(IF YOU HAVE NOT READ "NO BETTER THAN THE BEASTS", THEN YOU WILL NOT UNDERSTAND THIS. PLUS, THERE ARE SORT-OF SPOILERS FOR THAT BOOK, SO PLEASE PAUSE AND READ THE OTHER BOOK FIRST! Thank you XD- ALSO, if you have been keeping up with the BONUS CHAPTERS, this book occurs AT LEAST before Bonus chapter 2. Probably before even Bonus Chapter 1. )

*IF YOU DO NOT READ AUTHOR'S NOTES, READ IT THIS TIME. EVEN IF YOU HAVE READ NBTTB, PLEASE READ.*

It was silent. 

Jake Pierce swore just a second ago he was snuggling with Derrick after a cold horseback ride through the forest to the apple orchard. He specifically remembered holding an arm around his soulmate, nuzzling his face into Derrick's soft hair, as the blond read a storybook about supernatural beings. Human folklore of supernatural beings, that is.

Jake had never heard such nonsense in his life, but he loved hearing the sound of Derrick's voice talk about his species- even if half of the facts were incorrect. Derrick enjoyed it because he could learn more about werewolves- what wasn't and what was true- as well as laugh at the storyteller's idiocy. 

"Okay, here it says that werewolves, on the full moon, turn into ferocious beasts that have no control over their hunger. Most werewolves try to restrain themselves because they don't want to kill anyone," Derrick had said.

Jake snorted. 

"Well, first of all," Jake huffed, "The light of the moon is just the rays of the sun reflected off of the moon. So, if we can turn into a werewolf in the moonlight, we can turn into a werewolf in the sunlight too."

Derrick nodded in understanding and fixed the fact by scrolling the true facts in the margin with his own writing. 

"Second of all," he continued, " We are only ferocious beasts if we don't get along with our inner wolf. And if we weren't idiots, and if we wanted to restrain ourselves, then we would apologize to our inner wolf or vise versa."

"So, if Pickle got angry at you or..."

Oh, don't worry Princy-Pie. Jakey-Poo and I would never hurt you! We're Beasties, honey. Beasties For Forever. And as long as you, my sexy, sweet kitten, are in our lives, there ain't nothin' in this world that could make me angry lovely. Pickle purred. Tell him that Jakey. 

"I know you can't hear Pickle, but he's right," Jake stated, "As long as you are with us, Pickle and I will be one in the same. Practically the same person. But both he and I agree that we would never hurt you if that ends up happening. It's not common for something like that to happen though."

After the reassurance, Derrick relaxed at his words and snuggled the back of his head into Jake's strong chest as he kept reading. Their bond had finally reached its peak, Jake thought. Derrick now trusted his word, was openly affectionate, and expressed his kinder side more often.

He was only like that when they were alone, but it was a start.

However, in the midst of Derrick's reading, the world suddenly went silent. Jake blinked, and, within a second, he was no longer sitting on Derrick's bed, with an arm around his soulmate; he was standing in front of the giant bolted doors that lead to outside the castle. However, something was different. There were no guards waiting by the doors. There was not an inch of life. The air felt empty and cold.

Jake almost panicked before he realized- this must be a vision. He had to start learning how to control them; they were sneaking up on him before he could register what they are.

What is this vision about? He wondered. He studied the hallway. It looked normal. He heard no screaming voices, no clangs of weapons, no blood like he had seen in his past visions. Then again, his mother was always helping him with his previous visions, always in them. And now, she was dead.

Both Derrick and Jake had forgiven her, however. In the past, she was just trying to save her soulmate, and, during the war, she had saved her son's. Yes, she murdered Derrick's mother for her own benefit, but she also selflessly saved Derrick in return. 

Plus, Jake had to agree. He would kill to save his soulmate as well.

Anyway, Jake decided that he had to try to do something. Make the vision show itself or something. 

"Uh," Jake said into the thin air, "Hello?"

Silence. That was obviously not the way to summon a vision.

"Um, can you come out?...wherever you are?" Jake asked the silence.

Suddenly, a figure stepped into the open. Sadly, it was not his mother. It was another woman, tall and slim. She had pretty brown hair with curls and sparkling blue eyes.

Who is this? Jake thought.

"My name is Sarah," she said, as if responding to his thoughts. She smiled knowingly, evilly, such that Jake was left wondering if she really did read his thoughts. "I am the one who cursed your mother darling, who cursed you." 

Jake stiffened. This was the woman who tortured his mother...who made his mother let his own father die. The woman before him was behind all of the deaths in his family. His father's, his mother's....and even Derrick's mother.

Jake was about to lose his temper, but she tsked slowly, wagging her finger. 

"I have had an...infatuation with humans," she smiled, giggling, "They are such naive creatures. Oh, what it would be like to be ignorant! What it would be like to not know of the deep horrors of the world- and live in peace! With only other humans as your enemy. So...nice. Oh, but they loathe being ignorant. They see their blessing as a curse in which they need to conquer!"

Jake was curious as to what point she was getting at, so he quieted. And he listened.

"Some supernaturals are like that too, you see," she continued, "Like werewolves. Half-humans, therefore they have some ignorance. So, what better curse than to let them know everything? It is what they search for, is it not? The vast, deep recesses of knowledge. However, what they do not realize is that life is a harsh, cruel thing. There are somethings they simply do not want to know. Like when they will die, or when their soulmate will die, or when their child will die. Things like the next deadliest war or the discovery of a two-faced friend. The future is what they do not want to know."

She giggled like a school-girl getting a compliment.

