Chapter Fifty Five

Chapter Fifty Five
Jhelani's POV:

"Jace?" I called out. He was taking quite a lot of time to get back and I was feeling somewhat anxious standing in a basement that's filled with weird looking magic potions.

"I'm coming. Don't freak out, Fox Eyes," he laughed, grunting as he climbed out and then closed the floorboard.

I stared at him intently with folded arms, waiting for some sort of explanation after he had spent almost an eternity down there. When he was done dusting the invisible dirts off his clothes and finally looked at me, I arched an eyebrow. "So? What was it that you were searching for?"

"The Lunara's Anklet. My mother gave it to me when I was much younger. She told me that it's for protection," he said, lifting the little stuff before his gaze and I saw how his lips curled up as his eyes softened on it in a reminiscing way. The anklet seemed to mean a lot to him from the look of it.

"Jace? W-what are you doing. Jace?" I was stunned, stuttering.

He got on one knee, and then gently pulled my feet up until it was resting on this thigh and his thumb brushed my feet lightly like a feather, as if he was memorizing every inch of me. A sharp breath left my lips at the tingling sensation I felt at his touch.

"Back then, when I was little and there was this war going on between my family. You know, my mum and Dad Fam. Wolves and the witches. They didn't approve of their marriage, plus I was born out of wedlock. It was a crime for a witch to be married to a werewolf. An abomination. And sometimes...it comes with a curse. So my mother gave me this anklet to protect me just in case anyone tried to get to me." He said, locking the golden anklet around my ankle. It had little crystal stars and moonstones designed on it. Honestly, it looked really beautiful around my ankle.

He leaned closer and placed a soft kiss on my feet, brushing his thumb on it slowly with a quiet smile. "And honestly, it works. Looks beautiful on you."

"Yeah...but shouldn't you be keeping that Lunara's thingy somewhere safe?" I asked our of curiosity but then Immediately regretted how I sounded when he gave me that offended look.

I quickly cleared my throat, "I mean, no offense, but I think since she gave it to you and trusted you with it then you should actually protect it and keep it safe, Jace, instead of giving it to someone else." I said softly, understanding how sensitive this anklet of a thing was to him. If I were in his shoes and my mother gave it to me, there's no way I would have given it out just like that unless it was important and very necessary.

"Yeah?" He said standing up and I had to raise my gaze up to look at him. "But you're not someone else, Jhelani. You are my mate. My fated mate. The one person I've ever felt this way for. Your safety should be my priority and I don't mind giving this anklet to you as long as it keeps you protected from the evil eyes."

I placed my hand on his shoulder. "I understand every word you said, but this is way too much. You should be keeping it instead—"

His voice dropped, deep, magnetic and edged with a dangerous promise. “She gave it to me, yes. And I am giving it to you because If anything happens to you, Jhelani—forget it. No one in this town will be safe from my wrath. I’ll despise myself and every fucking person who has a hand in it. I’ll cast aside every promise and oath I swore to protect this Pack. Everyone in it will suffer. And I don’t care who stands in my way.”

I felt chill roll up my spine, hairs standing on my skin with goosebumps. He broke into a smile again and I swallowed. What was that? I thought in my head. I've never seen Jace like this. He was always the bright, smiling, annoying asshole. But never have I seen this side of him. And I sure as hell didn't wish to...but I did.

"Hey, chill out, girl. Don't look at me that way," he chuckled, patting my cheeks and I woke up from the thoughts I had going on in my head.

My lashes fluttered as I watched him walking away to a shelf not too far and then he began going through some old looking books like nothing happened.

"Thank you." I whispered quietly once I got to his side. He smirked, turning fulling to me.

"Anything for you." He said, brushing my cheeks with his thumb and placing a tender kiss on my nose. Geez, I literally parted my lips thinking he was about to kiss me on my lips. My face turned red from the embarrassment.

Jace chuckled. "What? You want me to kiss you...on the lips?" He raised his perfect thick brows with that snarky familiar grin on his lips as he moved closer to me and then wrapped his arm around my waist, yanking me to his chest.

I swallowed, feeling that heated tension brewing in the air. "What? No. Why would I want that?" I tried to laugh it off but none of it was feeling funny enough at the moment.

His gaze had me stuck, frozen in his arms.

What's with this fucking sudden feeling I am having? I frowned. It felt foreign and the pit of my tummy was doing that thing. Like butterflies were there.

"Jace..." I said breathlessly.

"Hmm?" His lips touched mine, capturing and sucking in a slow sensitive kiss.

My breath hitched, melting into his. For a moment, the world stopped spinning. The dim scent of burnt sage and old pages from the basement shelves faded into nothing but him.

His lips were warm, and I was almost hesitant at first, but the second I didn’t pull away, something inside him snapped. The kiss deepened, slow and consuming. His fingers slid up my spine, pressing me closer until I could feel his heartbeat thrumming against my chest like a wild drum.

I didn’t even realize when my hands moved... one clutching his leather jacket, the other curling around the back of his neck. The taste of him lingered. He tasted like a smoky sweet strawberry, raw, and a little desperate. He tasted exactly like the stuffs he consumed and I sort of liked it.

My knees felt funny... weak, and my heart was racing faster than I could control.

His hand moved under my blouse, pulling it
up and his hand swimming upwards until it found my boobs.