Chapter 77 Drop it
SOMA
Jade spends too long in the bathroom preparing my bath. As soon as the door creaks open and her head pokes out, I storm toward her without waiting for her to usher me in. My body itches in places I’m ashamed to mention.
It’s Brynne’s fault. He must have done something to me while I slept. I need to wash off every trace of his touch and that of his wolf. That fire must have affected my brain for me to think the man can be separated from the wolf. They are one.
As soon as I step into the bathroom, a scent hits me. It’s soft, sweet, and welcoming. My feet carry me to the tub filled with water and pink petals floating on the surface. I giggle, shaking my head at Jade as I shed my dress.
“Did you miss me that much?” I tease.
Jade chuckles, but doesn’t leave. “Prince Brynne sent—”
“I don’t want to hear his name around me,” I cut in. Her mouth opens, and she gulps before nodding. Sliding into the water, I rest my head on the rim of the tub and close my eyes. “I would forever appreciate it if he never bothered me again.”
“Is that really what you want, my lady?”
My eyes open. “Of course. He set my hair on fire.”
Jade lowers her head and links her hands over her belly. We both hate Brynne. Why’s she acting differently today? I sit up and grab the washcloth, and she tells me about the herbs infused into the water to speed up my recovery.
“What day is it?” I ask.
“Saturday.”
“What?” She grimaces, and I clear my throat. Was I unconscious for over a week? The full moon has passed. Did they conduct the ritual? Is that why Brynne has been hovering around me? Am I his mate? I stare up at the ceiling and groan at that possibility. “What about the high priestess?”
“She visited and asked us to take care of you.”
“Did she…” I pause, thinking of better ways to phrase my question. “Did she say anything about any ritual?”
Jade shakes her head. “But she spent some time talking to the crown prince. Maybe you can ask him.” The glare I shoot her has a nervous laugh spilling from her lips. She bunches her dress, her smile growing contrite. “I can ask Tristan.”
Tristan. A grin splits my lips, and I scoop water out of the tub, splashing it in her direction. She jumps back with a giggle, and I laugh until tears stand in my eyes. Now, he’s Tristan to her. And I’m potentially stuck with a guy I want to gouge his eyes out. What did Lilith tell him?
“My lady,” Jade whispers. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah.” I nod, splashing water over my face. “Yeah.”
As I slide under the water, a memory so vivid hits me. I sit up with a jolt, causing water to spill everywhere. My skin heats as it remembers the feel of Brynne’s body against mine. His hands on mine.
He held me in this tub.
What if none of it was a dream? Not the hug or intimacy. What if I hadn’t been calling out to Mason but the prince? Given Brynne’s ego, if I had truly whispered my best friend’s name in the heat of the moment, he wouldn’t have been here when I woke up. He would have done worse than set my hair on fire. I run my fingers through the wet mass of curls. My hair is fine, almost as if the fire had never happened.
The thud of the door drags me out of my thoughts. I look up, and Jade is gone. My fingers curl around the edge of the tub, and I stare up at the ceiling. I need answers. Not from him, but from someone else. I need to know whether the mating ritual took place. Lilith had insisted on it being done on a full moon, and now it has passed. I lack knowledge of the subject to know if it requires both parties to be fully conscious.
There’s too much to do. Notes to copy. Assignments I must have missed. All because of one silly prince. I exit the tub, water leaving a puddle behind me wherever I go. Jade isn’t in the room, but she’s laid out an outfit for me to wear.
It feels too soft. A bout of gratitude sweeps over me, and I hold the fabric to my chest, thankful for how far I’ve come. I might never have wanted this, but my life is better than it would have been if I had left with Mason.
Jade isn’t back by the time I’m dressed. If I have to guess, I’ll assume she’s in Tristan’s room. Instead of confirming my suspicion, I step out of my suite, and Brynne’s door opens too timely for it to be considered a coincidence.
Our eyes meet, and my mouth goes dry. It’s almost like the morning after our second kiss. There’s so much to say and nothing to say all at once. I’ve not forgiven him. Not for Helga or the fire, but right now, I don’t want to hurt him.
There are bags under his eyes, and his pose conveys a sense of tiredness. He’d looked fine when he was in my room. In all fairness, I had been too angry to pay attention to him.
“Good to see you’re awake,” he says.
That softness brewing in my chest melts into something else. All it takes is remembering Helga on her knees in his room. The same Helga sitting on his lap in the cafeteria. He dared to touch me like I mattered, only to put those same hands on another woman. I cross my arms on my chest, eyeing him from top to bottom. If we end up being fated mates, we’ll need strict rules, or I’ll reject him.
“No thanks to you,” I mutter.
The second his lips part, I turn and walk away. Tristan’s door opens, and his grin fades when I don’t reciprocate it. He takes one look at me, then at Brynne, falling into step with me as we head downstairs.
“Was he bothering you?” he asks.
“No.”
As we approach the dining table, Jade steps out of the kitchen with a full tray. “My lady.” Her eyes light up, and she holds the tray up. “I was about to bring your dinner.”
“It’s fine,” I say. “We can eat here.”
Tristan nods, and she goes ahead of us to set the tray on the table. I sit first, and Tristan tugs her into the chair on his left. Does anyone else know about them?
The second she tries to stand, he pulls her onto his lap. Her face goes red. “My prince, what if someone sees us?”
“Sienna and Kade are not home,” he tells her. He drags a bowl closer to them and serves himself. There are other cutleries, but he grabs only a spoon, his intention clear as day. “Brynne isn’t coming down.”
My heart skips. Thankfully, Jade asks the question I’m curious about.
“How do you know?”
Tristan’s gaze drifts to me. “He’s my brother. I know.”
His eyes hold varying emotions, some of which make me feel like I’m the reason his brother is stuck upstairs. If Brynne’s not coming down, it’s probably because Helga is in his room.
Finally tearing his gaze from me, Tristan directs the spoonful of rice to Jade’s lips. Her cheeks flush, and she darts a worried look at me. I nod, giving her the encouragement she craves.
Tristan waits patiently, watching with a tiny smile as her mouth closes around the spoon. He’s smiled more times in one day than in the whole time I’ve known him.
Is this really what it feels like to have a fated mate?
We eat in silence. As soon as Jade leaves with the plates, I turn to him. “Did the high priestess say anything about a ritual?”
“No.” His gaze drifts to the kitchen. “What ritual?”
“It’s nothing,” I say too fast. “Don’t worry.”
“That doesn’t sound like nothing.” His attention snaps back to me, and he plants his hands on the table. “Maybe you should ask Brynne. Lilith spent more time with him than she did with any of us.”
“Can you please not say his name around me?”
“Brynne?”
“Yes. Stop.” He lifts a brow, his face taking on the blank look I’m used to. But I add, “I don’t want to see him. I don’t want to hear his name. I don’t want to talk to him.”
Tristan leans back in his chair with a sigh. “About the fire… I really think it was an accident.”
“Right. Of course, you’ll defend him. He’s your brother.”
“It’s not that,” he says. I make a sound at the back of my throat, and he groans. “I’m serious. It was an accident.”
“How would you know?” I mock. He tries to speak, but I raise a hand. I’m tired. “Just drop it. I’m not interested.”
Jade steps into the dining room at that moment, and I shoot to my feet, taking her hand. It feels good not to have to pretend we’re not friends. I lead her toward the stairs, and she pauses at the landing to wave at Tristan.
Jealousy knots in my belly, and I force myself to keep moving. Power is great. Titles too, but it’s becoming more glaring than love is the greatest of all three. And I don’t have that.