by Thea Chin
In the back, Finley and Faith are also asleep with Faith’s head on the boy’s shoulder and his head on hers. Between them, their wrists glow a soft yellow.
Jaiden has given up being jealous a long time ago. He only looks at couples now with an old man’s smile. Maybe Tsukiko was right. Maybe there is another soul out there for him. If everything goes well and Darren’s child is human, he knows who he wishes that other soul to be.
It’s futile though. A soulmate bond persists for as long as that cursed mark sits on her wrist.
* * *
“Wakey-wakey! We’re here!”
Tsukiko blinks her eyes open to a blob of brown fur in her face. Jaiden finally pulls his hand back so she can see the mini Jolly Quoka he is holding before he attacks her shoulder with it again repeatedly like a woodpecker.
“I fell asleep?” the girl groans.
Jaiden just laughs. “Those two did too. I was thinking about blaring my horn at them.”
“Jaiden!” Tsukiko warns in a whisper.
“Well, what do you have in mind?”
Before she can answer, Chan comes over and taps at the back window, effectively rousing Finley whose startled jerk wakes his soulmate.
“Why are you so late? We’ve arrived an eternity ago,” the leader teases. He points to his car where Cain and Mark lie exaggeratedly on the hood.
“Yeah right,” Jaiden shoots back. “I bet that engine is still hot.”
Chan denies it jokingly as they all wait for Darren and Xie Ming to arrive with their shared “luggage,” although Tsukiko suspects it is mostly drinks. Being a “werewolf and co.” retreat, Terena was not invited. “Last vacation before the pains of fatherhood,” Chan called it. Some of the wolves are glad to have their brother back for one week, but Tsukiko worries about what Darren had or has to do just to earn seven days away from the mother-to-be.
When the final two arrive, the group checks in to the hotel, and by “checks in,” it really means some middle-aged man in a suit bows deeply to Jaiden and hands him a classy brown envelope. Jaiden turns back to his friends, embarrassed, and hands each of them a room key from the envelope.
Tsukiko looks at hers when she receives it. The word “Han” written in ruby cursive stares back at her. Each person has a random room that encircles a common area in the center. Because of this, Tsukiko finds herself sharing a connecting bathroom with none other than Xie Ming Zeng.
“Guess we’re neighbors,” Tsukiko starts with an easy conversation.
Xie Ming just grunts and disappears into his room, slamming the door behind him.
Tsukiko stands at her door, key half inserted, with a mix of surprise and confusion on her face.
“Don’t worry about it. He’s… like that,” Jaiden sighs as he walks by.
“Alright,” Tsukiko frowns. She stifles another yawn and goes to put down her stuff so that she can then set up some extra recycling bins for the contents of the fraternity’s shared “luggage.”
When everyone is settled, they decide to head down to the poolside area. A gazebo connected by a bridge sits in the middle of the pool and has a bar that serves refreshments.
“Wow,” is all Tsukiko can say when she looks at the place.
Jaiden chuckles proudly, coming up from behind her. “That’s not the main attraction though,” he says and points at something in the gazebo. Rather, he points at someone in the structure.
Tsukiko squints to take a closer look then turns back to her friend with wide eyes when she sees who he is referring to.
“How did you—”
“Irene Silva?” Mark exclaims in recognition before Tsukiko has the chance to finish her sentence. “Hi there, pretty thing.”
The group moves to the gazebo to either see who is the new unfortunate victim of Mark’s flirtation or to buy some drinks.
“Hello!” she greets when she recognizes some of Yellow Brick’s customers.
“What are you doing here?” Jaiden quickly asks, hiding his own mischief.
He does not get past Tsukiko though who looks at him with amusement. He sends back a proud wink; Jaiden Han does not disappoint.
“Business is slow around the university during winter break, and this hotel was offering great pay and board for the duration, so my mom suggested I work here for a bit instead.”
“Your mom?”
“Yeah! She owns Yellow Brick. It’s why I’m there so often,” Irene replies. “So, what can I get you guys?”
