by Jaymin Eve
I didn’t fear much, but he made me uncomfortable. It wasn’t really the comments, alphas get threats a lot, and I had a big mouth – yeah I pretty much deserved everything I got. No, it was the look in his eyes. When he locked me in his gaze the green darkened and I could sense his need for me to be removed from this earth. And the worst part, I had no freaking idea what I had done to him.
I watched him closely but didn’t speak. Anything I could say would only make it worse. I’d tried over the years to fix the problem, to no avail.
“And now there’s a younger, more pathetic wolf princess.” He moved on to Mischa, who was finally starting to pay attention to the bear shifter. Maybe he hadn’t noticed her new bodyguard. He was going to get Maximus all riled up. Should be fun. “Maybe one day I’ll get the privilege of destroying the entire Lebron line. Bears are not led by wolves.”
Curious.
That was the most information he’d revealed in a long time. Maybe this hatred wasn’t personal toward me, just that he was ruled by wolf shifters who happened to be my bloodline. I could see Maximus starting to move closer to me. He’d been fighting a male fey. His shirt was smoking a little from a few fireball accidents.
I shouldn’t have shifted my focus. As I turned back, Melly had moved and a fist was coming straight at my face. I threw my head back, twisting to the side, hoping to avoid his massive knuckles. No such luck. The meaty fist clipped me on the side of my chin and cheek bone. I heard the crunch; my screams echoed around the cavernous training room. As I hit the padded mat, I clamped my mouth shut, cutting off the sound of my agony, since opening my mouth seemed to be increasing the intense stabbing heat. Chaos descended as everyone ran to see what had happened. I was pretty dazed, I wasn’t sure exactly how much I missed in the next few moments. The throbbing hum of agony that was pulsing in the side of my face was distracting me from everything else in the room.
“Jessa!” Soft hands gently touched the uninjured side of my face. “Are you okay? Open your eyes.” Mischa sounded a tad frantic, and I did not want to know what my face looked like.
I opened my mouth, but the agony that stabbed into me again had me clamping my lips shut. Shit. I was going to kill Melly the second my face healed. I was going to cut his arms and legs off and then slice them into little pieces, and after that his eyes – yep, one by one I’d pluck them out and feed them to the closest shifted animal …
Maximus interrupted my thoughts. “Jessa, open your eyes, babe.” Just when I was getting to the good part. Typical.
I slowly opened the eye on my uninjured side; the other was already sealed shut and wouldn’t open. The light was so bright it took me a moment to fight through the blindness and try to see. I knew my cheek was broken, and I was pretty sure I had a concussion. Everything was blurry and out of focus. Not to mention I had the mother-of-all-headaches and was about ten seconds from barfing everywhere. I was forced to shut that eye again.
“We need a healer in here. Now!” I could hear Braxton’s order from close by. His words were so clipped and icy I was pretty sure a layer of chill had settled over the room.
I lost track of time again. My concentration was firmly on keeping the contents of my stomach where they were, and then I felt hands on me. Warmth spread through my body and I knew either a witch or a wizard was using healing energy to repair my broken face. All magic users had some healing abilities, but there were a few who were extra gifted in that department. If they showed this aptitude, they had an additional year after college learning this art, and then they became healers. I sighed as the warmth turned into an intense heat and I could feel the actual bone starting to knit together. I’d have healed eventually, this was just ten times quicker.
“She had a fractured jaw and cheekbone, and her skull was cracked in two places,” said a soft female voice – my healer was a witch. “I’ve mostly fixed her up, but she needs bed rest for a few hours or so. Just to give her body time for any additional healing she needs.”
My eyes flew open and I pulled myself up. Maximus was on one side of me and Braxton on the other. They each placed a hand under my arm and lifted me to my feet. I was facing a tall, slender red-haired woman. She had dark eyes that were scanning my face. She looked familiar but I couldn’t remember her name.
“Thank you…”
“Grace,” she mumbled. “My name is Grace.”
