we were younger, he didn't get over her (despite the fact that she turned him down many times) until after 6 years, she got married. Yeah, she was older than us.

"Ronan, I don't know how to break this to you" I started.

"I ..... I..... I don't feel the same way" I told him.

"Like I said before, there are so many things going on with me right now. And I don't like you the way you want me to" I said. I think I summarised all my intentions and interests well.

To say Ronan took it well would be a lie.

"But I took them...." He gave me a look which scared me as I've never seen that look on him before. On reflex, I put my hands up to defend myself.

"Wh... whh... what are you doing Jade?" Ronan asked me gently.

"I'm not going to hit you" he stated disappointed at what I did. He gave me a back rub and hugged me.

Just then, Miss Kate entered the class to give us our activity for that period.

Immediately after the class, I jumped from my seat. Not surprisingly, Ronan caught up with me.

"Jade, just because I like you doesn't mean you have to run from me even though you don't like me, I'm hurt but I understand you. We can still be friends " Ronan said stopping me in my tracks. He definitely knew me too well.

"Well, I'm open to us being just friends" I said smiling at him.

"Ouch" Ronan groaned in pain, touching his chest.

"Ronan, is something wrong?" I asked, looking at him worriedly.

"Nah, that's just my heart beating for you all over again. You have a beautiful smile" Ronan said laughing.

I didn't know whether to punch him or laugh. I settled for rolling my eyes and walking to the next period.

"What. You didn't like my joke?" Ronan asked, running after me.

"How can that be classified as a joke?"

"Well if I say its a joke, its a joke"

"People have to laugh for it to be a joke Ronan" I stopped at my locker, picking my Math textbook and slamming it back.

"That was so corny" I rolled my eyes, walking to the next period.

Hades came to class today, which was surprising because I thought he had his hands full with the Red Rogues and Uncle John.

We sat beside each other as usual but Hades didn't disturb me, infact he didn't look my way throughout the period. Well I'm tired of guys and their funny attitudes, if that was how he wanted to play it he would get it. I didn't go to him confessing how I liked him, it was the other way around.

School was more tiring than usual, I think. Probably because Hades wasn't his usual playful self.

Lucas and I chatted all the way back home..... I mean, packhouse.

"Well with Red Rouges and his birthday party coming up, I think Hades must have his hands full. He was so out of it today" Lucas said making my laugh stop midway.

"What did you say? His birthday is coming up?" I thought I was the only one who noticed his behavior today but I am a very bad friend or frenemy to not know his birthday.

"He's going to have a party amidst all these?" I asked Lucas.

"He probably doesn't want to do it but he has no choice"

"What do you mean by he has no choice?" I asked again.

"Ohhhhh, I keep forgetting you don't know much. You see, its our culture to always celebrate the birthday of every werewolf turning 18, that's when we get our mates. Few poor werewolves might not celebrate because of the money situation and all that but its quite compulsory for Alphas or soon to be Alphas. Hades is an Alpha." Lucas finished.

"Ohhhh. That explains it then. But what is going to happen if the Red Rogues decide to attack on that day" I asked.

"That's for Hades to figure out and for us to prepare for. That's probably what is troubling him. The party is this Saturday" Lucas said.

I really felt bad that night. I thought he was ignoring me. Ughhhhhh. I tossed and turned till I woke up for school the next day.

Jeanine was finally up and ready to join us in school by Thursday so she joined mine and Lucas' routine.

Hades was prepping for his birthday and I could feel this anxiety roll off him in waves.

The big day came and it was Saturday. I managed to get Hades a cool necklace for his gift. The party was going to take place in the night due to the moon alignment or something.... I stopped listening around that part.

We set up the decorations and arranged the hall for the dinner which by the way was really big. Time ran so fast that it was already 7pm.

I ran back to the main packhouse like a mad person and changed to my dinner dress. Thank God Jeanine forced me to get one on Thursday. Jeanine did my makeup and I did her's.

"Wow, you guys look so beautiful" Lucas said, meeting us at the threshold of the staircase. He was driving us to the dinner.Jeanine made us wear ball gowns which was too much in my opinion. It was just a birthday dinner as far as I was concerned. But I was told to shush as all the neighbouring Alphas were going to show up and I must dress "the part" so as not to get trampled upon. In my opinion, I feel its the will to not get trampled on not the dress but what do I know?

Lucas wore a classic black tuxedo which made Jeanine right about dressing well.

I wore a red ball gown while Jeanine wore a black and red gradient coloured ball gown.

We absolutely looked beautiful but it felt a bit much in my own opinion for just a birthday dinner. If Lucas felt it was a big deal, he had a terrible way of showing it because he was really digging our looks or he actually didn't feel it was a big deal.

