Mates at War: A Battle of Hearts

The One She's Meant For

Darius Clawson

Yes, you guessed it. I wanted to brag to his face. I wanted to show him that I had her, that Jade was mine—mine to love, mine to protect. I couldn’t wait to shove it in Rowon’s face—the same guy who once told me I could never have her.

Back then, I was nothing. Just a low-ranking member with no real power, no real standing. Rowon had made that crystal clear, and I believed him.

He'd laughed in my face and told me that Jade could only end up with someone of his status—Beta’s son, Moon Goddess approved. And for a while, I thought he was right. I was too young and too insecure to see otherwise.

His words had haunted me and driven me to push myself further than I ever thought possible. I hated fighting, but I did it for her. I had fought my way to the top and clawed through training until I became the strongest warrior.

I had bled for this moment—to prove I was worthy of her and to show Rowon and everyone else that I wasn’t some nobody undeserving of Jade.

The Moon Goddess must have known how much I loved her, even when I was too scared to admit it to myself.

Now, I could stand before Rowon and say, "Look who her mate is after all."

When I received that letter from Jade’s father, asking for my help to fight off another pack, I didn’t hesitate. I didn’t care about the politics or the war—it was Jade I was worried about. The idea of her being hurt, or worse, was more than I could bear. And honestly, part of me feared what I’d find when I returned. What if Rowon had been right? What if he was her mate? But I couldn’t stay away. I came back because I couldn’t live with myself if I wasn’t there to protect her, even if it meant I’d have to watch them together.

"Darius..." Jade's soft voice broke through my thoughts, pulling me back to the present. I love the way she says my name—soft and sweet, like it was always meant to roll off her lips.

I smiled at her. "I love it when you say my name like that."

She blushed. She always did that—turned the prettiest shade of pink whenever I teased her. It made her look even more beautiful, if that was even possible. I could stare at her all day and never get tired of it.

She was perfect—her golden hair catching the light, her eyes bright, even when she looked worried. Her beauty had always taken my breath away, even as kids. The soft curve of her cheek, the gentle slope of her nose, the way her lips parted when she was deep in thought—everything about her was just... captivating.

"I don’t think meeting Rowon is that important right now," she murmured, her eyes flicking up to meet mine for a second before dropping. "We should be talking about us."

I raised an eyebrow, my grin widening as we walked. "We have the rest of our lives to talk about us, baby. Besides, we’re almost at Rowon’s place." The word "baby" slipped out naturally, and it felt right. I wanted to call her that forever.

Jade blushed again at the nickname, looking even more flustered this time. "Baby?" she whispered, as if testing how it felt on her tongue.

"Yes, baby. And we’re almost there," I teased, enjoying the way her blush deepened.

Her smile faded a little, and she bit her lip, still not meeting my eyes. "He... doesn’t live there anymore."

That made me pause. "Why? Did he get married or something?" I asked, genuinely curious. Rowon had always been clear that he wouldn’t leave his parents’ house until he had a woman. "Has Rowon found his mate?"

She bit her lip, avoiding my eyes. "I don't know," she muttered.

I didn’t care whether Rowon had found his mate or not. The only thing that mattered was that Jade wasn’t his, but mine. If I had returned to find them together, I wasn’t sure I would have been able to handle it.

Yet Jade’s reluctance was starting to worry me. I frown. Why was she so hesitant, so distant? Something wasn’t right. "Jade, what’s going on? Why are you acting like this?"

She glanced at me briefly before looking away again. "Nothing."

I watched her, my chest tightening. She was hiding something, and I didn’t like it. But before I could press further, I decided to change the subject. I didn’t want to ruin this moment with more questions. I had her by my side now, and that was all that mattered. Right?

"Alright," I said, trying to lighten the mood. "Do you know where he’s staying?"

She nodded, though she still wouldn’t look at me. "All the way to the east."

"Alright then, we’ll head east." I grabbed her hand again, and once more, those sparks danced between us. I loved how she shivered at my touch and how her skin tingled under my fingers. I could never get enough of that feeling—of her. It drove me crazy.

The further we walked, the more I felt the pull toward her. Her presence was intoxicating, and I couldn’t imagine letting her go now.