Upon hearing ‘Yellow Brick,’ Chan who has been lingering behind the group looks visibility alarmed. He clamps a hand over his right wrist, as if he is afraid of what he might see there, and backs away discreetly.
“Not Xie Ming,” Tsukiko whispers to Jaiden.
“Yeah, I didn’t think so,” he whispers back. Nor is he surprised to see that his leader has disappeared.
After placing their orders, the boys either sit by the gazebo, dangling their feet into the water, or cannon ball into the pool. It is heated, thank goodness, against the winter wind. Tsukiko can see the steam blurring the surroundings as she waits on one of the lounge chairs with Jaiden.
“Not going to go for a swim?” he asks, looking at her choice of attire.
She shakes her head. “I’m not even sure I can.”
“You can find out now,” he mumbles. Nevertheless, a glad smile forms on his lips. He’s happy to have a companion while the others splash around, and even more so that the companion is her.
Tsukiko shrugs lightly and changes the topic. “So how do we confirm it is Chan?”
Jaiden sucks in a breath and shifts his posture. “That is a good question. I don’t even know why he’s so against finding out. I mean, who doesn’t want to find their one true love?”
“Should we tell the others? Maybe get them to help?”
Jaiden ponders on this for a little bit before deciding against it. “That’ll bring too many factors in, and some of them may be too reckless with their methodologies.”
Amidst their discussion, a familiar figure approaches the minibar.
“A dry scotch,” the person says.
Irene nods and fulfils the simple order quickly. The person leans her back against the counter, allowing Tsukiko to see her face.
“Dr. Lawrence!” she realizes.
The woman straightens her stance. Her hands are in stylish lace gloves instead of their usual surgical ones. “Hello, um…”
“Tsujii. Tsukiko Tsujii. The amnesia girl,” Tsukiko aids. “What are you doing here?”
“Is a doctor not allowed a vacation?”
Tsukikol feels a blush rising. “Of course. I hope you enjoy your stay.”
“Quite a character, isn’t she?” Jaiden mumbles, pulling Tsukiko away from the bar with an arm around her shoulder.
“She’s probably just overworked and doesn’t want to see a patient on her break,” Tsukiko reasons.
“Anyway, about Chan—”
The girl turns to the side to let out a yawn, making Jaiden chuckle. “Or we can get some rest first,” he suggests. “We all know sleep is not happening tonight with those guys and their boatloads of beer.”
“Sorry,” Tsukiko sniffles with a weary smile.
“No worries. I could use a break too after driving for that long,” he assures her. “The real problem is deciding whether you want to sleep in the bed with sheets they probably do not wash or in some authentic, premium wolf fur.”
Little “sleepovers” like these aren’t abnormal anymore, so Tsukiko just laughs. “Unwashed sheets? Isn’t this your hotel?”
“No hotel actually washes their sheets,” he argues. “So are you choosing fluffy, clean fur?”
“I think I’ll take my chances with the sheets in terms of sanitation,” she teases.
“Hey! You’re awfully witty with your remarks for a tired person,” Jaiden pouts.
Tsukiko laughs again and quickens her pace to the suite, already having decided to give in to her friend’s constant affinity for cud
dling.
* * *
Truth or dare. No teenage party is complete without it. Well, for those who are teenagers at heart, at least. Three cases of beer later, the group gathers around the circular fireplace, watching the coal emit purple flames.
“Um… Tsukiko! Truth or dare?” After being dared by Finley to kiss him, Faith decides to play it safe by picking the only other girl in the group.
“Truth,” she replies.
“Okay, uh, what was your favorite class last semester?”
A few boos are warranted for that question. Faith just ducks her chin into her shoulders with a blush that’s either from the feedback or the alcohol.
“Chemistry, of course,” Tsukiko answers easily.
“Liar!” Mark scoffs, tossing a crushed can that barely makes it halfway to her.
“Alright, your turn, Miss Tsujii. Ask someone,” Chan urges. Despite having chugged three cans in a row earlier, he looks rather sober.