Ahhh, right, now I remembered. When I’d been about fourteen, Grace had declared her everlasting love for Tyson, despite the fact she was a few years older. He’d been a typical immature boy and sent me over to let her down gently. Of course I’d had about as much tact as a troll or a tree, and after my brief stumbling explanation she’d fled in tears.
“Thank you, Grace,” I tried again. “I really appreciate you healing me.”
She smiled. It was genuine and her entire face turned from gamine sweetness to ethereal beauty. She had grown into her lanky looks. “You’re welcome. If you ever need any help, Jessa, please don’t hesitate to call me.”
As she stood, her eyes flicked across to Tyson in a movement almost too fast for me to track. I couldn’t read her expression, but she didn’t seem to be viewing him in the same romantic light of long ago. She looked a little pissed actually.
As Grace marched away, Tyson’s eyes followed her. The wizard looked a little shell-shocked; some gold was bleeding into his eyes. How strange was it that we hadn’t seen Grace for almost ten years? I wondered if she’d left Stratford. I was distracted from my thoughts as the rest of the class moved back into position.
Lincoln was talking to the Compasses. “Take Jessa home and put her to bed and make sure she stays there.” Everyone knew they were my pack. “I’ll see you all in the next class. I’ll inform her father of what happened and he can decide on the punishment for Melly. He’s suffering right now, but I doubt that will be enough for Jonathon.”
I’d forgotten about that coward-ass piece of shit – punching me while my back was turned. Scumbag. I pushed through the crowd to find he’d been strung up from one of the huge rafters by thick, heavy cord. His head was about two feet off the ground as he struggled upside down. Judging from the bruises already forming on his face, and the cut dripping blood onto the floor, he’d been ‘knocked’ a few times during detainment. I pushed a few more supernaturals aside, and bending over I got reasonably close to his face. Despite his predicament, he still sneered at me.
“Always so brave when you’ve got the quads watching your back.” His teeth were a little bloodstained. He spat onto the floor. “You disgust me.”
Reaching out, I grabbed his chin, hard, squeezing it slowly between my fingers and palm, letting my shifter strength flow along my arm. His eyes widened, but he didn’t make another sound. “You come near me again, Melly, and I will fucking take you apart piece by piece.” I’d already started planning it. “I don’t need the Compasses to destroy you, I have every weapon already at my fingertips. You live now only on my generosity. An attack like that, on a council leader’s daughter … Jonathon is going to want your head.” I shoved him hard, he swung out away from me. “And I might just let him have it.”
As he swung back, I spun and kicked out. My shin cracked him in the temple, knocking him out cold. “Tell my father to let him go with a warning this time,” I said to Lincoln, knowing he’d chat with Jonathon first. If Melly came at me again I’d be the one to kill him.
Braxton stopped me with a hand on my right biceps. “Jessa, he needs to die.” I shook him off. “He fucking hit you while your back was turned. He’s a coward, and his weakness is only going to hurt Stratford in the long run.”
I could see by the tight jaw, clenched fists, and raging fury in his eyes that Braxton cared nothing for the town. He was pissed that I’d gotten hurt. He was always my sweet protector. But I was a big girl and could look after myself.
“I have a feeling he won’t come after me again.” I shrugged. “Lesson learned.” Okay, I might have been overly optimistic, but I owed t
he guy one last chance.
Melly groaned as he woke from his little nap.
“If he steps within ten feet of you again, he’s dead.” Braxton’s voice had no inflection at all. He was serious. And scary. “No more chances.”
Mischa followed us as we left the room. The six of us were the sole focus of attention from the others, but as the doors slammed shut behind us I could hear the noise inside start up again. Gossip was already flying around.
Braxton was staring at the ground as we walked, his fists still clenched, and I swear small rumbles were shaking his chest, although I couldn’t really hear anything.
Jacob distracted me from his brother. “Don’t find yourself alone with that guy, Jess. He has the strength to kill you. If you hadn’t pulled your face in the last second, he probably would have.”
