Jade’s voice was a shout, and the rest of the group had fallen quiet, listening to her as she let her father have it. I saw pure confidence in her eyes.
I couldn’t help but smile when I saw her like this. I loved seeing her confident in herself, knowing what she believed. She was a completely different person from who I saw when I first arrived.
Dale’s mouth snapped shut. Jade hooked her arm with mine and pulled me a few feet away from her father. Her face slipped, and I could see a shift in her eyes. Her lower lip quivered, and I pulled her closer. “Jade, are you going to cry?”
“No,” she said, shaking her head. I could see tears forming in her eyes, though. “I just think he might be right.”
I crouched down slightly, looking into her eyes. “Why do you say that?”
“Because we’ve been walking forever, and he’s right. I feel this….I mean, it’s deep in my chest like an alarm is going off, but we’re not getting anything. There is nothing around us. So….I must be wrong.”
I shook my head. “Jade, your body is telling you something is out here. Right?”
She slowly nodded. “But what if Kaleb was right and I’m just adjusting?”
“Do you think you're just adjusting?”
She remained quiet for a moment before she slowly shook her head. “Then how come we aren’t finding anything? Not even a single footprint.”
I had learned a little about witches over the years, and I knew there was so much more to learn. Each witch was different in their powers and abilities. Some were powerful while others could hardly protect themselves.
“Witches are just like shifters, Jade. No one is the same. I’ve seen witches that have sight and can see miles ahead…” I paused as I realized something. I pulled out my phone, mapping out how far we had come. We were about five miles outside of town.
I showed it to her. “Where do you feel the pull?”
She stared at the map before she pointed. “Around here, maybe.”
My eyebrows went up. “Wow, that’s….wow.”
“What?”
I smiled. “Your witch ability has been dormant for generations, and you are the first in many years to have it. You’re also a part shifter, so your ability to feel is part of that. Jade, you’re going to be powerful, and you have no idea how amazing that is.” I reached up and cupped her face. “You have the ability to sense things miles away. The ability to possess fire. Normal witches have to work years to get where you are right now, Jade. I don’t know a lot, but from what I do know, this is good.
“You’re not just saying that to make me feel better?”
I shook my head. “No, I’m saying this because you deserve to know just how great this is. Jade, trust yourself because I do. This is new, but you’re going to learn as you go.”
She softly smiled, and I kissed her nose. “Now, let’s figure out our next steps.“
Chapter 22 - Jade
I couldn’t help but feel loved as Brandon held me.
“Don’t encourage this,” Dale grumbled, shaking his head. “She is wasting people’s time searching for something that is not out there. I know my daughter, and this is just another tactic to get attention. I would have thought a man of your status would be able to see through that and do what was best for the pack, but that’s clearly not the case.”
I stared at my father in shock. I wasn’t surprised that he would react this way. That was how my father was, but I figured he would hold onto his control in front of Brandon, considering he was an Alpha.
“I’m not making this up,” I said, digging my nails into the palms of my hands. “I can feel it.” I believed Brandon’s words that I was powerful and we had no idea how much. Once this was all settled, I was going to look into it and start researching more about witches.
My father glared at me with the same eyes I had grown up with. There was no love in them, just disgust and irritation. They weren’t the same eyes that my brother received, and I always wondered when I would see them. When would I do something worthy of my father’s love?
“This is serious work, and you’re treating it like a game. You are a grown adult and should know not to waste people’s time.” He shook his head, repulsed.
“Dale…” Brandon’s voice came out short, and I could see he was physically shaking with rage. But I raised my hand, stopping him. I wanted to handle this.
“I’m taking this seriously. I’m doing this to protect the pack.”
My father rolled his eyes. “You do everything for yourself. You are doing this to get attention. A horrible habit you’ve never seemed to grow out of.”
