Sapphire A Huntress no more (Sapphire Book 1)

Another week passed by without any movement from the hunter camp. We received word from all over about other packs who managed to hold their ground against Cole’s hunters and some gave bad news that hit the morale of the wolves from the camp pretty bad. I for one was going crazy with worry and anxiety, all the others seemed to take Cole’s lack of movement as a good sign. A few days before, Charles postponed another meeting with the Elders and the pack, wishing to wait for his right hand to arrive. If it was up to me, we would have had that meeting already and at the present time I would be on my way to attack Cole and his men.

But truth is I am just an outsider and my say in the matter does not really count. Some pack members looked at me as if I was one of them, while the majority still tip toed around me. I was still a hunter in their eyes and maybe that was true, after all not much changed since I came here and all I know is how to be a hunter, even with all the wolf form trainings that I was doing with Cassidy. She was one of the reasons more wolves came to trust me.

‘What is going through that head of yours that makes you so distracted?’ Cassidy said after shifting. We had another sparring match in wolf form, a match that I of course lost.

‘I keep thinking about Cole. I can’t figure out why he is not attacking us and my wolf is on edge for some reason.’ I said putting my clothes back on.

‘Have you asked your wolf why she is on edge?’

‘I did ask her, more than once but she rudely shuts me off.’ ‘I have not, you...silly girl.’ ’Oh yes you have...ok not in a rude way, but you do tend to change the subject every single damn time.′

‘Hey, are you ok?’

‘Sorry, what was it you said?’ I asked turning her way.

‘I asked if you were ok.’

‘It’s nothing to worry about. I was just speaking with my wolf.’ I said sighing.

‘Ok, you missy need to loosen out a bit. How about we go on a run?’

’I don’t think we can do that with Cole and his men near here.′

’Ah yes, I forgot about them. Then how about we go play with the children? That should take the stress off for a while.′

‘That would be...interesting.’ I said shifting from one foot to the other and scratching my neck.

′Oooohhhh are you by any chance nervous? Come on they are just kids, they won’t harm a big bad huntress like yourself.′ Cassidy said laughing. She was right to say that I was nervous. I have never been around children before. They looked so...fragile.

We left the training grounds in good spirits. As we made our way to the playing field, Cassidy was still making fun of my reluctance to be around children. For someone in her position Cassidy was acting as a child wood, all jumpy an exited. In my mind an Elder was someone solemn and fair-minded, a rule keeper. Or that is how I thought of Elders after Charles told me about them. In my eyes Cassidy was serious but she didn’t have that solemn look the other Elders I had the chance to meet portrayed. She was fair and a rule keeper but at the same time she had a playful side which made me comfortable in her presence. Maybe that was why, lately I was more open to the people around me. I had no intention to befriend any more wolves. One of the reasons was that any day now I could leave this place for good or I would die trying to protect myself and these strangers from Cole. But Cassidy had other plans, she introduced me to every wolf she knew, basically almost everyone here and my say in the matter did not count one bit. As we entered the play grounds Cassidy’s face lightened up even more and mine fell as I saw the many children on the grounds. Where have they been until now?

After another sleepless night due to Nire’s antsy self I woke up with sun rays heating my face. But it was not Nire’s entire fault that I was so tired. Who knew playing with children can be so exhausting. It was pure torture to stay in wolf form while a lot of kids played with my ears and tail. The balcony window was open and in came a pleasant smell of burned wood mixed with a stronger smell of vanilla and strawberries. ’It’s not from outside.′ Nire said. She was milder than she was the night before or this past week. Leaving Nire’s comment aside, I thought the sent was more powerful as I reached the window and I was sure it came from outside but when I stepped out on the balcony in order to find the source of the smell it was faint. ‘Told you.’ ‘Then where is it coming from?’ Nire remained silent and before I could ask her why a knock on the door distracted me.

I went back inside and went for the door, the scent of vanilla and strawberries seemed to be coming from the room and not from outside. As I opened the door to see who it was so early in the morning the same smell overwhelmed me. A tall man was standing outside my door. The first thing I noticed, besides the unmistakable fact that the vanilla and strawberry scent came from him, were his eyes. He had amazing eyes that matched perfectly with his light ash blonde hair. In that moment I did not know what was happening and when or why but I found myself kissing him. We were all over each other, his lips soft and warm, and his hands firm on my back that kept me close to him made me lose all sense of space. Before I knew it, my shirt was off, his shirt was off and our pants were opened. I moved my hands all over his well-made back and over his firm shoulders while he kept one hand on my back and with the other one he gently stoked my hair. We stopped kissing for just a moment to take in some air and at the same time we moved apart from each other slightly. We looked into each other’s eyes, his shifted from forest green to black and as strange as it might seem I could see his wolf through his eyes. I took a step back trying to compose myself and at the same time my wolf and his cried-out MATE.

