Power & Fire
Chapter 29 Jason

"What the fuck are you doing?!" I asked in shock, my eyes still wide as I took the scene in front of me.

Axel jumped at the sound of my voice, making the objects drop to the floor with a loud thud, cackling and spreading through the vast grey concrete. "Jason?" He turned around before closing the book.

"You have three seconds to start explaining or I'm calling the guards." I threatened him calmly, once again not wanting to gather attention from others. Basil was howling inside me with conflicted emotions; he still hasn't forgotten that the werewolf in front of us was hiding something with our mate, but he also recognized Axel and his wolf as his best friend, his brother, his most trusted wolf.

"I swear I can explain all of this, but you have to promise me to not tell anyone." He replied with a sober and dark expression which made immediately straighten up my posture to show that my wolf was still the Alpha whose members could still trust. In response I nodded back at him with an equally somber complexion.

"Tom is the new Wind Element, my little brother is still too young and vulnerable to carry such an heavy duty and responsibility. The attack on the night of your Coronation made me realize that. One of the most guarded and safe event was easily attacked by a demon which made me wonder how of an easy target Tommy is. I talked with Castiel about this since she knows my brother and she has been helping me dealing with all of this craziness. She even lent me a spells book to make me feel safer and also through meditation, that's what you just saw." He finished explaining with a long sigh. "I didn't want you to think that I was being paranoid and weak and therefore unfit for my title as your Beta." His last words made my heart ache a bit. He was my best friend, he should never feel unworthy of our friendship, no matter how low he was feeling. And I would have comforted him, if it wasn't for the incredibly strong gut feeling that kept telling me that he was lying to me. My Alpha instincts were strong enough to know when something wasn't right, and now as an Alpha King, even though my new powers were still fresh, I knew when my people lied to me. And that's exactly what he's spilling, lies. His emotions feel sincere, and his story made sense, it would explain why he was meeting Castiel behind my back and why they seemed so close. However, there were loopholes. First of all Axel was always the most reluctant to trust Castiel, he would never run to her with such a sensitive matter. And how did Castiel have such a rare book? He was hiding something to me, something related to my soulmate.

I faked a smile at him before pushing against the nearest wall, eyes swirling with anger and frustration. So much secrecy, so many lies and so much danger, I've had enough of this. I have a Kingdom now, millions of lives are depending on me and I don't have time for liars and traitors, no matter how close we were.

"That was cute, not gonna lie, you almost got me. But now I want to hear the truth!" My teeth were clenching as I put my face closer to his, looking at him in the eyes, daring him to try to pull my leg like that again.

"I-" "THE TRUTH NOW AXEL!"

He showed his neck in submission, eyes facing the ground as his body obeyed my Alpha command. I kept waiting for him to answer me but all I got in return was pure and utter silence. How is it possible for him to not accept my order? "How?" I whispered shocked looking at him expecting any sort of reply.

"Alpha all I am allowed to say is that you are meant to stay away from Miss Morningstar." He finally said still facing the ground.

My heart dropped once again hearing his words. "Castiel did this to you?" I asked in a hushed tone not knowing how to react. He kept quiet until I dropped him back to the ground letting go of him. He fell on his knees and hands, his breathing uneven as he tried to get his airflows back to normal. "Jason, Castiel is involved in something beyond us. Something that you could never imagine. What she's doing, she's doing it for us. Don't lose your faith in her. I can't tell you anything not because I don't want to but because I literally can't Jason, please trust me."

Hearing the desperation in his voice made me crouch down to his level and look him in the eye.

"I believe you brother." I said firmly before pulling towards him in a comforting way. "I believe you..." I whispered in his ear. I could hear his heart beating wildly as he tried to contain his frustration.

Our moment, however was cut short as the rest of the group arrived and eyed us curiously.

"I tripped." Axel said while staring back at them, with an expression that said 'don't ask'.

"Sure..." Will replied, dragging the word for a few seconds whilst still staring at us weirdly.

Feeling determined in getting some answers for the many questions that rushed in my head, that Axel couldn't get me, I quickly stood up making my way towards the exit.

"All of you go to school, don't be late. I have some matters to attend I'll meet all of you later." I stated in a voice that left no space for objections. I waited for them to get inside their cars before turning around, still feeling Axel's warning gaze burning my back.

***

"Wake up."

I stared at the redhead that laid still in the small jail as she stirred from her rather uncomfortable looking slumber.

"Damn good morning for you too." Melinda groaned while sitting up, holding her head as if suffering from a headache.

Seeing my unimpressed expression she groaned again now resting against the wall behind bars. "I thought that we were friends again now." She said raising an eyebrow at me.

