Chapter 5 Chapter Five

Chapter 5 Chapter Five
Chapter Five
                     Jaslyn 

I pursed my lips, my chest heaving.

He slapped me hard, and tried forcing my mouth open.

“There’s no use resisting, Jaslyn. At this moment, Zeeland is about to drink his poisoned wine. He'd probably be dead before tomorrow. With any luck, we might make you our personal toy.” Armand laughed triumphantly.

That did it. I finally lost it.

I reached out into their minds with a lot of effort, and forced them to a spot. They froze, their faces blank as I worked my hands out of the ropes binding them. And then I grabbed Benoit and pushed my fangs into his neck, drawing as much blood as possible. I pushed him to the floor, and pulled Armand close. 

Once I was done, I wiped the memory off their minds. The only thing they'd remember the next day would be the memory of me escaping.

With that being done, I turned and raced towards the Fort hoping I'll get there before Zeeland drank his poisoned wine.

The guards manning the entrance were about rushing forward to block my entrance, but I reached into their minds, and made them let me through.

I spotted Zeeland the moment I rushed in. He was dressed in a designer suit, his short blue hair complimenting his so-handsome-it-hurt face. My heart did that little flip again, and I wondered how I could think about kissing him in such a dire situation as this.

He had an annoyed look on his face as he was about to lift the glass to his lips.

“No!” I shrieked without thinking, dashing forward. 

Luckily, my shriek halted his action.

“Don’t. The wine is poisoned.” I stood in front of his table, my heart racing.

He merely glanced at me with disinterest. 

“And how can you prove that?” He asked calmly.

Taken aback by his question, I was tongue-tied for a moment. 

“I-I-” My words trailed off. 

I was aware that everyone's attention was now focused on us, and sweat coated my back.

He held out his glass of wine towards me, his eyes emotionless. “I presume you discovered that there's no way out of the Fort, and that's why you're back and trying to win my good graces, isn't it?”

“I didn't try to run away. I was-” I paused.

“Jaslyn Laural, you're an Omega. An ordinary werewolf. Since you claim that this wine is poisoned, why don't you have a sip?” There was no hint of warmth in his voice at all.

My heart raced faster than it did the day I discovered I didn't have an inner wolf. 

“I can't.” I whispered.

“You can't? Make your choice then. Drink the wine, or risk losing your life.” He shrugged.

“I’m trying to save you.” I insisted. There was no wayI could tell him what I overheard, and what'd transpired between me and his brothers without risking revealing my identity.

“Are you? Then prove it. Drink the wine.” He deadpanned.

I hesitated. Suddenly, a steel-like determination filled me as I reached out for the wine.

And then I slowly lifted it towards my lips.


                  Zeeland 

Jaslyn's expression was grim and determined as she lifted the cup towards her lips. My heart raced fast, and just when she was about to drink from the poisoned wine, I barked, “Stop!”

Arching an eyebrow at me but without saying a word, she lowered the cup.

“You passed,” I said quietly.

“Passed what?” She asked with obvious confusion.

“The Luna's test,” a member of the council said from behind her. My face closed up at the sight of him, and his face wasn't better off.

He'd supported my stepbrothers and had wanted one of them to become the Alpha.  “Congratulations,” he was saying now, his eyes trained on me as if saying the battle wasn't over. I knew that of course, and was prepared for whatever was coming.

I lifted my chin. “Thank you, Tyvera.” 

He grunted what passed either as a response or admission of anger, and stomped off.

“Care to explain where you went to at the start of the party?” I asked, once he was out of earshot.

Jaslyn flashed a guilty glance at me, and shook her head, her mouth opening to speak.

“And don't think of lying to me.” I warned.

Her mouth snapped shut, opened and snapped shut again. A furious look crossed her face. 

“I’ll do that after you tell me what this-” she gestured at the cup in her hand, and back in the direction where Tyvera had gone, “-was all about.” She finished off.

My brows furrowed. “Trying to change the topic?”

She merely shrugged. 

I was inwardly pissed. “This was a test.” I finally said.

She waited, and when I didn't continue, frowned. 

“Care to explain where you went to at the start of the party?” 

Different looks flashed across her face, anger, frustration and even guilt. 

On a sigh she said, “I went to relieve myself.”

I scoffed at that explanation. “That’s not true.” I knew it wasn't, because I sent my Beta to search for her. I’d been worried, but I'd never admit that to her.

“Well, you better believe it. If I truly tried to run away, why would I bring myself back here?” She asked. 

My argument died on my lips, and I clamped them shut. She was right.

But in that brief moment when I'd thought she escaped, I felt an agony that was greater than what I'd felt at the news of my parents death. And I didn't like it one bit.

I didn't like the fact that I was currently ogling at Jaslyn in her beautiful and sexy outfit, like a sexually starved man. Fortunately, she didn't notice.

“Kiss me,” I blurted out without thinking.

“W-what?” she whispered.

Gaining control of my thoughts once more, I gestured at her to draw close. It turned out to be a huge mistake. I'd been aware of Jaslyn's scent ever since she dashed into the party hall. It was a beautiful and intoxicating scent; a mix of vanilla, flora, and an undertone of chocolate. Whatever cologne she was putting on was fucking good.

But now, within close proximity I was hypersensitive to her scent, and it was all it took not to pull her close and ravish her right there in front of everyone.

“Pretend to kiss me.” I whispered subconsciously in a low voice. While werewolves weren't known for heightened hearing, there were a few guests within earshot. 

I felt her stiffen, and a low gasp escaped her lips.

“Act naturally,” I hissed, tightening my grip around her waist. “There are people watching us.” I added.

She let out a low breath, and lowered her lips towards mine. My gaze was suddenly focused on her full and puckered lips, just as I felt a hardening sensation in my groin area.

Once close, she let her lips briefly graze my cheek, and let it remain there for a while. From our angle, it'd seem to everyone else that we were kissing intimately.

“Good enough?” she murmured against my cheek, and I almost groaned at the effect it had on me.