I shook out my hair, wincing as the slightest tenderness still plagued my head. “I can handle him.” I was great at false bravado. “But I don’t understand why he would try and kill me.”
That would have ended in his death or imprisonment in Vanguard, for a very long time. But my money was on dead … by one of the Compasses.
Braxton lifted his face then and I ground to a halt. His blue eyes were a blazing inferno of fury. He was literally vibrating, he was so wound up. “I saw it happening and couldn’t get to you fast enough.”
“You strung him up?” I asked. Braxton must have been like a step behind Maximus despite the fact he’d been across the room.
“I would have killed him, but I needed to make sure you were okay first. I was heading back to break his neck when Max convinced me that wasn’t the best option.”
Maximus groaned, rubbing his hand down his left side. “And I’m pretty sure you cracked my rib, asshole. I owe you for that, and despite the fact killing him was a great option, I figured that wasn’t the way you wanted to end up back in the prison.”
I noticed then how teary and scared Mischa looked. She had her arms wrapped around herself tightly. “You okay?” I moved closer, standing right in front of her. God, how anyone couldn’t tell we were twins I had no idea. We were identical, everything except for the eyes and a few freckles.
“I don’t think I’m cut out for this life of violence. How do you live with it all the time? Watching your backs? I can’t sleep, I can’t eat. I’m having a breakdown and I haven’t even been here for a month.”
She couldn’t sleep? It was more serious than I’d thought. I tried to hold back my smile but couldn’t. “You’re just not used to it. Supernaturals are violent bastards; it’s a wolf eat wolf world here.” I was talking metaphorically since there were so many different races. “And you have us to watch your back also. Trust me, you couldn’t have better supes in your corner.”
Tyson patted Mischa on the shoulder. “She’s not kidding.”
Despite the fight between Maximus and Tyson on the day of Markus’ staged murder, there had been no more drama in the group. Mischa had been mostly accepted into our inner circle, although I sensed a small sliver of distrust still, mainly from Tyson.
The wizard continued with his wisdom. “It will drive you crazy if you worry too much. Today’s worry does not prevent tomorrow’s woes. We just have to accept what will come and do our best to protect each other.”
Smart, smug bastard. He made good points though. He still seemed a little out of it as he gazed across the town. I was starting to think that seeing Grace had really knocked him around.
“Come on, Jessa needs to get to bed.” Braxton started hurrying us along the path again.
“Jake,” I called to the blond fey.
He bounded over to my side. “You called for me, Jessa babe?” He wrapped one of his long arms tightly around my shoulder.
“Can you sing for me?” My head was starting to throb again and his voice was the most soothing thing in the world.
His voice was uncharacteristically low. “I’d do anything for you.” And then he started to sing.
It was my favorite faerie ballad, haunting, hypnotic, soothing. It was the song of birth or de la entréed. The fey sing it when one of their babies are born, to welcome them into the world. I yawned loudly.
My feet were swept out from under me as Jacob scooped me into his arms.
“You guys are my best friends … and I love you,” I said sleepily, as I closed my eyes. “I don’t tell you that enough.” I could have died today. The thought that I should tell my friends and family how much they meant to me had flashed through my mind when that punch landed.
Jacob chuckled again, his chest moving under me. “We love you too. You’re our pack, our family. Don’t go almost dying on us again.”
I felt hands brush along my face and knew the others were using their warmth to comfort me. With that warmth, and the final humming remnants of Jacob’s song, I drifted off to sleep.
Chapter 9
It was time for my date. I’d spent most of the afternoon in bed, but despite Braxton’s constant arguing against me leaving, I couldn’t lie around any longer. Besides, I’d made a deal and I was not backing out of it. To be fair, I was a little intrigued to see what this Louis was all about. To see if maybe it was he who had set up the Compasses – to reveal the secrets of the marked in the prison.
An hour before Louis was due to arrive, I kicked the boys out and got ready. Then once I was ready, Mischa came in and redid absolutely everything. Sisters are annoying.