"Friends don't lie. Are you willing to be my friend or not?" I replied crossing my arms in front of me, staring her down.

"It depends on what you have to ask me." Melinda answered while mindlessly playing and twirling around a strand of her dark orange hair.

"I want the truth. Now." She looked back at me confused and intimidated by my authoritative tone. She stood up straighter leaving the dirty wall behind her.

"Why are you so bent over to get Castiel? The petty excuse you keep giving me means nothing, you despise Tiffany, what happens to her doesn't affect you the slightest."

"That's not true." She blurted out angrily, too angry in fact. Something isn't adding up.

"Tell me the truth and I'll free you." I promised her, taking a step closer to the bars.

She was quiet for a while seeming to be weighing down her options. She was still too unsure of something.

"I promise that no harm will come to you."

Silence.

"Please." I was desperate for some clarification.

She contemplated once again, and my words had apparently affected her as she nodded and looking back at me with certainty.

"Almost a month ago a man approached me. He was old, on the shorter side, a dark aura around him. He had a really bad vibe attached to him." Elder Clarence. I nodded at her encouraging her to continue. "He started talking about these crazy things, a thing called 'Virtutem Ignis'. He never really told me what it was, all I know is that he was hell bent on getting that thing at any costs. However, he couldn't do it alone, he needed more power. He needed a divine power." "So that's why you invoked the Moon Goddess?" She nodded while avoiding looking at me.

"I was surprised to see him when I talked with the Elders to request them to start the preparations. He was in the inner circle he could do it without me, he just needed a motive from a non-suspicious outsider, me." She took a ragged deep breath as her eyes filled with guilt and turned glossy.

"I said no at first you know?" A tear rolled down her pale cheek.

"I refused but he threatened me, he knows things that no one is supposed to know Jason. Please believe me when I say that I couldn't say no to him. I tried and..." She cut herself up with a sigh brushing her tears away with the back of her hand.

"He knows about your mate." I stated almost certain. The only time I've seen Melinda this vulnerable was the time she mentioned how things went down her mate. I truly felt sorry for her. Things between me and Castiel aren't exactly ideal at the moment but at least we haven't rejected each other officially, there was still hope for us. The more I know about the things that she's hiding the clearer I see our future together.

If you're loving the book, nel5s.org is where the adventure continues. Join us for the complete experience all for free. The next chapter is eagerly waiting for you! "How is it going with your mate?" She asked out of the blue after a moment of silence and introspection from both parties.

"The same unfortunately." I sighed. Melinda nodded not really knowing what to say.

"Do you love her?" Do I love Castiel? If someone had asked me that question a few weeks ago I wouldn't hesitate to answer that I was for sure falling for her deeply. But things have changed, I'm a King now, I have responsibilities, I have lives in my hands. Castiel as my mate was meant to help me to deal with this, not push me away and complicate things more. It also didn't help that she was involved with magic without my knowledge, I don't know her intentions, I don't know anything. I can't put my people in risk for someone who has been lying to me since day one.

"No. I don't. Not yet at least. I've come to realize that being mates with someone isn't enough to keep a relationship going. I was so excited at the thought of her, everything about her fascinated me, even the smallest things, still do. But to fall in love with someone you need to actually know your significant other, I don't know anything about Castiel and what I thought I knew turned up to be lies. Then at the moment I needed her the most, she pushed me away, she hurt me and you don't hurt the people you love. It doesn't mean that I'm giving up on her, I'm not. At all. At the end of the day she's still the person that I'm destined to be with, but I know that things between us will never be the same." Noticing the lack of reply from Melinda I looked back at her only to see her staring at me with an emotion that I couldn't decipher.

"You've changed." She finally said while looking at me with all seriousness, her eyes were the only gentle thing that stared back at me with care.

"I guess I have." I shrugged while removing the keys from my pocket and unlocking her cell. The rusty door making a squealing sound as it moved and she stepped out.

Melinda came closer to me, face to face. I could feel her breath on my face.

"I'm hurting Jason." She whispered. "My heart aches every time I see you. When I look at you all I see is my own mate, how messed up is that?"

And before I could react she pushed her lips against mine.

But as soon as they met, she back out again flinching. "I wanted to know what my mate felt when she kissed your lips Jason, all I felt was repulse." I was more confused now than ever, I was frozen not knowing what to do.

"My mate had sex with you multiple times feeling repulse only to hurt me, how sad and cruel is that? Why me?" She was full on crying now as she rested her head against my right shoulder. "Why does Tiffany hate me Jason?" She sobbed. "Why?"

I didn't have an answer to give her, I could only comfort her as I could while trying to process what the fuck I just found out.

"Help me please."