Closer

RHEA
Haru sat down beside me, taking my hand in hers. "It means you have the gift of vision. Is this the first time you're experiencing this?" She asked.
"Yesterday is the first time it happened," I told her.
She gave me another smile.
"If you ever want to talk about it, I'll be willing to listen, okay?" She said and I nodded. She walked away and I looked at the window, surprised to see that night had fallen. I wondered if Haru was older than she looked because it felt like she was much older than she looked. I got out of bed and walked out of the room. Yawning, I sauntered to the back of the building where I found a bench. I sat down and rubbed at my exposed forearms.
I gazed up at the night sky, the cool breeze ruffling my hair. I thought about what had happened earlier, a sigh escaping my lips. If what I'd seen the previous day was also a vision, it meant that it was going to happen. But, I didn't understand. I'd never been able to see visions until yesterday. What exactly triggered it?
Come to think of it, I didn't understand my vision either. Was I going to have a personality disorder? Or did I have a twin? None of this made any sense. My gaze roved over the large fields which extended from the back of the Silver Claw's pack house, wondering if Jaden had returned.
I didn't have a phone or a wristwatch. This made me clueless about what the time was. A familiar minty scent hit my senses and I felt myself unconsciously relaxing. I didn't hear his footsteps, but I was sure he was close by.
I watched him from the corner of my eye as he lowered himself onto the bench right beside me. He was no longer wearing his suit. He had changed into a black T-shirt and black jeans trousers. His hair was also not in it's usual bun. The dark strands of his hair framed his face and in the darkness of the night, his hazel eyes glowed. We both remained silent for a while, our gaze fixed on the sky. My wolf purred because she liked the fact that he was sitting right next to me.
'You can sit closer though. You can also make skin to skin contact' Crystal suggested and I bit my lower lip, resisting the urge to roll my eyes.
"Are you okay?" He asked and I exhaled slowly.
"I'm okay. How was your day? How did the meeting go?" I asked, turning to look at him. He rubbed his forehead and shut his eyes briefly.
"It wasn't so bad" he said and I frowned. I was curious at this point. Clearly, something had either happened at the meeting or at the office.
"I heard about what happened earlier" he told me and I lowered my gaze.
"Oh..." I mumbled.
"Haru told me that you have the gift of vision" he continued.
"It's strange, Jaden. Why is it coming only now? I don't understand what's going on" I told him.
"What did you see this time?" He questioned.
"Chase and a woman that looked like me. I was right there in their midst, watching her press a knife to his throat. Darryl was lying on the floor, unconscious. He was bleeding buckets, Jaden. It was so terrifying"
Jaden frowned, rubbing his chin with a thoughtful expression on his face.
"It doesn't make a lot of sense, does it? I don't have a twin and I'm not a villain. At least, that's what I think" I said and he facepalmed.
"If my visions are showing me future events, shouldn't we be worried? What if I turn dark?" I asked and a smile ghosted over his lips.
"I don't think that's what your vision means. Maybe, you do have a twin"
"I do?" I said, raising a brow.
"Who knows?" He shrugged.
He handed me a bag and I raised a brow. "What's this?" I asked. "See for yourself" he replied and looked away. I opened it and took out the boxes inside the bag. I opened the first box and found what seemed to be a very expensive smartphone. It had been charged and ready for use.
"You bought this for me?" I asked, surprised.
"Isn't it obvious?" He said, looking anywhere but at me. A big smile tugged at my lips when I opened the second box. A silver wristwatch which also looked expensive was what I found.
'He's so generous and attractive' Crystal cooed and I grinned.
"Thank you so much, Jaden. I'm really grateful" I said, grinning at him. He shrugged.
"It's not a big deal" he said. He was still disturbed about something. I could tell by the stiffness of his posture and the slight frown creasing his brows.
"You can talk to me, you know. That's what friends are for" I told him and he sighed, the pads of his fingers rubbing his temples.
"The Alpha King has decided to step down from the throne" he said and I nodded in understanding.
"Who's going to be the next king, then? Does he have a heir?" I asked.
"He doesn't. He wants to choose one by setting up an Alpha Tournament"
"O... Kay. Are you interested in the throne?" I questioned.
"Certainly not" he rasped.
"Then, why are you worried?"
"My brother wants the throne and he's going to get it if I let him. Things are going to get dangerous if he ends up being the one with the crown" he told me and my eyes widened.
"I'm guessing you two are not in good terms with each other" I said and he ran his fingers through his hair, a wary look in his eyes.
"He has always been power hungry and controlled by his greed. That's why he tried to kill me. It's also why he killed my first mate" he said. His statement made me feel shocked. How could his own brother do that to him? It was at this point that I understood what Jaden was worried about.
"So, what are you going to do now? Get involved with the tournament?" I asked.
"I don't want to. It's upsetting" he muttered, burying his face in his hands. I stared at him, concerned.
"I'm going to figure something out, you don't have to worry" he said to me and I bit my lower lip.
"Jaden?" I said and he turned to look at me, a weary look in his eyes.
"How was she like?" I asked and he stiffened.
"What?"
"Your mate. What was she like?"
I needed to know. I had a hunch that she was the one who'd been hunting my dreams. But, why would she do that? I didn't kill her.
"Was her name Sheila?" I asked, keeping my voice soft. He froze.
"How do you know that? Did you see her in a vision or something?" He asked, a frown creasing his brows.
"I saw her photo in the basement. She was really pretty" I said. He lifted his head and gazed at the moon.
"She was. She had a pretty smile too. She couldn't walk past an injured dog. She cared about the trees and she'd always dreamed of having kids. She liked children a lot. She was confident too" he said, swallowing hard.
I placed a hand over his, our gazes locked.
"I'm sorry for your loss, Jaden" I breathed and he nodded, turning away from me.
"If rejecting you will make things easier for us, then yes I will" I said and he stiffened.
"When you said that to me, was it because you were afraid that what happened to Sheila would happen to me as well?" I probed.
His gaze rested on me, unwavering and intense.
"What do you think?" He said and I swallowed hard.
"I don't think you're afraid. I think you haven't moved on, yet" I said.
"Why do you think so?" He asked, not taking his eyes off me.
"You still think about her. Even now, you're probably still thinking about her. That's why you just want to keep me as your friend" I said and his frown deepened.
"And if you're wrong?" He asked, his voice low.
"I can't be wrong. I mean--"
Before I could complete my statement, he pulled me closer to him, cupped my face, and kissed me.