Chapter 78 Of course not
BRYNNE
Tristan walks into my room with a smug smile. He spent his evening with Soma, and now he doesn’t remember how to be a grump anymore. His pants hang low on his waist, and when he lifts his arms, I glimpse his tanned abs. He had better not have been showing off that much skin throughout their dinner, or I’ll skin him alive. I have a better build, but I’m not prancing around the house naked.
As his smile stretches, I grab a pillow and hurl it at him. He stalks forward and catches it, aiming it directly at my chest. I flick it off before it lands, and he chuckles.
“How’s she?” I ask. His bruise has fully healed.
“I’d tell you to go check on her yourself, but since she doesn’t want to hear your name, be around you or even talk about you…” He pauses for dramatic effect, and I fist my hand under the cover, hiding how badly his words sting. “Then I guess there’s no way for you to know.”
“What do you mean there’s no way? I heard all of you downstairs. It’s a simple question. How’s she?”
He heads to the study table in the corner and slumps into the chair. Now I know why he’s here. To gloat. Months ago, I could have sworn Tristan was the most emotionless Rybak, but the last few days have brought out a different side of him.
The chair rocks as he laces his fingers behind his head and drops his leg on the table.
“She’s pissed because you set her hair on fire.”
I fall back on the bed, placing a pillow on my face. “Let me guess, that’s what you told her.”
“Didn’t need to.” We both fall quiet, each of us listening to our own thoughts until he adds, “She’s really cool. I think I like her.”
My heart does a funny jump, and I clutch my chest. I would be lying if I said I liked her, but I enjoy being around her. James likes her, too. She hadn’t minded cuddling him.
“What’s your deal with her?” I ask, keeping my voice flat.
“Maybe if you’re nice to her, I’ll tell you.”
I scoff, launching the pillow at him. This time, it hits him square in the chest, and he tips, holding himself up in the air as his chair crashes to the floor. Stupid reflex. He’s the best fighter in his set, and it shows in how easily he scoops the chair back up and straddles it to face me.
“What?” I sneer at him. “I’m already nice enough.”
On cue, my fingers slide below my eyes, and I rub the spots. Since Lilith left, I’ve spent more time in Soma’s room than I have in mine. My new routine has been class, Soma’s room, then mine. Jade was only supposed to take two days off, but I ended up fully dismissing her until her lady recovered. If that doesn’t constitute as nice, nothing else does.
Tristan shrugs. “If you hadn’t set her hair on fire, she wouldn’t have fainted. It’s your fault too. So you only did what was necessary.”
“We all know she’s weak,” I mutter, sitting up. I pull one leg to my chest, resting my jaw on my knee. “And she has a weak wolf. Even Lilith admitted that.”
“Which is why you should never have set her hair on fire.”
“Are you ever going to believe it was an accident?”
“Probably not. No. Never,” he offers. I open my mouth, and he flashes me a cheeky grin. In this moment, he looks more like Kade. “It’s your fault. Anyway, what are you wearing to the Mask Ball?” When I don’t reply, he adds, “Are you attending this year’s ball?”
“Of course. It’s my last one here, I have to attend.”
Shadowspire Royal Academy hosts a Mask Ball every year. It typically occurs after the mid-semester tests, which are administered in October. It’s different from other regular events because everyone can attend and be whoever they want. For one night, a maid can pretend to be a princess, and no one will hold it against her. Some students even play the part of a princess or a prince.
One night of fun, masks, and dreams.
A buzz cuts through my thoughts. I stretch toward the bedside console to grab my phone and roll my eyes at the caller ID. It’s Helga. Is she hoping I’ll be her partner for the ball? I ignore the call, and a few seconds later, the phone rings again.
“Who’s that?” Tristan asks.
“Helga.”
Instead of answering it, I tap on the End call button and block her. She has fulfilled her purpose in my life.
Tristan chuckles. “They never learn.”
And that’s not my fault. If she thinks I’ll pick her out of the many girls who have shown interest in me, then she’s mistaken.
“For a minute, I thought Helga would be different,” he says. “I don’t know which of your mind games you used to make Helga get close to Soma, but I hope that doesn’t happen again. Soma and her maid are off-limits. No mind control. No sneaking into their memories. I’ve already talked to Kade about it.”
The possessiveness in his voice hits a raw nerve. I laugh, acting all tough when my insides wither. I don’t care about Soma liking me, but as far as I’m concerned, I’m the only one who should matter to her. Her attention is mine alone.
“Brynne,” he says, and my eyes snap back to him. He’s calm, the version I know. “I’m serious. You might have manipulated Helga, but the two of them are off limits.”
With Helga, I didn’t need to get into her head or control her. In my defense, I gave her one warning before I took full advantage of her naivety and feelings. Ignoring her hadn’t worked. She wanted my attention, and I wanted information about Soma. It was the smoothest deal of my life. We never even kissed. I only gave her enough to feel wanted. To keep her coming, desperate to earn more.
“We’ll see about that,” I mutter.
Without Tristan’s warning, I already know not to pry into Soma or her maid’s heads. Soma cares about Jade, so I can’t hurt her. Though she called another man’s name while my head was buried between her thighs, I’ll never try to peek into her mind again. Her proximity calms me. James becomes a pup around her, willing to bend for her.
“It can’t be that hard to stay out of her head, right?” Tristan barks. Seeing my usually cold brother break down over something this silly amuses me. I wink, mostly to annoy him. If this is the only way to elicit a reaction from him, I might continue. “I’m warning you, Brynne. Don’t.”
“Is that how you speak to your crown prince now?”
He picks the pillow I tossed at him earlier from the floor, stalks to the bed, and hits me so hard I lose my sight for a few seconds. As soon as my vision clears, he smacks me again.
“What the fuck is wrong with you?” I bellow, yanking the pillow from him before it hits me a third time. I’ve tried to avoid this topic, but the tense set of his jaw has bile rushing to my throat. “Do you have feelings for her?”
“Of course not,” he spits. “She’s going to be your Luna.”
Good. My Luna. Mine, not his.
Let her hate me.
Let her hate the mention of my name.
Let her be disgusted at the thought or sight of me.
As long as her attention is centered only on me, I don’t care. That I can evoke an emotion as strong as hate within her shows how much I occupy her mind.
Tristan backs away from the bed. “I’m nothing like you, who can’t keep his dick in one place.” The jab doesn’t hit as hard as he wanted. I sneer, but he’s not done talking. “Just don’t do it. Stay away from their heads.”
He walks to the door, twists the handle, and gives me a look. Thinking of the heat that flooded my body when I held Soma in that tub, I nod to assure him.
She called me Mason that night. The bastard is gone, yet he haunts her, even in her dreams. I should have stayed away, but the only time I’ve been able to sleep well since she lost consciousness is with her in my arms.
The fire hasn’t blossomed again, and that connection hasn’t stirred yet, but I’ve felt warmer than ever, like the markings they claimed didn’t exist were about to come to life. I need to know what will happen if we are on better terms. To see how well or if I’ll be able to manipulate the flames if she hates me a little less.