When Jace awoke, the world was shrouded in darkness. Pain wracked his body, but he was alive.
He wasn't alone. A woman knelt beside him, her amber eyes glowing in the moonlight.
"You're lucky I found you," she said, her voice soft yet firm.
"Who… who are you?" Jace croaked.
She hesitated as she looked up into his eyes. "I'm Jessica. And you're my mate."
The words were foreign to Jace, but he clung to them. "Mate?" He asked.
"Yes," she said, her gaze meeting his.
"What kind of mate are you talking about? I'm confused. A minute ago I died, so how am I here? Am I dead?" Jace's brows knitted together, his eyes darting around the room.
"Gosh, are you acting dumb, or are you just foolish?" Jessica rolled her eyes.
"Am I not allowed to ask questions? I mean, I've not been in this situation, so how did you expect me to react?" Jace frowned.
"I'm a werewolf, an alpha, and you're my mate. Even if you can't wrap your head around it and realize that I'm a werewolf, you'd have thought of vampires, right? An alpha mated to a foolish human, wow!"
"Wait, those weren't just fiction? Wow! I'm quite surprised. So I'm alive?" Jace asked again.
"What do you think? Do you think the afterlife would look like the same shitty waterfall you died? Dude, help me and be smart." She eyed him.
Jace knew it was an insult, but if he was still alive, then he didn't care.
"How did you find me?" Jace asked.
"I smelled you were in danger and came immediately." She muttered, looking elsewhere.
"Wait, what? That doesn't make any sense." Jace stammered with his voice barely above a whisper.
"Your issues. See, you're my mate, yes. But this… this won't work. You're not my type. You're human, and you're also terribly weak." She said without flinching.
"Hold on. You're saying... What exactly?" He searched her eyes for answers.
"I, Jessica, alpha of the Parkinson's pack, reject you."
Her rejection hit harder than the bullet. Jace sat up, resting on the rock, ignoring the searing pain in his chest. "Then why save me?"
Jessica stood, her expression unreadable. "Because it was the right thing to do. But don't misunderstand. You'll never be enough for me."
Before Jace could respond, she disappeared into the shadows, leaving him alone and reeling.
Disoriented, Jace wandered deeper into the forest. The air grew colder, the shadows darker.
He stumbled upon a clearing, where a massive wolf-like creature stood waiting.
Its eyes glowed with an unnatural light, and its presence was suffocating.
The beast lunged, its jaws sinking into Jace's shoulder.
He screamed as pain unlike anything he'd ever felt coursed through him.
The creature released him, and Jace collapsed to the ground, his vision fading.
"No, no, it can't end here. I can't survive to die again, please no."
The world shrouded in darkness as Jace opened his eyes.
The first thing he registered was the searing pain radiating from his chest and shoulder, spreading like wildfire throughout his body.
His head throbbed as he tried to sit up.
For a moment he was sure he was dead or worse.
Looking around as he blinked, he realized he was in a grand, unfamiliar room.
The scent of leather and wood filled the air. A man with dark skin and piercing black eyes sat across from him, his posture regal.
"You're awake," the man said.
"Where am I?" Jace asked, his voice weak.
"In my home," the man replied. "I am Mike Salvatore. But you may call me the Don."
Jace's mind raced. "Why… why am I here?"
Mike leaned forward, a small smile playing on his lips. "Because you are destined for greatness, Jace. Whether you believe it or not."
Before Jace could question further, a distant howl echoed through the building. It was a sound that sent chills down his spine, reminding him of what happened earlier.
Jace sat upright, his body stiff with tension as the haunting howl faded into the silence.
The bed beneath him was luxurious, the sheets cool against his fevered skin, definitely not his.
His instincts screamed at him to run, yet he remained frozen.
The man across from him, Mike Salvatore, the Don, watched him with an unreadable expression.
"What was that?" Jace asked, his voice trembling.
Mike stood, his movements slow and deliberate. "That, my boy, is the sound of the world you've just entered."
"What are you talking about? What world?" Jace's brows knitted together.
Mike sighed, "there's much you don't understand, Jace. You were bitten by a Lycan, a creature most believe to be nothing but fiction; some say it's fantasy, and others myth. That bite didn't kill you. It transformed you."
Jace stared at him, his mind rejecting the words. "That's insane. There's no such thing as Lycans. I… I'm just a guy who got attacked by some animal. Gosh, what's happening to me? Am I cursed?" He wiped the sweat off his face.
"Deny it all you want, but you've already felt the changes, haven't you? The heightened senses, the surging strength. Tell me, Jace, do you feel the same as you did before?" Mike turned to face him, his dark eyes glinting. He tried to be patient.
Jace opened his mouth to argue, but the truth stopped him. Since waking up, he had felt different.
The pain in his shoulder, though sharp, was nothing compared to the raw energy coursing through him.
His vision was sharper, his hearing more acute. He clenched his fists, the realization dawning on him like a storm cloud. "What… what have I become?"
"A predator," Mike said, his voice low. "Fate has chosen you for something far greater than you can comprehend. But only if you choose to embrace it."
"No. This isn't happening. I didn't ask for this! I don't want this; take it back." Jace shook his head, standing abruptly.
"No one does," Mike said, "but life rarely gives us a choice. It molds us, breaks us, and if we're strong enough, it rebuilds us."
Jace backed away, his heart pounding. "I need to get out of here."
Mike didn't stop him as he bolted for the door; he ran down the corridor, his breath coming in ragged gasps, but Jace didn't care.
He had to escape, to get back to something resembling normalcy.
Looking around, he was in a castle-like mansion, like a modern fortress.