“Alright, Jaiden? Truth or—”
“Dare!” he grins, obviously out of it and a stark contrast to his president.
Tsukiko grimaces at his state. “I dare you to stop drinking for the night.”
“What?” he exclaims, pulling a half-finished can from his lips. The other boys laugh while he expresses his frustration physically onto the couch cushion. “Ugh, you’re so mean! You’re lucky you’re pretty, Leiah!”
“I’m not—” She tries to correct him, but a few others “Ooo” in her direction because of the compliment.
“Moving on!” she insists.
Jaiden swings his head in a giant motion towards someone in the circle. “Darren.”
The one in question does not look too different from the one asking it. The room holds its breath; no one knows what might happen when those two are in together. The only sound comes from Jaiden’s beer can slowly crushing under his grip. Liquid begins to seep onto his hand, but he doesn’t seem to care.
“What.”
“How could you do this to me?” Jaiden slurs, his voice rising.
“Uh, I think you were supposed to ask ‘truth or dare,’” Finley interjects in vain.
“You know what soulmates mean to me!” Jaiden continues. His ears start to grow out of his head as his body begins losing control of itself. “You know how much I wish mine were alive, and now that you’ve found yours, you knocked Terena Taylor up?”
He’s standing now and grabs one of the glass bottles and raises it to bust open the bottom when Cain, sensing the urgency, grabs his hand before he is able to do so. Finley steps in front of Darren who is about to do the same.
“I was drunk, okay? And what do you know about having a girlfriend? What do you know about how hard it is to keep one?” Darren shouts back, pushing past his brother. “I guess not, seeing how yours drowned after three months!”
“OKAY!” Chan hollers, standing up. “To your rooms, everyone. Now.”
Darren looks shocked as if a moment of clarity has overcome him after the words left his mouth. When it passes, he gets up and does as told without a second glance at his ex-childhood friend.
Jaiden, however, sinks back into his spot on the couch, lost and confused. Jumbled, incoherent syllables tumble out of his lips as he tries to make sense of the present. Tsukiko goes over to help him up while the rest of the fraternity slowly overcomes their surprise and leaves the area.
“Come on, Jaiden. Let’s go,” she says calmly.
“Leiah…” he mumbles. A lone tear slips out of his hollowed eyes. Suddenly, they shift towards Tsukiko. “Leiah?”
“No, I’m Tsukiko. I just look like her.”
“Leiah!” Jaiden’s arms shoot out and grab her waist, pulling her into him. “You’ve come back to haunt me, haven’t you? You’ve come back to curse me for letting you die. For not saving you.”
“No, I—”
An audible sob cuts off her sentence.
“I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry…” he cries. “I’m so sorry…”
Not knowing what to do, Tsukiko lifts a hand and slowly strokes the back of his head.
“It’s okay,” she tries.
“No, no it’s not. I killed you. I’m your soulmate. I was supposed to protect you. I failed you. I killed you.”
“You didn’t. Don’t blame yourself, Jaiden. It wasn’t your fault.”
“I’ve hurt you. I’ve—”
“Jaiden. Jaiden, look at me.”
Tsukiko pulls away and lifts his chin so that he can see her face. “I’m not—.” A head shake. “I’m okay,” she decides to say instead. “I’m at peace. And now, it is time for you to let go too.”
He stares at her, eyes wide and glassy. Bit by bit, his gaze lowers until his forehead is resting on her stomach.
“I’ll miss you…” he breaths.
Tsukiko fights back her own tears and continues stroking his hair. She places a soft kiss on his crown, and with that, he drifts off to sleep.
* * *
“G-good morning,” Xie Ming stutters without looking at her like he has been doing for the past couple of days when they see each other.
“Good morning,” Tsukiko returns. She looks outside and sees that the snow from last night has not let up. Looks like outdoor activities are mostly out of the picture today.
This has already taken a toll on the boys, evident by the couple of limbs thrown carelessly over the sunken conversation pit. Just then, a doorbell chime can be heard throughout the suite, and the zombie-like bodies jump up as if resurrected.
“Room ser—!” The door opens for her before Irene can even finish her sentence.
