Chapter 8
1018 Words
~Jasmine~
"How long?"
Sofia didn't do the whole "oh, I'm so sorry" thing. She didn't look like she wanted to hug me or pat my head. She just looked at me like she was checking a list. A wolf fact-finding mission which felt better because I didn't want any pity.
"Since... since I was rejected."
I hated how my voice shook when I said it. It made me feel like that girl again, the one standing in the forest while everyone watched my life fall apart.
Sofia let out a curse that was low and mean. "By a werewolf asshole? He took your wolf and your nose? He literally robbed you, Jasmine."
I winced. No one had ever called it that. My step sisters back home just said I defective and a failure, But "robbed"? That made it feel different. Like I was a victim of a crime instead of just a defect.
"Sofia, please. Don't tell Caspian. He can't—"
"Don't tell Caspian what?"
We both looked around stunned not knowing when the guy came in.
"Rhett! What are you doing in the women’s bathroom?"
Sofia looked annoyed. This guy, Rhett, just leaned against the doorframe like he owned the place.
He had tattoos creeping up his neck and a black shirt that looked like it was holding back a lot of muscle. Another werewolf I could feel it, even if I couldn’t smell it. He looked between Sofia and me.
"Sof. Wrap it up. You guys have been gone long. We’re leaving."
"We just got here! Caspian is finally—"
"Caspian said we are leaving. Kalean called. He’s coming back tomorrow morning, earlier than planned. He wants everyone at the penthouse tonight."
Sofia’s face went totally pale but she didn't argue after that. Rhett’s eyes finally flicked to me, then down to the leather jacket I was practically drowning in. His jaw tightened, but he didn't say a word.
"Five minutes. He’s waiting by the car."
The door swung shut, and I finally let out the breath I’d been holding.
"What's going on?"
"Nothing, it’s fine. The penthouse is where the triplets live. It’s way safer than the dorms anyway. Let’s just crash there, then we’ll come back to school tomorrow."
A penthouse? I thought about my scholarship, the old clothes in my suitcase and my own little dorm suite they're are nothing related to a Penthouse! I felt like a stray cat being invited into a palace where I didn't belong. I was just a girl who couldn't even smell the air but now I'm in circles with people who stay in a penthouse to school instead of a dorm? Interesting!
—-
"You took forever Jas! I was about to come in there and rescue you myself."
Freya was standing right by the sleek black car, looking like she’d been pacing the sidewalk for twenty minutes. She looked relieved to see us, but the second her eyes landed on me her smile dropped.
"Is everything okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost."
I tried to give her a reassuring smile, but it probably looked more like a grimace. Sofia was right behind me, her hand still resting on my shoulder as if she were anchoring me to the ground.
"Everything is fine, Freya. We just had a... conversation. But plans changed. We're going to the triplets' place for the night."
Caspian was leaning against the car door, watching us. The second he saw me, he stood up straight, his honey-colored eyes scanning my face for any sign of trouble. He didn't look like the flirty guy from the booth anymore. His face was all serious.
"Get in. We’re moving. You good?"
"Yes. Here, I should—"
I started to pull the jacket off. I didn't want to keep his stuff. I didn't want to be a burden. But his hands were on my wrists before I could even get one arm out. His skin was so warm, it made my head spin.
"Keep it. You’re shaking."
The ride was quiet, save for the low hum of the engine and Rhett’s occasional grunts as he navigated through the city traffic. Freya kept nudging my shoulder, giving me these "are we being kidnapped?" looks, but I was too busy staring out the window.
Everything about this night felt wrong. I was supposed to be the quiet scholarship girl, the one who blended into the walls. Instead, I was wrapped in a hot guy's jacket, heading to a penthouse I definitely didn't belong in.
"Are you still cold?"
Caspian’s voice was right next to my ear. I hadn't even realized I was shivering until he mentioned it.
"I'm fine. Just... a lot of things happened tonight."
We pulled up to this huge glass tower that looked like it belonged in a movie. An elevator took us all the way to the top, and when the doors opened, I almost tripped.
It was all windows and city lights. It looked cold, expensive, and way too fancy for someone like me. I felt like I was walking on eggshells, Rhett clapped Caspian on the shoulder. "I’ll take the guest room." Then he left.
Caspian didn't say anything to stop him. He just stood there, his face unreadable. He looked at me for a long moment, then stepped closer.
"Sofia, show Jasmine, and her friend, the rooms close to Lucien’s wing. Not Kalean’s. Kalean is landing in a few hours, and he hates guests in his space when he’s around."
"Sleep well, pretty little wolf. You’ll be meeting my brother tomorrow." He winks.
I looked at the jacket I was still wearing. I looked at the giant, empty penthouse. I was in a den of triplets, feeling a strong pull of attraction to a guy i just met at a club, I was pretty sure my life was about to get a lot more complicated than I ever planned.
"Lucien and Kalean," Freya whispered. "Triplets. And we’re sleeping under their roof."
Her eyes were shining. Mine weren’t.
"I know, Freya," I said. "That’s what scares me."
- Writer
