The Cursed Awakening book 1

Chapter 5 Boundries and bruised Egos

Flashback continued

Jason’s POV

I stormed out of the bowling alley, the cold evening air doing nothing to cool the anger boiling inside me. Reid and Collin trailed behind me, their voices low as they tried to figure out how to approach me.

“Jason, man, stop for a second,” Reid said, stepping in front of me and holding up his hands like I was some feral animal.

I stopped, turning to face him, my fists clenched at my sides. “You saw her, Reid. Sixteen, sitting on that mutt’s lap like it’s no big deal. What the hell is she thinking?”

Reid raised an eyebrow. “She’s thinking she’s a teenager, Jason. They’ve been together for a few months. Eli’s not some random guy.”

“I don’t give a s**t how long they’ve been together,” I snapped. “He’s eighteen. That’s a grown-ass man, and Coral is still a kid.”

Collin leaned casually against a nearby lamppost, crossing his arms. “She’s not a kid, man. Sixteen’s old enough to date. What’s the big deal?”

I turned to him, my glare sharp enough to cut glass. “The big deal, Collin, is that she’s Coral. She’s barely grown, and Eli? He’s not as innocent as everyone makes him out to be.”

Reid groaned, rubbing the back of his neck. “Here we go,” he muttered under his breath.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I demanded.

“It means you’re blowing this out of proportion,” Reid replied. “I know you think you’re her big, bad protector or whatever, but you’re not her brother. That’s my job.”

“Then maybe you should do your job,” I shot back, my wolf growling in agreement. “Because Eli’s not right for her.”

Collin let out a low whistle. “Oh, here we go. Let me guess this is about those stupid rumors about Eli.”

I turned to him, my jaw tightening. “They’re not stupid. People say Eli’s a witch-werewolf hybrid, and he uses spells to mess with girls. You’re telling me you don’t think that’s worth looking into?”

Reid groaned again, louder this time. “Seriously, Jason? That’s just bullshit people made up because they’re jealous of him. Eli’s not some spell-casting creep. He’s a good guy. His mom died when he was a kid, and he’s been stepping up ever since to help his dad raise his two little sisters. He’s not out here casting spells on anyone.”

I crossed my arms, my wolf still restless. “You can’t be sure.”

Reid stepped closer, his expression firm. “I am sure. I’ve watched him. He treats Coral with respect. He’s infatuated with her, sure, but he’s not some predator. And for the record, you can still smell that Coral is pure. So whatever you're worried about hasn’t happened, and probably never will.”

The mention of her purity made me flinch. My wolf growled low in my chest, torn between relief and rage. Coral was too good for someone like Eli, no matter how noble his backstory was.

“I don’t care,” I said stubbornly. “She deserves better.”

Collin snorted, shaking his head. “You’re acting like a jealous ex. What’s your deal with Coral anyway?”

I shot him a glare. “She’s like my little sister. Someone has to look out for her while Reid’s too busy playing mediator.”

Reid smirked. “Yeah, sure. Keep telling yourself that, Jason.”

I ignored him, turning back toward the parking lot. “Whatever. I’m keeping an eye on that guy. If he steps out of line, he’s going to regret it.”

Reid called after me, his tone amused. “Good luck with that, man. She’s sixteen, and you’re not her dad. You’re just going to piss her off if you keep acting like this.”

I didn’t bother responding. Let them think I was overreacting. Let them think I was jealous. I didn’t care. All I knew was that Coral deserved better, and I wasn’t about to stand by and let someone like Eli take advantage of her.