DESTINED, jasper hale [book 01] ✓

xxviii. call of the wolf

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𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐃

❀ 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘺-𝘦𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵: 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘭𝘧

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𝐤𝐚𝐲𝐚 𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐞

𝐚 𝐟𝐞𝐰 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐬 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦

     HOWLING FROM THE WIND and the pack of wolves fill the air, and it sends chills down Kaya's spine knowing that, one day soon, Kathleen's and Alice's other Mate is going to turn, and there'll be three of them again. The Treaty having no effect on them. To tell you the truth, Kaya is not overly fond of any of the wolves — or soon to be wolves — of this generation, but she does hope that, when her daughter's future Mate turns, he will become a different person.

     A pair of arms sneak around mKaya's middle and a chin comes to rest on her shoulder, her body being held against a firm marble one and her hands moving to rest on top of theirs. "Come back inside, Kaya."

     "What am I supposed to do, Jasper?" Kaya murmurs. "It's only a matter of weeks — days even — before this wolf, whoever he is, turns. Then Kathleen and Alice have to go find him, and they'll get Imprinted on, again."

     "That cycle will continue for as long as they live," Carlisle informs from behind the Mated pair. "There's no breaking it or escaping it, and both my daughter and yours will suffer through the pain of losing each Mate. Unless the wolf decides to become one of us and lives on."

     The thought of having a wolf turn into a vampire sends a chill down Kaya's spine, and she pulls away from her Mate, walking over to the edge of the balcony, standing there with the majority of her feet hovering over the few metres to the ground below. The two blond vampires remain a safe distance from her, but Kaya can feel the tension radiating from their lean, immortal bodies, and it makes her smile, knowing that they'd do anything for her.

     Such a thing can be used as an advantage...

     Turning, Kaya holds her arms out to the side and gives them a wide grin, falling backwards off the balcony. Jasper darts forward and tries to grab her, but misses by millimetres. She plummets through the air and closes her eyes, feeling the air rush past her in a high whistle. It stops abruptly as she hits the salt water pool, her body slowly sinking to the bottom. Staring up at where Jasper and Carlisle are on the balcony from beneath the settling water, a soft smile grows on her face as the water distorts them.

     Under the water it's so peaceful.

     She can't hear the rapid beating of hearts, or the rushed breathing of living beings. The once loud footfalls are silent after over a century, and she can no longer hear the flapping of wings or the falling of morning dew in the forests. Everything that was once heightened is now dulled, and Kaya's world is silent; normal, for lack of a better word. To make things even better, she can no longer hear the howling of the wind and the wolves, and, while her head feels empty, she feels much more at peace than before.

     With what appears to be a smile, Jasper steps off the balcony and drops into the pool beside his Mate, swimming down until he's laying beside Kaya, fingers entangled with hers and golden eyes peaceful for the first time in days. Siphon-sharing his pathokinesis, Kaya allows herself to feel what everyone else feels. At the rush, she closes her eyes and lets out a sigh, the smile growing on her face. Beside her, Jasper's adoration and love flares, washing over Kaya in wave after wave of warmth, and she knows that he's looking at her.

     What breaks them from this moment of peace is a stab of pure agony coming from Kathleen. Kaya's eyes fly open instantly and she pushes off from the bottom of the pool, launching up through the water and landing on the tiles beside the pool. Jasper follows her example and they quickly run into the house, coming to a stop in the lounge room where our daughter is, along with Alice.

     Kaya speeds over to them. "Talk to me. What's wrong?"

     Kathleen's pained orange-gold eyes meet my ruby red ones. "I can feel it again, mother. It hurts so much."

     "Jeremy."

     "It's not possible," Alice implores, distress covering her pixie-like features. "It can't be. He died decades ago. How is she feeling it right now?"

     Gritting my teeth, Kaya lets out a hiss. "I had Chelsea strengthen her loyalty to the Volturi so Kathleen wouldn't try to kill herself after Jeremy died, but it wouldn't last forever. It would break when your new Mate turned, but I thought we had more time. Fuck!"

     Ripping herself away from the two, Kaya runs from the Cullen residence and into the trees. She makes her way past the town and head to the Reserve, skidding to a stop at the Treaty Line and coming face-to-face with a large black wolf with several other brown and grey wolves flanking him. Tied to one their back legs is a pair of shorts, and Kaya knows that they've come here to talk.

     Nodding her head in greeting, the large black wolf, obviously the Alpha, returns the gesture before his body begins to crack and contort. Kaya watches as he slowly returns to his human form, but looks away as he tugs on the pair of pants currently on the tar road. A series of growls make the vampire look back to the man, and she has to fight the hiss growing in her throat as she see the wolves moving closer to her.

     "Stay where you are," Kaya growls, making them tense, teeth bared with their ears pinned flat back against their skulls. "I mean you no harm, or to cross the Treaty Line without permission, so I expect you to at least be civil and trust me considering I hold an Imprint."

     The Alpha steps forward, toes brushing the invisible Treaty Line. "You are Kaya Salvatore, correct? I'm Sam Uley, the leader of this pack, and trust is to be earned, not demanded."

     "I know who you are."

     "Good. That means I don't have to explain how serious this situation is. Your daughter is the Imprint of one of the Quileute wolves, and I want to know which one."

     Kaya rolls her eyes and crosses her arms over her chest, sensing Jasper behind her. "He's only just turned. I will not tell you how I know that, but only that it comes from a reliable source I will not name."

     "Very well. Billy wants to speak to you, and I want you to meet your daughter's Imprinter."

     "As long as your pack doesn't decide to rip me to pieces."

     The black-haired man's lips quirk into a small smile. "Of course not."

     He shifts back into his wolf form and motions for Kaya to come over the Treaty Line. Looking back over her shoulder, meeting the wide eyes of her Mate for a second, Kaya steps over the Line. The wolves let out yips and growls as they take off, and Kaya runs after them, easily keeping up with them considering that they're meant to be faster than vampires. It doesn't take long before they come to a stop in front of Billy Black's house, and she sees the old man in a wheelchair, two younger males standing by his side.

     Walking forward, Kaya pulls the old man into a hug that he reciprocates. "Billy Black, it's been too long, old friend."

     "That it has, Miss Salvatore," the old Quileute replies with a smile, but it turns sour a moment later. "I wish it were under better circumstances though."