Wolf under an oak tree.

“That was the best kiss I have ever had.” Jace had a huge grin plastered on his face, and I know that I must be sporting the same expression. “And those lips will be the only ones that I will be kissing for the rest of my life,” he said, which caused my cheeks to heat up, and I quickly averted my glance from him and slowly stepped away from his embrace.

Suddenly, I felt all self-conscious, and I remembered that just a day ago, I was even afraid to be alone in a room with Jace, and now I have kissed him. What is wrong with me?

“Iris, are you alright?” Jace’s voice brought me back from my train of thoughts, and I slowly nodded my head while looking anywhere but at his alluring eyes.

“I don't know what came over me. And I am so sorry that I kissed you like that.” I said and looked down at the oh so beautiful floor.

Wow, Iris, you must have seriously lost it this time.

“It's the mate bond, and now that we have had our first kiss, it would be even harder for you to stay away from me,” Jace explained, and I looked at him with wide eyes.

“But...but, I want to take this slow,” I mumbled, and I can hear him sigh, he slowly approached me and stood two feet away from me.

“I understand how you must be feeling, so I will give you your space,” Jace said, and I gave him a grateful smile before nodding.

“So, I think I will drop you home since your brother and sister have already called Walter numerous times asking about your whereabouts,” Jace said, and I nodded my head, and then he led me towards the front door, and just as we turned the corner, I saw Walter and Mike arguing in the living room about something, and it looks like something serious because they didn't even hear us coming.

“Now you owe me five hundred bucks,” Mike said with his arms crossed.

“I am not giving you the money because you still owe me five hundred bucks from the last bet,” Walter argued.

“Fine, but this isn't over. So what are we going to bet on next time?” Mike sighed and slumped on the sofa, thinking.

“If I know Jace correctly, then he will mark Iris by the end of this week. What do you think?” oh my God! These two imbeciles! They have been betting about my love life, how much stupider can they get?

“Nah, I think he will take more than a week to Mark her,” Walter replied casually, and by now my cheeks started to heat up again, and I can see that Jace is getting angry too, but I held his hand so that he doesn't go in there and try to kill someone again.

“So, we have a deal here. This time the bet is for thousand dollars.” Mike said, and Walter nodded his head in agreement before Mike got up from his place, and both of them shook their hands in agreement.

“I am seriously going to kill one of them today,” Jace mumbled, but before he could storm into the room, I got a firm grip on his hand and shook my head.

“Let them be, I guess we will confront them later, but for now can we go home, I am tired,” I said, and I think he can see the tired lines and my dull eyes because he reluctantly nodded his head and he led the way towards the front door. After getting into his car and leaving his place, we were both embraced in comfortable silence. Jace’s house was surrounded by tall Pine trees, and there was no surrounding house nearby for a good five hundred meters, which gives him all the privacy.

I was staring at the trees and the neighborhood for a good few minutes before I got tired, and my eyes involuntarily found his face. I must say, though that I indeed have a very handsome mate, but then there was something in his face that didn't quite sit right with me. So I observed his side profile for a bit longer, and I saw that his eyes had a faraway look in them and his jaw was clenched, and there were tired lines on his otherwise beautiful face.

“What is wrong?” the question just suddenly left my mouth, which caused his shoulders to tense.

“Nothing, it's just alpha business.”

“Oh, okay,” I said, I didn't know what to say, should I ask him what the problem is? Or is it too early in our relationship?

“I had a meeting with alpha McCain, he is the alpha of the red moon pack, our neighbors. He said that he got an unusual rogue attack.” Jace started to explain after a few minutes in silence. “This has been happening in most of the packs recently, but we are still unable to catch that rogue.”

“I am sorry to interrupt, but what is a rogue? and why aren't you able to catch him?”

“A rogue is a wolf who has been banished from the pack, they are known as lone wolves, but the rogue we are dealing with isn't an ordinary one. He was able to bring all the rogues together and form an army, he is called around the werewolf society as midnight, but no one knows his real name or has even seen him. But his special ability is that he can come into any pack undetected, and that is what is bothering me right now. Like how is he even able to do that.” Jace’s voice rose a bit at the last bit, but he quickly composed himself before focusing his attention on the road again.

“He recently attacked the red moon pack and killed one of their pack members, and strangely he has only killed one to three women from each pack that he had invaded, and we believe that he is in search of a stone that my grandma hid.”

“Why is that stone so important?” I mean, I don't think this person must be crazy enough to kill women for a stone, right?

“That stone allows the wearer the ability to control the entire werewolf race if he or she wishes to, and also it bears great healing powers, but that is just our guess, but no one knows what it really does.”