Anyways, we went down the stairs and out of the house to a big hall which I never knew existed in this estate until I went to help decorate the hall for the upcoming dinner.

I can't believe I helped Hades' mother in designing the ballroom. It looked magnificent. Unlike Hades, his mother is a total genius architect. I probably never remembered her much from when I was younger because she was always busy with work.

Despite leaving the packhouse before even the celebrant, we got to the venue late. Jeanine all of a sudden decided that she had to use the toilet. Imagine helping hold her gown and my gown in the same cramped cubicle. Ughhhh. She also decided to fix up both our makeup which took another year in my own opinion.

We finally left the mall, entered the car and got to the venue with Lucas reprimanding us throughout.

When we got to the venue, we climbed the never ending steps to the entrance and then as we entered

"JADE COLLINS, JEANINE BLACK AND LUCAS ROMAN FRIENDS OF THE ALPHA AND PACK MEMBER ARE PRESENT" a voice without warning boomed into the microphone.

Naturally, people turned their heads towards us to look at the new guests. I felt my cheeks burn as we walked towards our table. I literally felt eyes plastered on us till we got to our seats.

"If fashionably late were people, I would vote for us" Jeanine said flicking her hair. Lucas and I laughed at her silliness.

"Well we wouldn't refuse you that honour Your Highness" I said to her. We were joking amongst ourselves because surprisingly, there were no games available at an 18 year old kid's birthday.

Dinner was served and I would say the dinner was splendid. Because of the stress I went through with preparations for Hades' ball, I drank the water kept for us on the table instead of the wine.

"HADES PIERSON, ALPHA OF CRYSTALMOON PACK IS PRESENT" boomed from the speakers.

And in walked the celebrant moving towards the thrones seated at the front that I just noticed.

"The other throne is for his mate after he finds her" Jeanine whispered to me and I felt a pang in my chest immediately. I don't know why I felt really jealous and sad at that moment. Maybe it was because Hades looked really handsome as he walked up to the thrones, maybe I can just see how he is really respected by his pack members despite his age, maybe because he looks so serious.

Beauty wasn't enough to describe the guy sitting on the throne right now.

I was so entranced in his beauty that I didn't notice everyone was looking expectantly at Hades until "5 MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT" boomed in my ears and I jumped unraveled from my trance.

"We're all waiting to see whether he would get his mate this night" Lucas told me when I looked around confused.

I felt that pang again and I decided to leave the hall. I really didn't want to watch how he would get his mate. I guess I was sucked in too deep.

I walked out of the hall and thankfully, people didn't notice. I walked towards one of the water fountains and sat at the seat outs, watching the beautiful flow of the water.

Immediately it was midnight, so many things happened at once. The trees around the fountain seat outs acted as a buffer so I didn't know what was going on until I heard screams from inside the hall. I heard growls that sounded like dogs or wolves.

I remembered my friends and decided to go in to help. As I ran towards the entrance, Lucas pulling a drowsy Jeanine along pushed me "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE JADE? RUN!!!"

"What's going on?" I asked running immediately.

"What happened to Jeanine, what happened to everyone?" I asked as I just noticed the pack members were slow and drowsy. The rogues tore them mercilessly. We continued running until Lucas couldn't support Jade anymore. We were in the woods. And that was good because I was starting to have a stitch by my side.

"What happened to her?" I asked Lucas, my chest hammering in fear.

"Sit down behind these bushes" Lucas said and began spraying me with something like a perfume.

"Jade, the Red Rogues drugged the wine that was served at the dinner, its the reason everyone is so drowsy" Lucas told me. I knew he was trying to be brave on my account.

"Hades told me to spray you with a masking scent so they wouldn't capture you" Lucas said after he finished spraying me.

It seemed like this was planned prior to this night.

"Is Hades alive?" I asked over some screams far back at the hall.

"I guess he is, I would've felt it" Lucas reassured me.

"We just have to keep you and Jeanine off harm's way" Lucas said, sweating.

We waited for like 6 minutes when Lucas urgently whispered to me to run like my life depended on it and I believed that we were running together until I heard his scream of pain that sounded far away.

I started crying in earnest because I couldn't leave people behind to die for me, I decided to go back and surrender when I saw Hades looking entranced and I saw the back of a girl walking towards him until she was brought down by a rogue that jumped in from the side.

At the same time, I felt something jab my neck and felt drowsy immediately. I saw Hades' reaction as he killed off the rogue that got the girl and his screams of pain as he held her lifeless body and then I fell into a dreamless sleep.