Jason had just finished his tasks with his men for the day. He gathered them to give directions and prepare for their next move. He was determined to complete his mission, and that was exactly what he intended to do.
As he focused on his plans, his mind suddenly drifted back to the vampire captive they had taken. There was something about her that stirred his wolf spirit. No one had ever elicited such a reaction from him or caused him to lose his composure.
Jason was usually an introvert, preferring solitude when he had nowhere else to be. However, since encountering this Vam, he found himself making an effort to engage in conversations and constantly thinking about her. He couldn't comprehend why she brought him joy.
Perhaps it was because she was the only Vam who didn't regard him with fear and hatred in her eyes. This unexpected connection even led to his first-ever disagreement with his self-proclaimed best friend, Sara.
Sara and her mother, the queen of wolves, had always been kind to him since he joined the wolf army, so he had never wanted to upset them. It surprised him how much he felt the need to caution Sara against doing anything suspicious when it came to his fangless vampire after the tension he had witnessed between them.
He couldn't entirely blame her, as he could sense her jealousy over the attention he devoted to the vampire.
Lost in his thoughts, Jason made his way to the location of the fangless vam, and what he witnessed there was an unforgettable scene that brought a smile to his face.
Ella was engrossed in devouring the last morsels of the food she had been given, oblivious to Jason's presence as he observed her. She ate voraciously, like a famished animal, because she didn't want to be caught eating by Jason, or worse, by Sara. She followed William's advice, even though she had no idea who he was.
Once she had finished, she glanced up to find Jason looking at her. Time seemed to stand still as he gazed at her for a moment, before surprising her by bursting into laughter. Was he laughing at her? She couldn't help but shout at him, "Who are you laughing at?" His response left her speechless, "I'm laughing at myself for thinking my fangless vam would rather die than eat my simple breakfast."
Her anger subsided as she processed the words she had just heard. Did he actually imply that he cared about her well-being? Now that she thought about it, this wolf treated her better than some vampires ever had. Her heart always raced a bit when he appeared out of nowhere. She also admitted to herself that he was very attractive, the most handsome man she had encountered in her 20 years of living. His teasing and nicknaming had a way of getting under her skin, which surprised her because no one had been able to provoke her back at home the way he did.
If she were being honest with herself, she would confess that she appreciated the way he treated her. Her chain of thoughts was abruptly interrupted by his voice, "Stop wasting your energy overthinking, Your royal sacrifice, because the journey home is about to begin."
Her face brightened, and she looked at him, saying, "Great, I know shortcuts home." He interrupted her with a serious tone that reminded her she was still a captive, "I won't tolerate any sly tricks from a cunning vampire like you. I may think I can trust you, but your kind and mine are enemies." "Well, what are you going to do then?" she blurted out in frustration after facing her first rejection from him. "My army and I will take the high road," he replied with a tone of finality and authority as he turned his back to leave.
William's warning echoed in her mind, "Be cautious of him; he is no ordinary wolf."
After everything was packed, Jason and his army set off on their journey through the valley. Ella, who was their captive, should have been dragged by them wearing chains, but it shocked everyone, including William, when Jason allowed their captive to hop on the only horse his army brought. It was his powerful war horse, nicknamed Savage, and only Jason could calm it down before it would allow anybody to ride it. He held its reins as he helped Ella sit on it. Everyone looked at them as if they were the center of the universe at that moment. Jason was relieved that the Vam had accepted the ride.
He didn't want to watch her being pulled like a dog by anyone, and he feared that she wouldn't have the strength to walk as fast as them. Also, even though sunlight didn't harm her, he wasn't taking risks. Too much sunlight, especially when accompanied by scorching heat, was bad for everyone. He knew none of his men liked what he just did, but no one would dare challenge him. So there was utter silence the moment he helped the vampire onto the horse.
Ella could see the shock on the faces of Jason's men, but the one she focused on was the look of jealousy and pure hatred that Sara's face expressed upon seeing her on the horse. Their reaction made Ella feel good. She turned her attention to the man holding the reins of the horse. He looked like a handsome prince charming taking his bride home. Ella couldn't deny the fact that she was enjoying and growing fond of this man. He treated her nicely, and he didn't seem to care if his own men were against his actions. If only this guy wasn't her enemy, she would be thanking him at that moment.
Ella started to recall how locked up she was back at home; this was her first time even riding a horse. She put herself in a dangerous situation, call her crazy, but this freedom felt good.
They walked until they finally found a dark cave. They decided to rest a little before venturing into it. Jason helped Ella off the horse. The moment Ella saw the place, it gave her bad vibes. Her instincts were showing her only red flags every time she looked at the entrance of the cave.
The idea of going into that cave made her so uneasy that she decided to voice it out. "I don't think you guys want to be walking in that darkness. Who knows what could be in there," she said while avoiding Jason's eye contact. He smiled and raised her head using only a finger on her chin. "Don't tell me my fangless vampire is scared of the dark." "I'm not!!" she shouted, trying to hide what was already obvious to him.
Just as he was going to ask for her reasons for not wanting to enter the cave, he heard a footstep. He knew who it was before he even turned and asked, "Oh, Sara, what's the matter?" She suddenly passed by him and grabbed the Vam by the arm. As she dashed away with Ella, she spoke, "I want to have a word with the Vam." He was speechless, confused, and puzzled all at once, trying to guess what Sara of all people needed to speak to the Vam about.