“Silva? What are you doing here?” Mark asks, slowly sliding his arm up the doorframe, only to be pushed aside by Cain who looks through her cart for his order.
“The pool bar is closed due to the storm, so my supervisor found other ways to keep me busy,” she answers. Her eyebrow twitches at his flirtatious advances but ignores it as she wheels the cart into the room. “Enjoy!” she chirps. “And also please be careful if you choose to partake in any outdoor activities today and be aware of any warnings sent out by Han management. Please enjoy our plethora of indoor events in the meantime.” She gestures to a brochure that comes with the meals before excusing herself.
“Wait,” calls someone at the door. Everyone turns to see Jaiden letting himself in after a meeting with the hotel’s board. How fortunate for them that the CEO’s son is staying at the hotel during this storm. “You’re not assigned anything else today, are you, Silva?”
She confirms his suspicions with a shake of her head. “I’m supposed to run the gazebo bar, but since that’s closed, I’m free until they assign me something again.”
“Great.” A grin spreads over his face as his eyes meet Tsukiko’s. “Why don’t you hang out with us today?”
Chan who was just emerging from his room with a towel over his damp bleached hair quickly retreats back after seeing Jaiden smirking dangerously at the woman from the poolside bar.
“I…” she fidgets.
“Aw, don’t be shy; we don’t bite,” Mark chimes in.
“Yeah, it’ll be great to have another girl around here too,” adds Tsukiko. Faith nods while sprinkling salt on her eggs.
“I really shouldn’t,” she says. “I should be on standby in case somebody needs me. I am, after all, here as an employee of Han Hotels.”
A few groans escape the boys, but there’s not much to be done after her response. Only one soul does not seem as disappointed as the rest. He turns on the hairdryer, drowning out the commotion.
Tsukiko lets the crowd pass by her as they follow Irene out the door. She eyes the crack in Chan’s door and sees him looking in the mirror at his own reflection, fighting an internal fight. What is he afraid of, really? Why is he shying away from his soulmate? Or someone who might be his soulmate? He puts down the dryer with a sigh and turns on the faucet, assumingly to attempt to wash his guilt down the drain. Is this any way for an alpha to act? There’s go
t to be something holding him back, but what, Tsukiko cannot tell.
The next time Tsukiko sees Irene is well into the third hour past noon. Snow is beginning to fall again, but guests are still venturing outside to play in it. Tsukiko joins Faith and Finley as they head outside while the other boys are busy with bowling and billiards. There, she sees Irene putting her cafe experience to good use by running the hotel’s pop up hot chocolate cart. The group waves to her before finding a spot for a snowman.
After twenty minutes, the weather begins to worsen, so they decide to finish up. Finley gives the frozen creation his hat while Faith looks for sticks for arms. Even Irene seems to be packing up her cart.
“Hi,” greets Tsukiko, having nothing to do herself. “Do you need help?”
Irene smiles at her. “I can manage. Thank y—”
Just as she says that, a clump of snow from a branch above falls onto the counter. They both laugh and Irene scratches the back of her beanie.
“Never mind. I guess I could use some help. Could you just shove the snow off?”
“Sure,” Tsukiko replies as she regains her balance after a particularly strong wind blows by. “We should hurry too; it looks like this storm is getting exponentially worse.”
Tsukiko tries her best to push off snow faster than the rate nature is dumping it on while Irene fits all the parts of the stand like puzzle pieces in the space-saving cart until another voice interrupts them.
“What are you guys doing? We’ve got to go!”
Tsukiko looks up upon recognizing Finley’s voice but realizes she cannot even make out his bright orange hair. She turns to Irene.
“Maybe we should just head in with what we have!” she shouts over the winds.
Irene looks hesitant, or at least Tsukiko thinks she does past the white.
“Okay,” she finally agrees, slamming something shut and grabbing the handle of the cart.
Faith’s voice yells over the storm, “Finley, let’s help them!” and a push from the back of the cart can be felt.
“Thank you, you guys!” Irene shouts.