I’d become stronger, braver, more confident—all for her. And now that I had her, I would make damn sure I never lost her. I was going to treat her like a queen. The way she deserved to be treated.

As we approached the house, the last bits of sunlight faded, casting long shadows across the yard. The place looked quiet—almost too quiet—but I pushed the feeling away. I was here with Jade, and nothing could ruin this moment. Still, something about the air felt heavy, like there was something we weren’t expecting on the other side of that door.

I knocked twice, and for a moment, there was silence. Then, the door creaked open, and I stood there, frozen.

A pregnant woman with fiery red hair stood in the doorway, one hand rubbing her swollen belly while the other held a small bowl of berries. She popped one into her mouth and chewed slowly, sizing me up. "Our baby needs you to rub my feet, Rowon!" she called over her shoulder.

What the hell?

The woman turned back to me, her lips quirking into a smirk. "Well, hey there, handsome." She winked, but before I could respond, her eyes shifted to Jade, who stood tense beside me. The smile slipped from her face, replaced by a sharp scowl. "And what are you doing here, Luna?" She spat the word like it was something foul.

I blinked, trying to piece everything together. Luna? Why was she calling Jade that? I glanced at Jade, feeling her hand tighten in mine. Her skin was hot to the touch, almost burning, and I could feel her pulse racing through her palm. Something was very, very wrong.

Clearing my throat, I gave the woman a stiff smile. "Uh, is Rowon here? We’re here to see him. We’re… his best friends."

Before she could respond, I heard footsteps. Heavy, familiar ones. And then Rowon appeared at the doorway, shirtless, holding more berries in his hand. His dark hair was tousled, and he looked exhausted, but the moment his eyes landed on me, they widened with shock.

"Darius? You are back?" He blinked, his grip on the bowl loosening. Why doesn't he look too happy to see me?

But then his gaze slid to Jade, and the bowl of berries tumbled from his hands, scattering across the floor. His face paled as if life had been sucked out of him. "Jade…" His voice cracked. "I… I can explain; it’s not what you think—"

I frowned, still holding Jade’s hand, confused. His eyes flicked between us, and I saw something dark and possessive crossed his face.

Suddenly, Rowon growled, a deep, dangerous sound that rumbled through the room. It startled me, sure, but it had an even bigger effect on the pregnant woman beside him.

Her eyes widened in fear, and she clutched her stomach. "Rowon!" she screeched, her voice high-pitched. "Your baby is coming!"

Rowon whipped around, his panic shifting from us to her in an instant. "Kassandra!" he rushed to her side, his hands hovering uselessly before landing on her shoulders. "Are you okay?"

She gasped, her face contorting with pain as her knees buckled slightly. "I swear to the Moon Goddess, if you don’t get me to a healer, this baby is going to come right here!"

Rowon shot me a desperate look, like this was somehow my fault. But I was too stunned to move. Everything about this moment was surreal—Jade’s burning hand in mine, the pregnant woman growling under her breath, and Rowon standing there, torn between his mate and us.

I glanced at Jade, trying to gauge her reaction. Her face was stone-cold, her eyes unreadable, but the tight grip she had on my hand and the tremble in her body told me all I needed to know. This was more than just an awkward reunion.

"What the hell is going on?" I muttered under my breath, more to myself than anyone else.

Rowon looked like he was about to answer, but Kassandra's scream cut through the air, sharp and piercing. "Rowon!" she wailed. "Now!"

Rowon cursed under his breath and scooped her up into his arms, his eyes flashing with frustration and something else I couldn’t place. He shot one last glance at me—specifically at me holding Jade—before turning back into the house. "I’ll be right back," he growled lowly, but it was clear his mind was elsewhere.

As he disappeared with Kassandra in his arms, I stood there, completely at a loss. Jade still hadn’t said a word, but her breathing was heavy, and I could feel the anger rolling off her in waves.

"Jade," I started, but she pulled her hand away from mine and took a step back, her eyes now fixed on the floor. Her shoulders were tense, like she was holding herself together by a thread.

"Let’s go," she muttered.

I stared at her, my heart pounding. "But we need to help—"

"I said let’s go, Darius!" Her voice cracked, and for the first time, I saw the tears she was fighting to keep from falling.

Slowly, it all clicked into place. Whatever was going on with Rowon….. Jade was somehow a part of it.