"And that is why the future is your curse!" she squeaked, "Am I not a genius? And to think that a simple-minded human girl doesn't find me attractive."

"I think the fact that you called humanity ignorant and the fact that you are cursing people is enough of a reason to call you unattractive," Jake reminded. Her face turned into a deadly sneer at his words- her voice turned into a hiss.

"You have no say in this werewolf!" she said, making a defensive guttural sound in the back of her throat. It was like a cat's purr, but instead of using her tongue, she used her throat. It sounded extremely more violent compared to her giggly happiness.

Upon hearing the sound come out of her mouth, Sarah paused and cleared her throat. She composed herself and continued to smile quite evilly.

"Anywho, to see your vision, you must- how do you say- want to see the vision," she stated, "And, just so you know, not seeing the visions may result in the death of those close to you..."

Jake gulped.

"However! You may choose to do as you want after you see the vision! Just remember, half-human," she got close to his face, "Saving a life always takes another life away."

Then, as soon as she appeared, she was gone.

Jake was now alone again. So he has to want to see the vision to see it? That wasn't hard, seeing as Jake was a pretty curious wolf. And since the fact that denying said vision could put a life on the line.

As soon as he came to this conclusion, the visions started.

A knock came at the door to the front of the castle. They sounded frantic- like they were trying to escape something.

Might as well open the door, Jake thought, preparing himself, before opening the door.

He was surprised to see Nathan on the other side of it.

"I want to go home!" he yelled at Jake, "I want to go home! Please help me go home!"

Nathan was frantic, grabbing Jake by the shoulders and shaking them, gripping the werewolf's t-shirt as if his life depended on it. His eyes were wide with alarm.

Jake had never seen Nathan acting this way.

"What?" he asked Nathan. But Nathan wouldn't stop.

"I want to go home!" he screamed, "TAKE ME HOME!"

Then the vision shifted. The vision of Nathan disappeared- no one was holding onto him.

He was suddenly in the woods. A campfire was before him, which dimly lit the forest in the night, and stars twinkled above him with the moon. There were beds of cloth strung about as if other people were camping there, but there was no one in sight.

Suddenly, another werewolf came out into the open. It was a beautiful white, with eyes as dark as the night sky. It was small and delicate, but its eyes proved its strength. And, by the rejection marks on the face of the wolf, it was also a rogue.

Disowned from its pack.

The werewolf looked at Jake, slowly making its way toward the Alpha. Jake thought it was going to pounce him- become violent like everything else had in his visions.

But then the wolf laid down, and fell asleep, as if too tired to go on.

Then, once more, his vision shifted.

He was in a throne room somewhere. All Jake knew is that it wasn't Derrick's throne room- the only throne room Jake had entered. It was someone else's throne room.

 A man was sitting on the throne, stark-white hair and devilish red eyes. He wore a smile, but it was not directed at Jake. It was directed to a woman that was sitting in his lap. Her hair was a long brown- almost black- and she had deep blue eyes. Similar to the features of Sarah, only everything was darker.

"I'm so glad you are back," the girl sighed.

The man chuckled, "Well, I can't deny a queen can I?"

It only took a second for Jake to realize-

It was Nathan's sister.

Then his vision went black.

~{()}~

"We can question her tomorrow," Nathan smiled, looking at David adoringly, "Right now-" he continued, picking up David, which surprised the Leshy. He held onto Nathan's shoulder's for dear life. "I want to spend time with my lovely soulmate." Nathan threw David onto the bed and David let out a little squeak.

But he starting smiling when Nathan jumped into bed with him. The king got cuddly, snuggling into his soulmate, and sparks of love warmed them to the core. Once David was wrapped up into Nathan's arms, spooned, Nathan pressed his lips to the back of David's warm neck.

The action made the Leshy shiver.

"Hmmm," mused Nathan, "So you like that, huh?" he asked teasingly. David blushed.

"Why are you like that?" the Leshy asked quietly. Nathan frowned with concern.

"Like what?" he asked.

"Like...uh...like...sexually active?" David elaborated, blushing, which made Nathan chuckle.

"You mean horny?" Nathan asked smiling. However, when David nodded, Nathan's smiled slowly died.

"I guess," Nathan frowned, hiding his face in between David's prominent shoulder blades, "I guess sex just makes me feel loved, you know? Plus, I am a man, who's dad was a player, so genetically, I am born to be horny."

David wanted to giggle at that last comment, but his mind was hooked on the first reason. The Leshy didn't want Nathan to rely on sex to feel loved; therefore, David then made it his mission to prove to Nathan that there were other ways of knowing that people love you.

So, he turned himself around in Nathan's arms and held Nathan's face in his hands; Nathan's eyes twinkled at him curiously.

David then pushed their faces together, closing his lips to Nathan's. Sure, David was shy and awkward personality-wise, but there were few things he was scared of. One of the things he felt confident in was his determination. Once he was determined, he could do a lot of things that his personality wouldn't allow.

Like take the initiative.

Nathan, after immediately returning the affection, smiled into the kiss. His arms tightening around David, pulling him closer. Nathan's hand, as if on instinct, cupped David's jaw. He could feel David's pulse on his throat, his hair on Nathan's fingertips, the movement of his jaw against Nathan's thumb.

Nathan sighed in bliss, while at the same time David gave a sweet smile and pulled away.

"I don't know what that was, but I loved it," Nathan said, opening his eyes and staring at David with pride and adoration.

David smiled sweetly, his hands still cupping Nathan's face, as he said, "I was just showing how much I love you."