By the time I reached the sea side, in the northern part of Germany, a portal connected to the stronghold was already waiting for me. Carme requested for the portal to be opened at a location known by her. She was reluctant when it came to matters regarding portals and their use, so as a compromise Charles let her open the gate before I arrived in a place she knew would be best, rather than wait for me to tell her the exact place. I went through the portal and arrived on at the stronghold in mere seconds.

As soon as I set foot on the ground I shifted and put on the clothes I found near the portal before I went to meet with Charles and the others. Stephen was the first I saw due to the fact that he was waiting for me near the steps of the castle, he was probably the one who left the clothes for my as well.

‘Saul, finally you arrive. What took you so long?’ Stephen said shaking my hand.

‘It is good to see you too cousin.’

‘Yes, that too. Cole and his men made themselves comfortable near our base and we postponed a few meetings in order to wait for you. Why did you stay behind?’ Stephen said in a rush.

‘Oy slow down a bit. I had to carry out my duties as Beta King. We are not the only wolves with the enemy at our doorstep.’ I said vexed about Stephen’s choice of words. As we reached the front steps a whiff of lavender and pine caught my attention. It was faint but as I entered the hallway it got stronger and it mixed with the scent of grass and rain. ‘This is it, follow after it. Up the stairs to the left.’ ‘Why do you want me to follow this smell? I admit that it is pleasant but...’ ‘It is the smell of our mate, you moron.’ My wolf said with certainty. Was it? Was this truly our mate we were hoping to find for so long? The stairs seemed to go on and on never ending as I climbed up. The smell was strong and intoxicating as I reached a door at the second floor. My heart beat like crazy as I faced the door for a few minutes, afraid that this whole thing was a dream, made up by my desire to find our other half. Out of instinct I knocked on the door. On the other side of the door I could hear my mate moving closer and as she opened the door to see who it is I was taken by surprise by her scent. Surely, she is just a figment of my desire to have a mate. ‘Friend, she is as real as the sun and the moon. I told you our mate was alive.’

Just as fast as the kiss we shared began, reality sunk in like a bucket of cold water dropping on my head out of the blue. Blushing, embarrassed by what I just did, I turned away from him and put my shirt back on.

‘I am sorry, I don’t know what came over me.’ I said looking at the man in front of me.

‘There is nothing you should apologize for.’ He said with a husky voice. His voice is nice, and strong…what is wrong with me. He came closer taking my hands into his and only now did I notice the tingles and sparks that surfaced all over the places he touched. With both hands on my face he brought me closer and kissed me again. The butterflies in my stomach rose to my chest as he kissed me. He caressed my face and neck with one hand while with the other one he touched my arm and back. His touch gave me goose bumps all over ′Nire why are we kissing a complete stranger? And what did you mean by mate?′ ‘Before, you wanted to know the reason I was so antsy.’ ‘What does that have to do with what I asked just know?’ ‘Well dear, he is the reason I was on edge the whole week. He is our mate, our other half.’ We stopped kissing and only then did I manage to process what Nire said. I remembered what Cassidy said about mates the first day we met. This strange feeling overwhelmed me, I have never felt this way until now. Whatever this feeling was, it scares me. The man kept me in his arms as we remained silent looking into each other’s eyes.

‘What is your name beautiful?’ He said. His deep voice sending shivers down my spine.

’Al... Erin, my name is Erin.′ I said, forgetting that I no longer was Alice but Erin. His eyes sparkled as he looked at me from above.

‘Such a wonderful name you have. I am Saul.’ He said smiling.

Saul leaned in to kiss me and for an unknown reason I did the same. We hugged and I was fully aware of the fact that he had no shirt on. This realisation made me blush some more and as he put his tongue into my mouth I moaned in pleasure and so did he. We explored each other and maybe I was crazy but he tasted like vanilla and strawberries. Saul took me into his strong muscled arms and pinned me against the now closed door deepening our kiss. He moved his attention from my lips to my neck and to my surprise, he found a sweet spot just under my left ear. I moaned again while he groaned as he moved his lips lower and lower leaving kiss marks behind.

My mind was now completely blank and my body was at his mercy.