Mischa was sprawled across my bed. “You look amazing. I’m glad I talked you out of shorts and found a dress you’d accept.”
Okay, so she had a pretty great eye for fashion. Since I’d never actually been on a date, I did appreciate her input. The casual relationships I usually pursued did not leave much need for dating or fancy clothes. Or clothes of any description really.
I flittered off the bed, the dress swishing around my thigh as I ducked over and gave her a hug.
“Thanks for lending me the clothes.” I’d have been hard pressed to find a dress of any description in my closet. I’d never felt limited having mainly male friends but, well … I was starting to see that girls had a pretty important place too, and my sister kind of rocked.
The dress was a dark blue and I was surprised by the difference it brought to the color of my eyes and the highlights in my very dark hair. It had thin straps and was fitted across the breasts before falling in silky lengths to mid-thigh. I teamed it with my black converses because I’d probably kill myself in heels. Mischa had approved, saying it was modern tomboy girlie. Whatever that meant. She’d tackled me into the chair and had applied the lightest layer of makeup and lined my eyes with kohl and lengthened my lashes with mascara. Standing before the full length mirror in the upstairs bathroom, I was surprised by how I looked. Like myself, only … sort of more.
Moving back into my room I shoved Mischa across the bed to sit next to her. We sat in silence for a few minutes. It was nice, though, we’d almost reached the point where we didn’t have to fill our moments with chatter.
Finally I straightened. “I should go downstairs, Louis will be here soon.” I ran my hands over my silky hair. “I have no idea why, but I’m a little bit nervous.” I never had nerves about crap like this.
“You’ll be fine,” Mischa said, patting me on the shoulder as we descended the stairs. Okay, the girl wasn’t the best with reassurances. Another thing we had in common.
Downstairs was empty. Jonathon and Lienda had gone for a run in the forest. My father hadn’t said anything about my date, except advising me to proceed with caution. Like I needed the warning. I knew Louis was mega powerful. Anyone with that much oomph was to be treated with wariness. We all knew that power can corrupt.
“What did Jonathon do about Melly?” Mischa asked as we made our way into the living room. I wanted to sprawl out like I usually did, but stupid dresses are not designed for true sprawling.
“He wanted to trial him and have a prison term allotted. We might be a little wild here in Stratford, but unprovoked at
tacks are not allowed. Especially when it could have killed me.” I shrugged. “But in the end it was an A and D class and Melly would simply argue he was attacking within his rights. I told Dad to forget about it.”
Which had not gone down well, hence his need to run off some anger.
“I’m quitting that class,” Mischa muttered, her eyebrows drawing together as she picked at her right thumbnail. “I’m not cut out for fighting.”
I inhaled deeply, sucking in a lungful of air. “I suggest you think seriously about that decision. You might not feel like it, but you’re part of the supernatural world now and you’ll want to be able to defend yourself. Like shifting, sometimes the only way to learn is the hard way.” I had no doubt that she was fighting an uphill battle – it would be difficult starting as an adult when we’d been training since kids. But giving up wasn’t a great personality trait, I wouldn’t encourage that.
“Yeah, we know how awesome I’ve been at shifting.” She moved on to the other thumbnail.
“You’ll get it soon, and when it clicks your wolf side will just fall into place.” I was no longer considering that she might be a dragon shifter. It was definitely wolf.
She rested her chin on her shoulder as she stared at me. “Max helped me see some of what I was doing wrong. Because I’m afraid of the unknown and the pain, I’m internally fighting back. It’s all in my head; the fears are preventing my shift.”
I focused on her. “What’s going on with you and Max? You’re spending a lot of time with the vampire.” My vampire, I silently added. Man, I was possessive. I should work on that, right after I dealt with ‘selfish,’ ‘paranoid,’ and ‘bitchy’.
Mischa didn’t answer straight away, and I wondered if she was trying to hold out long enough for my date to arrive. But then as she raised her face and met my pointed stare, her confusion was oh so apparent.
