Chapter 20 The Brother (Brynn POV)
The next chemistry lab session arrived too quickly.
I walked into the classroom Tuesday afternoon with my stomach in knots, hoping Professor Blake had changed the lab partner assignments. But when I checked the board, my name was still listed next to Cole Steelclaw's.
He was already at our station when I arrived, setting up equipment with the practiced ease of someone who'd done this a thousand times. He looked up as I approached, his smile warm and friendly in a way that made my wolf instincts scream danger.
"Brynn. Good to see you again." He gestured to the stool across from him. "Ready for today's experiment?"
"I guess." I set down my backpack, keeping the lab bench between us.
"Relax. I promise I'm not as scary as my reputation suggests." That smile again, all charm and no warmth. "Though I have to say, my brother seems quite taken with you. How... unexpected."
The comment landed like a test, gauging my reaction.
"We're friends," I said carefully.
"Friends." Cole measured out a clear liquid into a beaker. "Is that what you're calling it? Because from what I've observed, Jaxon's interest seems considerably more... intense than mere friendship."
"What Jaxon and I are is none of your business."
"On the contrary." He looked up, his eyes holding mine. "Anything that affects my brother affects our family. And you, Brynn Calloway, are definitely affecting him."
Professor Blake called for everyone's attention, explaining today's experiment a titration to determine the concentration of an unknown acid. Cole and I worked in tense silence, measuring solutions and recording data.
"You know," Cole said quietly while adjusting the burette, "it's interesting that you transferred to Ashford Heights this year. Quite the coincidence, given the timing."
"What timing?"
"Oh, just some family business my father's been handling. Old debts coming due, that sort of thing." He smiled again. "Nothing you'd need to worry about. Yet."
The threat was subtle but clear. I focused on the titration, trying to ignore the way my hands wanted to shake.
"How long have you known Jaxon?" Cole asked, his tone conversational.
"A few weeks."
"And in those few weeks, you've become quite... close. Fast work." He made a notation on his data sheet. "My brother doesn't usually form attachments so quickly. You must be special."
"Or he's just being nice to the new student."
"Jaxon doesn't do anything without reason. If he's spending time with you, there's a purpose." Cole's gaze was sharp, assessing. "I'm just trying to figure out what that purpose is."
I didn't answer, turning back to the experiment. We were supposed to add the base solution drop by drop, watching for the color change that indicated the endpoint.
Cole reached for the burette at the same moment I did. Our hands collided, and the beaker of acid solution tilted dangerously.
Everything slowed down.
The beaker tipped toward the edge of the bench. Professor Blake was across the room, wouldn't reach us in time. The acid would splash across the floor, possibly on my legs, definitely cause a scene.
My hand shot out without thinking, moving faster than any human should. I caught the beaker mid-fall, steadying it before a single drop spilled.
The movement took maybe a second. But Cole had been watching, and I saw the moment recognition flashed across his face.
"Impressive reflexes," he said quietly. "Very impressive."
My heart hammered against my ribs. "I play lacrosse. Fast hands."
"Lacrosse." He took the beaker from me carefully, setting it safely on the bench. "Of course. That must be it."
But the way he looked at me had changed. The friendly mask was still in place, but underneath I could see calculation. Assessment. Recognition of something he'd been testing for.
"You know," Cole said, returning to the titration like nothing had happened, "my father is very interested in athletic students. Always looking for talent to recruit for various... programs."
"I'm not interested in programs."
"You might be, once you hear the details. Full scholarships. Training facilities. Connections that could open doors you didn't know existed." He added a drop of base to the acid, watching the solution carefully. "My father is quite generous with people who impress him."
"I'm not trying to impress anyone."
"No?" He glanced at me. "Then why the enhanced reflexes? Why the careful distance from most students? Why the late-night training sessions in the gym when you think no one's watching?"
Ice flooded my veins. He knew. About the training, about everything.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Don't you?" Cole set down the burette, giving me his full attention now. "Brynn, I'm going to be direct with you because I think you're smart enough to appreciate honesty. My family has been watching you since you arrived at Ashford Heights. And what we've observed is... interesting."
"Watching me?" I kept my voice low, aware of other students working around us. "That's creepy."
"That's thorough. We like to know who's on campus, especially when they display unusual characteristics." He leaned closer. "Fast reflexes. Heightened senses. The ability to hear conversations from across a room. Sound familiar?"
"You're insane."
"Am I? Because I noticed during last week's lab that you flinched when someone dropped a book in the hallway. That's two rooms away, through closed doors. Normal hearing doesn't work like that."
"I have sensitive ears"
"And sensitive everything else, I'd wager." Cole straightened, his expression pleasant again as Professor Blake walked past our station. Once he was gone, Cole continued. "My father would very much like to meet you. Discuss your... potential."
"I'm not interested in meeting your father."
"You say that now. But I think once you understand what he's offering, you'll reconsider." Cole pulled out his phone, showing me what looked like an official letter. "He's planning to send a formal invitation. To you and your family. A dinner at our estate, nothing threatening. Just conversation."
"About what?"
"About opportunities. About heritage. About making sure you understand exactly what you are and what that means." He pocketed the phone. "Father is very interested in genealogy. Family lines. Bloodlines, you might say."
The word bloodline sent alarm bells ringing. "I don't understand."
"Don't you? Or are you still pretending you're just a normal student with fast reflexes?" Cole smiled, and this time there was something predatory in it. "Brynn, I know what you are. My brother knows what you are. And very soon, my father will officially confirm it."
"Confirm what?"
"That you're exactly what we've been searching for." He turned back to the experiment, adding the final drops of base until the solution turned pink. "There. Perfect endpoint. See how much easier things go when you stop fighting the inevitable?"
Professor Blake announced that lab was over. Students began cleaning their stations, packing up equipment. I felt paralyzed, unable to process what Cole had just implied.
"Think about the invitation," Cole said as he cleaned our beakers. "My father doesn't often extend personal interest to students. It would be... unwise to refuse."
"And if I do refuse?"
"Then he'll find other ways to arrange a meeting. He's very persistent when he wants something." Cole dried his hands, meeting my gaze directly. "And he wants to meet you, Brynn. One way or another, that meeting will happen. Father wants to meet you. Official invitation coming soon."