The Wolf Who Fought for His Soul Mate by Scarlet Hyacinth Page B

would.
    He gave Jace a pleading look. “Don’t, Jace,” he sent through their
    bond. “I really want to do this. I knew there must be some way I could
    help, and I was right.”
    “We could try something different,” Rhys suggested. “We could
    go to the power plant and scan its energies.”
    Noah nodded, looking a bit more enthusiastic. “That would be
    perfect. It would tell us exactly what went on there.”
    Derek cleared his throat. “For those of us who aren’t versatile in
    magic, what would that entail? Isn’t it the same with what you
    mentioned earlier?”
    Noah shook his head. “It would be based on the same thing,
    Paris’s genetic connection with his mother. However, instead of
    actively reaching out to her, we’ll just go to the power plant and
    attempt to catch a snapshot of the events that happened there. You
    see, areas where spells take place maintain a residual energy. With the
    lingering traces of the nuclear accident, I can’t really tell if it exists

    The Wolf Who Fought for His Soul Mate
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    here, and I won’t be able to if Aria wasn’t actively involved in the
    spell. But chances are that Tyrell did indeed plan to make her his
    familiar, here at the plant, and they might have discussed something
    we could use.”
    “Are you up for it, though?” Rhys inquired, sounding concerned.
    “I’ll be fine,” Noah replied. “This is the right thing to do. I can
    feel it in my bones.”
    Jace wasn’t so certain, but what could he do? They agreed to visit
    the power plant that evening, once the vampires awoke. “For the
    moment, it would be best for all of us to get some rest,” Rhys
    suggested. “It’s going to be a long night.”
    Personally, Jace wasn’t tired, and while he’d have loved to spend
    some time in Paris’s sweet embrace, there were still many dilemmas
    on his mind. Still, he knew the phrase didn’t truly refer to him, but
    rather, to Noah, who would be the one who’d suffer most in this
    complicated endeavor.
    So, he let Noah and Rhys go, while the rest of them clustered
    around Derek. Derek smiled knowingly. “Want a tour of the town?”
    he asked.
    “Thank you,” Reed replied, already seeming excited. “We’d love
    a tour.”
    For the next few hours, Jace just enjoyed the company of his
    loved ones, as well as learning new things about a culture he wasn’t
    familiar with. As they walked, Derek spoke in low, measured tones,
    explaining how much the area had suffered. Neither Derek nor Jace
    had been old enough at the time of the nuclear explosion to clearly
    remember, but they had learned a lot of things about it, especially
    since their father always wanted to make them understand the
    importance of power and how it should be controlled. In spite of the
    town’s tragic past, though, the locals were doing their best to rebuild,
    seeking to create a brighter future for themselves and their families.
    Apparently, the vampire coven led by Kaname Yamamoto was

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    pouring funds into developing infrastructure and facilities to prevent
    disasters like that one from happening.
    Jace couldn’t help but note that whenever he spoke Kaname’s
    name, Derek’s tone turned a bit huskier. It didn’t take him long to
    realize Derek was completely infatuated with the vampire elder.
    While he could understand the attraction, he felt concerned. He
    respected Kaname, but so far, he’d gathered vampires led a life that
    was in many ways dictated by the sensual demands of their bodies. If
    Kaname was Derek’s mate, that could prove to be a problem. Not to
    mention that Kaname had pointed out some vampires were still not
    very fond of shifters.
    “Maybe it’s just physical attraction,” Paris suggested through
    their bond. “They don’t have to be mates to lust for each other.”
    That was true, but Jace knew his brother well. When Derek was
    attracted to someone, he rarely showed it. He was a very private
    person, and he didn’t exteriorize his