005
1156 Words
SERAPH
The air felt different as I walked out of Jethro’s office. My heart felt lighter.
Maybe this was my battle to fight alone. Mum wouldn't change her mind. And Jethro couldn't do anything either.
I walked straight to the rink. I didn't want to see Mum yet — not after she'd ruined my beach plans.
Jackson and I locked eyes when I got outside the sports department building. He was squatted, sweating profusely, but his eyes softened for me.
“Scram!” I hissed, turning toward the rink before he could do anything stupid.
I took my seat at the far end, my heart racing with raw determination. ‘This marriage must fail’ playing in my mind.
“Have you found anything out?” The girl beside me asked her friend.
I didn't mean to eavesdrop. But Jethro and his opponent weren't on the rink yet, their words snagged my attention.
“That man’s highly secretive, Loveth.” Her friend groaned. “There's nothing like Jethro Meyers on social media, not even in any of our hacker's systems. You should give up.”
My ears twitched at the mention of his name. Why would they be looking for his information?
I pretended to scroll through my phone, but paid deep attention to their gossip as it continued.
The girl got up furiously. “Are you joking with me right now? Are you telling me that Jethro Meyers is a ghost without any public information?”
“I… I just mean there's nothing about him on the internet. There's no way we can ever know if he has anyone in his life.”
Loveth sank back into her seat, seething dangerously. “Damn Mum!” she cursed. “Why would she want to commit suicide because of a man like this? I swear I hate him already.”
I turned to look at her abruptly, forgetting to hide my interest. I grabbed her arm. “Excuse me, what did you just say?”
A scowl formed on her face.
“Who are you?”
“It doesn't matter. Your mother wants to be with Jethro Meyers?” My heart raced.
She looked at her friend, still confused. “Yes. But, who are you? Were you eavesdropping?”
I felt hope instantly.
Was I actually finding a way out of this doom this easily?
“Really?” I broke into a grin. “Your mother really wants him? Will you join forces with me?”
Her friend shot forward to face me. “Who do you think you are? What do you know about Jethro? Are you his sidekick or something?”
“Look, he's my—” My breath caught. Loveth and her friend were both staring at me now.
“Yes? He's your what?” Loveth’s friend demanded. “Will you tell me he's your father? Or your lover?” Then she rolled her eyes, both of them laughing.
They wouldn't believe me if I told them. Mates with Jethro — a man eighteen years older than me? And cursed with bad luck of becoming his stepdaughter too? No one would believe that.
So I shook my head. “Sorry for eavesdropping. I'm Seraph.” I reached out my hand. “Botany student here. And I'm…close with Coach Jethro.”
I blinked and waited for their approval.
Instead, Loveth burst into laughter again. “Are you actually drunk right now?”
“What? No — I mean can help your mum get Coach Jethro. You just team up with me, we can —”
Shouts drowned the rest of my words. The crowd around us erupted.
Loveth and I looked towards the rink. Jethro and his opponent were on the ice, clutching thier hockey sticks. my heart fluttered for a second but I shook it off.
Making that marriage fall apart is my priority right now.
I looked at Loveth. She was drunk in admiration. “Is…Is that really Jethro Meyers? The one Mum wanted me to find about?”
“I…I guess so.” Her friend was just as captivated. “Has he always been this handsome? Or is that man his son?”
A playful smile tugged at my lips. “That's Jethro Meyers himself. Not his son. He's thirty-eight, the youngest teacher here. But how did your Mum meet him?”
“They were friends back in college. Mum had a crush on him, but Jethro was always with this one girl…” she looked at her friend. “What's her name?”
“Grace… or whatever.”
A cold shiver ran down my spine. This was getting deeper. Mum and I were never close enough to learn about her college days from her. But maybe it was more interesting than I'd thought.
Loveth's phone buzzed. She checked it and stood up. “My job here is done.” She sighed. “Thanks for the help, but I'll have to turn it down.”
“What?” The flicker of hope in my chest sputtered. “Why?”
Loveth smiled sadly. “I'm not supposed to tell you this, but…we might not see each other again. So I might as well let my heart out.”
She sat back. They began to explain her life as we watched Jethro dribble his opponent.
Loveth's father was the Alpha of the second pack. Her parents were separated. Her mother drank herself into stupor over the divorce — and only promise to stop if she could get her first love — Jethro back.
Loveth was doing this to heal her mother. I was doing this to break mine.
We had the same goals — Protect our fathers name and honor.
She didn't want the news of her mother's drunking leaking out as it would ruin her father's name.
I don't want my mother leasing out my father's house. It was his only possession left after me.
And we both had the same conflict — Obsessive mothers running after one man.
After her confession, I smiled at her. Then I confessed the raw truth. “My mother is getting married to Jethro Meyers. I will become his stepdaughter.”
She gasped but waited.
“Join forces with me. Get your mother married to Jethro — and mine out of the picture. That's the only way I could save my father's house.”
I didn't tell her he was my mate. If she knew, I’d become her enemy and a stumbling block. And right now, her help was the key to pushing my mother out and winning my father's house back.
The mate bond between Jethro and me? We'd deal with that later.
The bond was forbidden and should stay forbidden.
Loveth's mum marrying Jethro paid off more than my mother ever could.
Loveth smiled. “Let's get the strategy started. Help me preserve my father's honor and I will win your father's house for you.”
- Writer
