379 Bright Lights
Jason had been waiting by the car for a while, getting more and more anxious as time went on. Queen Margaret had left him to make sure Sandra was alright and reported through the mind link that she would help her get ready.
Dressed in a well-fitted tuxedo, Jason was a sight to behold. He didnât know if he had overdone it or if this was just right, âArenât you guys taking this a little too far?â the male voice of a familiar beta alpha interrupted his train of thought.
Kyle emerged from behind the massive black car, taking in Jasonâs unusual appearance. Heâd even cared to work on his hair, giving the dark wavy locks an attractive shine.
âHuh, no, we arenât. And you better behave yourself while Iâm gone,â Jason snapped at the rookie beta alpha.
âHey, relax,â Kyle raised his hands up, laughing lightly, âIâve never seen you tense before... Scratch that. Iâve never seen you tense... ever. I didnât even know you had nerves. Werewolves are weird when they meet with their mates, arenât they?â
âIs someone jealous?â Jason asked with a smug smile. âYes, little beta, I am an entire level above you. I have a mate and you donât. And sheâs beautiful... Mwahaha,â Jason felt like saying.
Knowing Jason, Kyle could glean all this from his smug tone. The beta alpha rolled his eyes, barely shaken by the accusation.
âNo. Not in the least,â Kyle turned his back to Jason waved his goodbye then and was gone. Watching him leave, Jason couldnât help but ball his fists. It had been almost two months since heâd joined them and yet he was still the same.
He carried Katieâs will with him, but beyond that, he was a walking husk that wanted nothing more to do with his life. For a beta alpha, that was all they needed to live, but they were werewolves as well.
.....n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
Like all werewolves, they reserved the capability of making their own decisions. They had dreams as well and when the royals realised this aspect about their beta alphas, they normally kept their orders to a minimum to allow them to live their lives.
âWhat did she see in you?â the man thought to himself. These thoughts were wiped from his mind in the next second, as though Kyle had never spoken to him in the first place.
A sweet alluring scent wafted through the air, arresting more of his focus than he had the power to resist. It was a sensation he was not yet used to. A scent that entranced him the moment he caught a whiff of it.
âThe scent of his mate.â At the top of the palace stairs, the girl was dressed in a yellow flowing dress that dropped down to right below her knees. Seated atop her head was a round sun hat that matched the dress perfectly.
Sandra had not gone overboard with jewellery or make-up. In fact, she looked more like herself than heâd ever seen her. She didnât bear the barbaric tendencies of her mentor and this outfit depicted that and more of her womanly charms.
While Katie had been obsessed with getting stronger and even failed to learn a lot more than fighting rogues, Sandra had the chance to get to experience other things. Which explained why the girl liked paintball far more than archery.
The bag she carried was small as well, barely able to contain more than a phone. From the look of the material, however, Jason could tell it was nothing too pricey.
Sandra walked down the stairs with a slight spring in her step and twirled around before him, âHow do I look?â Now that she was closer to him, Jason noticed more about his mate than heâd initially tried to.
While her hair colour was similar to Katieâs dark locks, there was a tinge in hers. Her hair sat neatly on her shoulders in wavy locks. âHuh, not a single scar on her face. That had to be hard.â
âJason.â
The alpha shook off his daze, âOh yeah, sorry, I was too stunned for words,â he replied sheepishly rubbing a hand through his silky hair, âYou look stunning, Sandra.â That said, the beta alpha produced a small black box from his pocket.
The girl eyed the box in Jasonâs hand and walked closer to him. The man opened the box and watched in satisfaction as the girl gasped. In the box was an intricately designed necklace with three amber opals set in delicate silver metal that curled around them in elegant curls, holding them in place delicately as though theyâd shatter the moment they fell out of the silver grasp. The amber within the opals seemed to swirl if stared at for too long, âTurn around for me, dear.â
Sandra, flushed, turned around and took the hat off before holding her dark brown locks out of the way. Jasonâs wolf surged forward once her neck was exposed. Heâd never felt his wolf surge forward as much as it did now. âIâll have to make a point of telling Caden this little detail if he ever does find his mate,â he thought to himself.
Cadenâs wolf was fundamentally more aggressive than his. This was partly the reason why Caden was generally quieter than him. The influence of his wolf would have made him appear short-tempered otherwise.
Closing his eyes, Jason took a deep breath and gently placed the necklace where it was meant to be. He placed a kiss on her neck when he was done, âThat should do it.â
âYouâre so close,â the girl shakily whispered.
âDoes it bother you?â he snickered.
âNo, it doesnât. Where are we going?â The hunter pulled away from him with a smirk and placed her hat back on her head.
âThat hat will be in the way. Lose it...â
âOh, I thought you said I looked stunning wearing it,â Sandra teased.
Jason approached the black SUV and opened the door to the passenger seat for the girl, âUsing your hat for creating distance from your mate. There has got to be a crime for that in our constitution. I would have it confiscated in the name of the king.â
Sandra laughed, getting into the car. The man pushed the door closed and rushed over to the driverâs seat. Starting the car, the couple was off, âI heard you love paintball,â the man smirked.
Sandra beamed at the mention of her favourite game. She could still remember the last time she had a match. At the Founderâs festival, where Jason had tried his best with Jeremiah and Shaemus.
Thinking back on it now, it felt like it was a distant memory and yet not even half a year had gone by, âFeels like forever since the last time we played.â
Sandra hadnât known what to expect from Jason on their first date. Would he be taking her for a meal or was there some other plan he had in mind? There was the issue of him working. Would he have to stop the day in half and return to work?
If that were the case, Sandra had no doubt she would follow and help him with the work he had to do. Thanks to Thorrin, her first assignment from the Hunterâs Agency had been indefinitely postponed so she could watch over Kyle and Cole at the palace.
Now that Jason had suggested paintball, she couldnât help but feel it was the best option to help her take her mind off everything theyâd been through. A game of paintball... Sounds like a lot of fun. âMy dress... Iâll figure something out.â
Her thoughts were interrupted by Jasonâs attention-grabbing voice.
âThe only difference this time is that we wonât be versing a very fast hunter and grouped with a potential spy for the rogues,â Jason laughed, reminiscing the past events, âItâs been a quiet month.â
âWell then, letâs try to make this a day we wonât forget. Itâs not healthy for us to keep dwelling on the past, you know,â Sandra responded. Jason smiled, turning to see her beautiful smile briefly before returning his eyes to the road.
â The remote town of Brigadia raised two bright lights...â